Useless Information

[iamdub]

A few hours earlier my sixteen year old and I tackled the rear brakes finally. Pulled off the rear disc and saw that the parking brake shoe and inside of the drum in hat were soaked. Axle seal. Just changed the fluid 7,000 miles ago and all was good. Ordered up some new AC Delco seals and more grape scented rear diff fluid and will make the repair and get it all back together Monday hopefully. The parking brake cables look good, the shoes are wore out and were not adjusted right, not even touching. The discs were rotten and the wrong size too. The inside pads barely touched any of the disc. We've checked and checked and checked and checked again to make sure we bought the right parts.

If you want something done right...

 

[swathdiver]

You got it. What a day! Thirteen hours and still not done. Just plumb wore out.

Put on the new parking brake shoes and began adjusting them. Little adjuster only seemed to work one way. Twice we got the drum/disc over the shoes and tested the parking brake whereby it would then not come off freely. Took 15 minutes of careful prying each time just to remove it and start over. The second time took some shoe material with it. Ughh. They engage a little more loose than I'd like but still have yet to adjust the cable.

Somewhere in between that we dropped the rear differential cover and pulled the pin easily. Then spent the next several hours trying to get the C-clips out. There was just not enough room! They needed 1/64 and after hours of trying we finally go the right side C-clip out. Home free right? No, not me, not today. Could not find my pry bar so my lovely wife went to the store and bought another. Then we pulled the leaky seal and pried the axle out of the right tube. Probably another hour there. The new seal went in quickly, the axle went back in without too much fuss as did the c-clip. But that pin! Goodness gracious that pin. I think we spent 4 hours or so trying to get it back in. To make a long story short, we pried the left axle outwards a bit and it dropped right in, but too tight to slide around. With some jiggling the pin was able to freely move and it was soon secure.

My little helper left for a shower and to finish her homework while I replaced the cover and refilled the differential. Just used two bottles, will top it off later. Reused that original gasket again, not leaks so far.

Then I got started on the brakes but my hands were cramping and refusing to function and I knew I'd done too much already. Just got over a month with the flu. Getting old isn't so bad until you forget your twice as old as when you did this stuff last!

Might take a look at those parking brake shoes again tomorrow before putting the calipers back on, in daylight!

On the plus side, it was cool and windy, perfect night to sleep outside and the scent of night blooming jasmines filled the air.

Praise be to God for answered prayer and giving me the strength to get as far as I did today. I have not been able to do this much activity in a long long time.

 

[PG01]

You got it. What a day! Thirteen hours and still not done. Just plumb wore out.

Put on the new parking brake shoes and began adjusting them. Little adjuster only seemed to work one way. Twice we got the drum/disc over the shoes and tested the parking brake whereby it would then not come off freely. Took 15 minutes of careful prying each time just to remove it and start over. The second time took some shoe material with it. Ughh. They engage a little more loose than I'd like but still have yet to adjust the cable.

Somewhere in between that we dropped the rear differential cover and pulled the pin easily. Then spent the next several hours trying to get the C-clips out. There was just not enough room! They needed 1/64 and after hours of trying we finally go the right side C-clip out. Home free right? No, not me, not today. Could not find my pry bar so my lovely wife went to the store and bought another. Then we pulled the leaky seal and pried the axle out of the right tube. Probably another hour there. The new seal went in quickly, the axle went back in without too much fuss as did the c-clip. But that pin! Goodness gracious that pin. I think we spent 4 hours or so trying to get it back in. To make a long story short, we pried the left axle outwards a bit and it dropped right in, but too tight to slide around. With some jiggling the pin was able to freely move and it was soon secure.

My little helper left for a shower and to finish her homework while I replaced the cover and refilled the differential. Just used two bottles, will top it off later. Reused that original gasket again, not leaks so far.

Then I got started on the brakes but my hands were cramping and refusing to function and I knew I'd done too much already. Just got over a month with the flu. Getting old isn't so bad until you forget your twice as old as when you did this stuff last!

Might take a look at those parking brake shoes again tomorrow before putting the calipers back on, in daylight!

On the plus side, it was cool and windy, perfect night to sleep outside and the scent of night blooming jasmines filled the air.

Praise be to God for answered prayer and giving me the strength to get as far as I did today. I have not been able to do this much activity in a long long time.

God bless brother

 

[iamdub]

You got it. What a day! Thirteen hours and still not done. Just plumb wore out.

Put on the new parking brake shoes and began adjusting them. Little adjuster only seemed to work one way. Twice we got the drum/disc over the shoes and tested the parking brake whereby it would then not come off freely. Took 15 minutes of careful prying each time just to remove it and start over. The second time took some shoe material with it. Ughh. They engage a little more loose than I'd like but still have yet to adjust the cable.

Somewhere in between that we dropped the rear differential cover and pulled the pin easily. Then spent the next several hours trying to get the C-clips out. There was just not enough room! They needed 1/64 and after hours of trying we finally go the right side C-clip out. Home free right? No, not me, not today. Could not find my pry bar so my lovely wife went to the store and bought another. Then we pulled the leaky seal and pried the axle out of the right tube. Probably another hour there. The new seal went in quickly, the axle went back in without too much fuss as did the c-clip. But that pin! Goodness gracious that pin. I think we spent 4 hours or so trying to get it back in. To make a long story short, we pried the left axle outwards a bit and it dropped right in, but too tight to slide around. With some jiggling the pin was able to freely move and it was soon secure.

My little helper left for a shower and to finish her homework while I replaced the cover and refilled the differential. Just used two bottles, will top it off later. Reused that original gasket again, not leaks so far.

Then I got started on the brakes but my hands were cramping and refusing to function and I knew I'd done too much already. Just got over a month with the flu. Getting old isn't so bad until you forget your twice as old as when you did this stuff last!

Might take a look at those parking brake shoes again tomorrow before putting the calipers back on, in daylight!

On the plus side, it was cool and windy, perfect night to sleep outside and the scent of night blooming jasmines filled the air.

Praise be to God for answered prayer and giving me the strength to get as far as I did today. I have not been able to do this much activity in a long long time.

Hope she's not turned off of working on cars because of experiences like this!

I wonder if your axle housing is bent on that left side?

 

[swathdiver]

I don't think so. She likes the sense of accomplishment and the fact that she now knows more about cars than the young men in her classes.

Don't know about that tube. There is no adverse wear on the tire, no vibration issues and the ring and pinion and all spider gears are in excellent condition. Time will tell. Took today off as a day of rest and our church's bible study is moved to Tuesdays on Thanksgiving week. Will finish it up tomorrow I reckon.

 

[swathdiver]

Done! Rear diff is quiet as a mouse but we did not get above 45 while fueling and burnishing the brakes. No leaks either.

Last tank of gas averaged 12.7 mpg for 15.4 hours of engine run time and 282 miles. Tires are at 42 psi cold.

Brakes feel much better, whoever did them previous used the wrong rotors or cut them down too much and put the pads on backwards, the wear indicators go on the inside. Nice to have the parking brake work as well. Finally!

Spare tire hoist went caput trying to winch it up! It will lower no problem but slips with tension on the cable. Spare went into the garage, guess a new one goes on the To Do List. Isn't there one without a clutch we can use?

 

[swathdiver]

Made a 120 mile or so round trip on Thursday and averaged 15.8 mpg @ 75 mph for 75% and 70 mph for 15% and the rest city driving.

This afternoon my daughter and I cleaned the Mass Airflow Sensor and throttle body with that little two-pack by CRC. Didn't need a whole lot, the throttle body seemed pretty clean even though it's been reading about 7% or 8% now. Not enough to throw a code but Justin @ BB thought it a mite high when he tuned it. Anyhow we buttoned her back up and she barely sputtered on the remote start and came back to a good idle pretty quickly.

Soon after we went to dinner and upon leaving noticed a chill in the air, it was now a chilly 70 degrees! Time to open the windows and moonroof! Instead of heading home we headed for the beach and a little drive with the heat on the floor and the windows down. I romped on the truck from light to light until my wife's back started hurting then calmed down and enjoyed their company. Eventually, the mileage dropped to 15.4 mpg after about 30-40 miles. The a/c compressor was now off.

So cleaning that got me looking at that factory air tube and thinking about that Airaid as a possible replacement. Some breathers for the valve covers too but not sure what or where to get those yet. First thing we always did back in the day was get the oil and blow-by out of our intakes.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Made a 120 mile or so round trip on Thursday and averaged 15.8 mpg @ 75 mph for 75% and 70 mph for 15% and the rest city driving.

This afternoon my daughter and I cleaned the Mass Airflow Sensor and throttle body with that little two-pack by CRC. Didn't need a whole lot, the throttle body seemed pretty clean even though it's been reading about 7% or 8% now. Not enough to throw a code but Justin @ BB thought it a mite high when he tuned it. Anyhow we buttoned her back up and she barely sputtered on the remote start and came back to a good idle pretty quickly.

Soon after we went to dinner and upon leaving noticed a chill in the air, it was now a chilly 70 degrees! Time to open the windows and moonroof! Instead of heading home we headed for the beach and a little drive with the heat on the floor and the windows down. I romped on the truck from light to light until my wife's back started hurting then calmed down and enjoyed their company. Eventually, the mileage dropped to 15.4 mpg after about 30-40 miles. The a/c compressor was now off.

So cleaning that got me looking at that factory air tube and thinking about that Airaid as a possible replacement. Some breathers for the valve covers too but not sure what or where to get those yet. First thing we always did back in the day was get the oil and blow-by out of our intakes.

Catch can.

 

[iamdub]

So cleaning that got me looking at that factory air tube and thinking about that Airaid as a possible replacement.

Yup- the MIT is all that's needed.

Some breathers for the valve covers too but not sure what or where to get those yet. First thing we always did back in the day was get the oil and blow-by out of our intakes.

I wish that were an option. The way the air flows through the LS engine, the vent tubes are needed. Also, if the system was opened (vented to atmosphere with simple breather filters), you'd throw an SES light. I'm sure with a custom tune you could have the PCV stuff turned off then cap off/filter some lines. But, you may induce issues with the PCV system not being evacuated enough.

 

[swathdiver]

Maybe a catch can with a breather? Never heard of those things until you fellas mentioned them. We always put breathers on the valve covers. Truck really doesn't lose any oil between changes either.

Well, you're slowly getting through my thick skull. In a couple of weeks at Moroso it'll be truck night only for drag racing and think I'll take the family and show them my old haunt, though it's been completely modernized and changed since. Haven't heard from Andy but will see if he can make it and see how those new headers and tune run too.

 

[badandyturbo]

Well, you're slowly getting through my thick skull. In a couple of weeks at Moroso it'll be truck night only for drag racing and think I'll take the family and show them my old haunt, though it's been completely modernized and changed since. Haven't heard from Andy but will see if he can make it and see how those new headers and tune run too.

Sorry I have been MIA. We hosted Thanksgiving this year so I have was busy with that.

I saw your post about Truck Day at PBIR on the 16th but unfortunately we will be out of town that weekend.

Glad to hear you got all your maintenance done.

 

[swathdiver]

Thanks! Ok, maybe January or after sometime. Test and tune are most Friday nights and those would be easier on our family since we don't have to meet with the saints the next morning.

 

[iamdub]

Maybe a catch can with a breather? Never heard of those things until you fellas mentioned them. We always put breathers on the valve covers. Truck really doesn't lose any oil between changes either.

Well, you're slowly getting through my thick skull. In a couple of weeks at Moroso it'll be truck night only for drag racing and think I'll take the family and show them my old haunt, though it's been completely modernized and changed since. Haven't heard from Andy but will see if he can make it and see how those new headers and tune run too.

You should be running a catch can regardless. Your motor may not use that much oil between changes, but I'm pretty confident it's still ingesting some. Ever looked into the back of your intake manifold? Look all the way back through that hole that's halfway through. Your flashlight will reflect on the shiny, wet oil puddled up back there. That's just what settled out of the air and didn't get into the combustion chambers.

A catch can with a breather would help keep the breather from soaking up with oil, but you still need the crossflow that the LS engine was designed to have to evacuate the fumes and moisture from the engine. The positive pressure of the crankcase alone isn't sufficient.

 

[swathdiver]

Last tank averaged 14.2 mpg. Instant economy at 40-45 is over 20 mpg. The traffic lights do it in. Filled up yesterday and averaged 16 mpg on the way home, hit lots of traffic and construction zones. Think I finished the day in the 15s.

It's $50 to enter that "Truck Yeah" event on the 16th. I have no desire to compete, just introduce the kids to drag racing and see how the truck runs. So that being said, I'll see if this coming Friday works for our clan's social schedules.

Chris, did you mention having problems with AFM now?

 

[iamdub]

Last tank averaged 14.2 mpg. Instant economy at 40-45 is over 20 mpg. The traffic lights do it in. Filled up yesterday and averaged 16 mpg on the way home, hit lots of traffic and construction zones. Think I finished the day in the 15s.

It's $50 to enter that "Truck Yeah" event on the 16th. I have no desire to compete, just introduce the kids to drag racing and see how the truck runs. So that being said, I'll see if this coming Friday works for our clan's social schedules.

Chris, did you mention having problems with AFM now?

Looking forward to your track day results.


My AFM "worked" fine, mostly, I think. It's just that, when slowing down while in 4-cylinder mode, the engine rattled like it was about to stall but instantly smoothed out as soon as it switched to V-8 mode. It was like being in too high a gear in a 4-cylinder/manual trans car and slowing down to a speed where the RPM was too low for the engine to run smoothly, then quickly pushing in the clutch so the engine can jump back up to it's normal idle speed.

I don't know if this is a normal operation of the AFM and I'm only feeling the vibes because my mount(s) are shot or if it actually has a problem where it's staying in 4-cylinder mode for too long/too low of RPM. Between this and the intermittent lifter ticking at a cold start, I'm taking it as hints that I should be doing something about. I'm hoping that just not letting the lifters collapse any more buys me enough time to get my ducks in a row.

 

[swathdiver]

I would think that might be a byproduct of busted mounts, the vibration you're having. One of mine began ticking tonight too. So are you figuring to replace the engine with a larger one instead of tearing into yours?

 

[PG01]

I would think that might be a byproduct of busted mounts, the vibration you're having. One of mine began ticking tonight too. So are you figuring to replace the engine with a larger one instead of tearing into yours?

Sounds like it...

 

[iamdub]

I would think that might be a byproduct of busted mounts, the vibration you're having.

I agree. After examining the broken mounts I've gotten from other members, I can see how a mount would transfer more vibes once it fails and collapses. My questioning in this is that the mounts have been broken since I bought the Tahoe and it started doing the rattling a couple months back. Either the mount wasn't fully collapsed and my asshattery finished it off or the AFM system was staying in V4 mode for too long. Regardless, it's now always a V8 and I'm researching solutions for our mounts- either a total replacement or a relatively simple fix with the mount in place.

Considering the cost of the delete kit, performance cam (I'm not gonna go that far and just stick a stock cam in there), labor and tuning, I can spend a little more and swap in a non-AFM engine. It'd likely require the same or less downtime and I'd be starting out with more HP and TQ with a totally stock and lower-mileage engine, with more potential at that. I can sell my 5.3 to recoup some of the extra expense and probably break even. Sounds like a no-brainer, yeah?

 

[swathdiver]

Sounds like a no-brainer, yeah?

It's probably the best bang for your buck for sure. I like to improve on what's already there. Will likely do a mild camshaft when the AFM is physically deleted and level the truck. Other than upkeep and maybe that catch can and airaid pipe I'll be done for a while with this truck. Maybe...

 

[iamdub]

It's probably the best bang for your buck for sure. I like to improve on what's already there. Will likely do a mild camshaft when the AFM is physically deleted and level the truck. Other than upkeep and maybe that catch can and airaid pipe I'll be done for a while with this truck. Maybe...

I get improving what's already there. In my case, I don't feel it's sensible to invest the parts and labor into a 190,000+ mile 5.3. If I can have no AFM, more power and lower mileage for the same investment while likely "starting over" with the engine's lifespan, I'm going that route.