Introducing....."Sueburban"
- Thread starter DaveNay
- Start date
DaveNay
Adventurer
I will probably get a Detroit Locker
superbuickguy
Explorer
I'd avoid the lock-rite locker on a DD vehicle. While they're supposed to unlock when you turn a corner, they don't always unlock - they also act like a spool on the highway so steering inputs don't always provide the same amount of steering correction (depending on whether it's locked tight or not).
Neat rig.
Neat rig.
DaveNay
Adventurer
Well, I think I have a coolant leak. 
I noticed the coolant level was low last week. This morning the exhaust was particularly noticeable. It was about 60 degrees and quite humid this morning but my exhaust looks more like it was 20 degrees and middle of winter.
https://plus.google.com/113351901037068146337/posts/fGacCMNo225
(If the link doesn't work, someone please let me know.)
I noticed the coolant level was low last week. This morning the exhaust was particularly noticeable. It was about 60 degrees and quite humid this morning but my exhaust looks more like it was 20 degrees and middle of winter.
https://plus.google.com/113351901037068146337/posts/fGacCMNo225
(If the link doesn't work, someone please let me know.)
DaveNay
Adventurer
It does not. It just smells like exhaust.
edit: Also, the white exhaust goes away in less than 10 minutes of the engine running, so it is either closing a leak due to heat expansion or it is burning off all the condensation in the exhaust pipes.
Last edited:
superbuickguy
Explorer
Actually, it makes it easier... cut the frame at the firewall and weld the 4x4 frame to the front, fish plate both sides and you're GTG.
With that said, I'd get a coil sprung front suspension out of a Dodge pickup and go that route (rides a lot better)
colierar
Observer
If you are low on coolant and its not on the passenger side floor, its probably the lower intake manifold gasket. Vortec motors are great for leaking there. If they have never been done, you will probably need them done sooner or later. They had faulty gaskets from the factory. Its not to bad of a fix to do. Cool Burb, I'm a sucker for those years. I love my 1997.
Well, I think I have a coolant leak.
I noticed the coolant level was low last week. This morning the exhaust was particularly noticeable. It was about 60 degrees and quite humid this morning but my exhaust looks more like it was 20 degrees and middle of winter.
https://plus.google.com/113351901037068146337/posts/fGacCMNo225
(If the link doesn't work, someone please let me know.)
DaveNay
Adventurer
Well, now I'm not so sure I actually have a coolant problem. I don't have any history on the vehicle so I can't really say it consumes coolant over any give time period. Plus when I started the truck yesterday afternoon (truck was parked for 20 hours) when it was lower humidity and 82 degrees, there was no visible exhaust. This leads me to believe that it is just burning off condensation from the muffler and pipe.
if you do end up with coolant missing issue, make sure the trans cooler is not leaking into your transmission. I had that issue and didnt realize it until the shifting started feel odd. I had that issue in 2002 1500 pickup. The coolant line started leaking. The serviceman accused me of try to get over on them saying i had been in deep water which i had not. When they found leak he apologized.
Sent from my QMV7A using Tapatalk
Sent from my QMV7A using Tapatalk
superbuickguy
Explorer
it's easy enough to tell if there's a head gasket problem.... they make test strips that test for CO in the anti-freeze. With that said, intake gasket leaks are pretty common - especially where the fluid crosses over between the heads in the back of the motor.
DaveNay
Adventurer
Good news. In the last month since I noticed the coolant was low it has not last any at all and the level hasn't budged since I topped it off.
DaveNay
Adventurer
Took our first long road trip in the suburban last week. 1250 miles (one way) from IL to Snow Lake Manitoba for fishing. Remarkably, the truck got a little over 14 MPG! (Steady 70 MPH, A/C off, nothing on the roof but the OEM rack.)
The only problem was that after the first 9 hours when we stopped for gas I noticed a puddle of coolant under the truck :Wow1: I made the decision to stop for the night and make repairs while we were in a nice size town (Alexandria, MN) and not risk getting stranded in the middle of nowhere Manitoba.
After spending the night we were lucky and found a mechanic on-call on a Sunday and for only $135 and in 45 minutes he replaced the heater hose connector where it connects with the intake manifold. He even had the part on hand and owned the EZ-Out he needed to remove the broken connector. He barely had to torque the wrench when attempting to remove the connector when it broke, so we probably wouldn't have made it another 100 miles down the road before we had a catastrophic failure.
So a big shout out to Glenn's Towing in Alexandria, MN and his mechanic Steve for saving our vacation.
After the repair, the truck ran flawlessly for the remainder of the trip (~2000 miles). I did have to add about a quart of coolant when in Canada, but haven't added any since so it might have just been purging air pockets. Now that I am home I am going to have my local mechanic do a pressure check to see if I need to have the intake manifold gaskets replaced. (I bet I do).
Other than that I also noticed that I am leaking power steering fluid from the hydro-boost. This is also a well known issue and I just need to decide if I am going to try to replace the seals and gaskets on my unit or just buy a re-man hydro-boost.
The only problem was that after the first 9 hours when we stopped for gas I noticed a puddle of coolant under the truck :Wow1: I made the decision to stop for the night and make repairs while we were in a nice size town (Alexandria, MN) and not risk getting stranded in the middle of nowhere Manitoba.
After spending the night we were lucky and found a mechanic on-call on a Sunday and for only $135 and in 45 minutes he replaced the heater hose connector where it connects with the intake manifold. He even had the part on hand and owned the EZ-Out he needed to remove the broken connector. He barely had to torque the wrench when attempting to remove the connector when it broke, so we probably wouldn't have made it another 100 miles down the road before we had a catastrophic failure.
So a big shout out to Glenn's Towing in Alexandria, MN and his mechanic Steve for saving our vacation.
After the repair, the truck ran flawlessly for the remainder of the trip (~2000 miles). I did have to add about a quart of coolant when in Canada, but haven't added any since so it might have just been purging air pockets. Now that I am home I am going to have my local mechanic do a pressure check to see if I need to have the intake manifold gaskets replaced. (I bet I do).
Other than that I also noticed that I am leaking power steering fluid from the hydro-boost. This is also a well known issue and I just need to decide if I am going to try to replace the seals and gaskets on my unit or just buy a re-man hydro-boost.
DaveNay
Adventurer
If I have to have to manifold gaskets replaced, I will probably also have the Fuel Pressure Regulator the injectors replaced at the same time since I do have a hot start problem. (well, not so much a problem as a condition since it doesn't really affect normal operation.)
