New to me 99 Suburban: 5.7 vortec repairs

[NevadaLover]

Should have ordered personal plates while at the DMV: $$$-PIT

You are looking at this wrong, sure you have spent time and money fixing problem so far, (and will continue to do so believe me) but to replace this burb with a new or newer version will cost ALOT more than you have spent and will spend.

Not sure if the cooler is needed or not.

The lower line but is loose at the radiator, frozen to the line itself. Tried working it back and forth, tightening and loosening. Even put vise grips on the line itself. Nada. These lines are disgusting and caked in oil and dirty. You can't even see the ribbing on the protective hose cover. Looks like they have been leaking a very very long time. I'm not sure where the leak is, but it appears to be where the hose and line meet.

These coolers are absolutely needed, especially for the transmission as it helps warm it faster in cold weather, so I would definitely get new lines and hook them up.
and since you are replacing the radiator anyway just replace the lines with it!


here's how the lines come off the fittings, there should be a plastic cover over them that will slide off and down the line exposing these clips.


Here's how to get the clip back into the fitting, when the clip is in place put some di-electric grease or motor oil on the line then push the line in until you feel the clip snap over them, then try to pull them back out, if you have them connected correctly they will not come back out.

 

[unabashedpraise]

You are looking at this wrong, sure you have spent time and money fixing problem so far, (and will continue to do so believe me) but to replace this burb with a new or newer version will cost ALOT more than you have spent and will spend.




These coolers are absolutely needed, especially for the transmission as it helps warm it faster in cold weather, so I would definitely get new lines and hook them up.
and since you are replacing the radiator anyway just replace the lines with it!

View attachment 411511
here's how the lines come off the fittings, there should be a plastic cover over them that will slide off and down the line exposing these clips.

View attachment 411512
Here's how to get the clip back into the fitting, when the clip is in place put some di-electric grease or motor oil on the line then push the line in until you feel the clip snap over them, then try to pull them back out, if you have them connected correctly they will not come back out.

View attachment 411513

I'm confused as to whether I take the nuts off or not. I thought the clip came off then slide the tube out of the nut. Is that correct?


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[NevadaLover]

You are correct, the fittings stay on the cooler, the pics just show them that way to show them better!

 

[unabashedpraise]

You are correct, the fittings stay on the cooler, the pics just show them that way to show them better!

Thank goodness. These may not be so bad then.


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[unabashedpraise]

OK. Finally got the lines off. Kinda. I had to take the whole oil cooler line adapter and oil filter off. This thing was dirty🤢.

I guess I should use Fel-Pro ES 72671?


Oh yeah, while was under the truck, I noticed the harmonic balancer had large pieces of rubber missing. Looks like I'm ordering more parts for the $$$-pit! Any issues with dorman harmonic balancers?


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[rayra]

There's really an amazing amount of filth on that thing.

Should be an issue ot use Dorman, it's a brutally simple part. But it looks like a Delco OEM is just ~$15 more.

I wouldn't really call it a money pit, you're just having to do 100,000mi worth of maintenance all at once. I presume you got a decent low price on this vehicle? And bought it because you could do the work yourself. Now if you were like some of these kids with no mechanical ability, hoo boy would it be a money pit indeed. Imagine having to pay someone $75-100/hr for all this work.

 

[unabashedpraise]

There's really an amazing amount of filth on that thing.

Should be an issue ot use Dorman, it's a brutally simple part. But it looks like a Delco OEM is just ~$15 more.

I wouldn't really call it a money pit, you're just having to do 100,000mi worth of maintenance all at once. I presume you got a decent low price on this vehicle? And bought it because you could do the work yourself. Now if you were like some of these kids with no mechanical ability, hoo boy would it be a money pit indeed. Imagine having to pay someone $75-100/hr for all this work.

I'm thinking they had this oil cooler line leak, adapter gasket leak, and intake leak for quite awhile. The only thing without surface rust is the engine!

If I had to pay labor and parts for someone else to fix this, is be crying in a ball under my bed...

Paid $2300 for it. I really thought the previous owners had taken better care of it maintenance wise. I should have taken it to an actual mechanic for an eval. Live and learn.

I was able to get the dorman for $30. Advance Auto has a nice 30% coupon if you buy online and pick up in store. All the generic parts I've gotten through them, all the acdelco has been through Amazon. So far no issues with parts, with the exceptions of the intake gasket defect, which was refunded from Advance, and the tps having no guts from Amazon, also refunded.

What I haven't done is add up all the receipts........🤢


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[unabashedpraise]

Oil cooler lines in, new adapter o ring, new lower rad hose, new radiator, full fluids.

Now I'm done!







Oh wait, I was trying to do a pressure test... Maybe next week.


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[unabashedpraise]

Looking to level the rear end a bit. It's looking its age and is a bit saggy. I was originally not wanting lift blocks. However, it seems to be the cheapest and simplest way to get a couple of inches in height. I was looking at adding a leaf, but don't have all the tools to take them apart and put them back together. I was also thinking about 3/4 leaf packs from a used donor.

I also need new shocks all the way around. Figured I'll start looking now, and do both at the same time in a few weeks. Any suggestions?


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[rayra]

I'm no help on good shocks, I'm too cheap to keep properly informed.

 

[unabashedpraise]

Thought I'd give an update. One month, and no coolant loss.


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[unabashedpraise]

Did this today. This wiring though... These colors are throwing me off. Can't seem to get it working. I'll try more tomorrow.


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[rayra]

Good news on the coolant. Mine is still good as well and I really flog the heck out of it.


I just put an aftermarket trans cooler on mine, replacing the factory external trans cooler. But I left the in-radiator loop in place and left my factory lines untouched for now. I just used the provided barbed fittings and hose in the trans cooler kit and connected the flared factory hard lines with a loop of hose, for now. Eventually I'll nut up enough to re-work the kit install with sturdier brackets and just go for cutting my factory lines under the radiator / near the front crossmember and use compression unions to run new solid lines. Seem to be running 20F below the factory external cooler.

 

[unabashedpraise]

Niiiiiice!


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[unabashedpraise]

Installed some rs5000 shocks. All four were $140 after discounts, with an additional $30 in rebates. When I installed the fronts, I noticed the old shocks had dents in them. I then realized that when installed, the bump stop put a scrape and dent on the new shocks. I believe these are monotube shocks. Any advice? The dent is probably 1/8" at deepest, about three inches from bottom.

Here are the old shocks.

Those old shocks were disgusting. They even had green mold on them!


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