Topic: 2002 Suburban 2500 build thread, Part 4

[EL TATE]

They are in the same pump rub family, and output shaft bearings just let go. check your email.

[Flyin6]

They are in the same pump rub family, and output shaft bearings just let go. check your email.

I did, thanks

So the plan is to get the transmission guy, John, to put the thing up on a lift and run it. If it proves to be a bad case, then I'll pick up the case from Tate, Randy's worldwide and install that.

We'll see what the T-case tells us...

[Flyin6]

Bad Transfer case!

Ya, where did that come from?

John who owns SS Transmissions in Alexandria, KY put it on a lift and positively identified the transfer case as the source of the crunching sounds.

So a quick text to Tate Hudson, Randy's worldwide in Everett, WA, and a reman transfer case is headed my way. Probably the smartest way to handle it. Just R&R the old case and I'll be back up running in a jiffy. I only wish: 1. This sort of thing never happened, or, 2. I didn't have to fork out a couple thousand on something I thought was rock solid (A week before vacation!!!!!)

[Flyin6]

Well, this has been a week replete with costly breakdowns and failures

The transfer case is indeed toast. When draining fluid, metal chunks were coming out! The case is out and sitting on the rack. The Tate supplied newer one should be here tomorrow

And yesterday, if you follow my hide site thread, you know my brand new cutter grenaded with less than two hours on it! That will be warranty, but it did let go.

And today, I get a call from John, asking me to come look at my front diff...The one I just built...with all new parts...that came out with a good pattern...and correct backlash.

Well, something let loose on the inside. Rotating the pinion it is anything but smooth. It sort of rumbles like a bearing let go in the pinion or the side load clearance just went away. It will turn very roughly, not smoothly like it was when I assembled it, but like it has ill fitting wooden gears. And every once in awhile, it will catch and want to bind. Hand pressure can get past the spot, but it is definitely ganked up.

I just cannot believe all this stuff is happening...

Plan is to drain it and check the oil. If we find metal, then I guess I just bought the farm. I am hoping somehow the side load loosened and can be readjusted. If no oil in the thing, then the plan is to see if the side adjusters can be moved to get the backlash back. Oh, yes, I have no idea what the backlash is now. Feels like 1"-2"...Nothing like the .018 I think I had...

I am doubting very seriously the burb will be making the trip. Looking like that duty will fall to the D-max.

[JR]

Burb is sending hints. Show it whos boss,,,,,,,,,

[oklawall]

If you look on the good side yes it still stinks but you are not on the side of the highway far fro. Known shops

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[Bigdave_185]

Burb is sending hints. Show it whos boss,,,,,,,,,

Got that sas wows your saying


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[Flyin6]

Burb is sending hints. Show it whos boss,,,,,,,,,

Got that sas wows your saying


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If ever there was a time...

But

All this is teaching me a lesson

Highly modified is just not reliable

The D-Max truck is about the only thing I have ever taken that far that wasn't constantly in need of repair

The Burb is at a place where I 1. Junk it, 2. Fix it and start using it to see if it continues to work reliably, 3. Sell it

Number one is stupid and would require a lot of work

Number three would be nearly impossible and result in a huge loss of money

So only number two makes sense

So that's what I'll do, but as far as using it for anything outside a 100 mile radius would be too risky unless I was running from a zombie (democrat) hoard!

But the ride is unbelievable. That combo is nothing short of extraordinary, so that suspension will not go away just to get another axle that would cost a couple million in US dollars (after the crash) and present its own set of problems.

If I keep it, I will have something to tinker with

But the next truck/SUV I purchase will probably be newer and I will just leave it very close to stock. Something like a 3.0 L Duramax silverado RST trim or a Z-71 Tahoe diesel...

[rpar86]

You’re almost there Don. I get frustrated and just want to throw the towel in too sometimes. I get it. You’ll get these last few things worked out and it will be good to go.

[Nate]

You’re almost there Don. I get frustrated and just want to throw the towel in too sometimes. I get it. You’ll get these last few things worked out and it will be good to go.

speaking of ryan, is your dmax taken apart at the moment?

[TexasRedNeck]

Ryans is back on the road and fresh from an RV towing adventure..

Don,  I hope the rant is over. Now suck it up and get r dun.

Reality is that setting up gears is an art.  Just pay for it to be done and rock on.

CM chief.


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[rpar86]

You’re almost there Don. I get frustrated and just want to throw the towel in too sometimes. I get it. You’ll get these last few things worked out and it will be good to go.

speaking of ryan, is your dmax taken apart at the moment?

Nope. Back together and has one trip with the camper under its belt, and just picked up the camper for a trip this weekend.

And put the new Bilstein 4600’s under it last night.

[Flyin6]

Ryans is back on the road and fresh from an RV towing adventure..

Don,  I hope the rant is over. Now suck it up and get r dun.

Reality is that setting up gears is an art.  Just pay for it to be done and rock on.

CM chief.


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Yea, spose so...

[JR]

So did they find the cause of the tcase and front diff failure?

[Flyin6]

So did they find the cause of the t-case and front diff failure?

No, and that's kind of troubling. With nothing to point at, all I have is, something unexpected happened to the T-case, and my guess is that somehow, I pushed the ring gear to proper side clearance with the adjusters, but something popped loose because there is no backlash now...Like the ring gear moved away from the pinion gear...a long way away...

Chris, over at SS transmissions did say that even though the the case was commanded to 2WD, it was locked in 4WD and remains so after removal. So, bit of a mystery there, but I can say I have been hearing more gear train noise that I recall ever hearing in any of my numerous other GM 4wd vehicles. It was making a sound like it was in 4WD. But when I shifted it into 4WD on the test drives, the day of the failure the noise would increase and I would feel the front shaft turning and the loss of power from driving all that business below my gluteus.
So I cannot dismiss improper assembly with regard to either component, but the T-case was final assembled by John at SS, an actual expert. We all saw the assembly of the front diff and it all looked and checked out good, but what if there was something between the race and the bearing in the side of the diff case? Not enough that my wrenching could have broken it, but such that under the engagement in the actual vehicle, it gave way???
or gremlins
or Demons
Or God trying to tell me something
or...

[oklawall]

It was a democrat, isn't that the only thing that cause things not to work at this level?

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[JR]

Dems, yes thats it!!!

Thinking the Tcase did some and maybe a side adjuster came loose on the front.

[EL TATE]

sounds like a lock tab on an adjuster let loose and backlash was compromised, or pin nut maybe backed off, but either way keep me updated with status on that. T case is out for delivery right now.

[Nate]

Tate, do you guys get the cores back?  Possibly for analysis and R&D?

[Flyin6]

sounds like a lock tab on an adjuster let loose and backlash was compromised, or pin nut maybe backed off, but either way keep me updated with status on that. T case is out for delivery right now.

sounds like a lock tab on an adjuster let loose and backlash was compromised, or pin nut maybe backed off, but either way keep me updated with status on that. T case is out for delivery right now.

Yea, thanks for getting that T-case out so quickly. My old one is sitting on the rack already out of the truck.

Now, I may have been blessed/rescued.

John called and told me of a customer he had that had a 4.56 gear change done to his truck, then something of a catastrophic nature happened. Anyway, the gentleman on the short end of the stick just gave the newly modded axles to John, so he actually has a front 4.56 axle sitting in his shop. He has agreed to toss it into the burb to see if we can get this thing running and up to speed.

If it somehow turns back to being a R&R and a rebuild, he is 4-5 weeks, and who knows how far Cincinnati driveline is backed up. So this just may be a blessing I so desperately need at the moment.

[Flyin6]

So this little problem showed up:

[Flyin6]

Formed a little air leak right there!

Only rubbed on the drivers side...odd...I'm not that much overweight...

No damage what so ever to the tire or wheel

[Flyin6]

I ordered a single new air cell, and true to the work axium number two, that being work begat word or in the NIV: Work creates more work

The moral for those who can grasp the concept is to never work in the first place, but that just falls on deaf ears with me.

So when the new bag arrived, it was taller than the original bag by maybe 3"

So good news is it holds air. Bad news is the different size air cells raise the rear unevenly (WHAT??? How could this be???)

So I'll just order another bag and see what fate has in store for me.

I did add the 1/2" spacers to each side creating more clearance. That and I slid the air cells inward as much as I could. THe one in the pic needed correction which it received after the pic was snapped.

[Bigdave_185]

Can’t ya get them inside the frame instead of outside?


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[Flyin6]

Can’t ya get them inside the frame instead of outside?


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Awfully busy in there...Panhard bar, sway bar...

[Flyin6]

Making permanent the battery location.

I located it earlier over top of the rear axle inside the truck, inside that storage cabinet I build some years ago.

It works well there, but it was not retained of bolted down. so I boxed it in and bolted it down

[Flyin6]

The battery sits proud of the cabinet by a little bit, so I cut a relief out of the lid of the compartment, then added a section to keep it inside that little cubby and still provide a tough lid that kids could climb over.

[Flyin6]

Then I coated it with an entire bottle of Raptor bed liner

[oklawall]

Looks good

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[Bigdave_185]

Going to leave this here

https://mashmotorsinc.com/


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[Flyin6]

Popped the roof tent up and played with it a bit, then took it off for storage

[Flyin6]

Still in like-new condition

[Flyin6]

Here's to celebrating the most unreliable and just plain slow truck I have ever owned.

So, driving it the other night, I turned down the 2 mile lane to my house, and floored it. 1st gear was OK, maybe, but it stayed in second. I heard about five really loud bangs, I mean like the head gasket blew out and the combustion chamber was open to the atmosphere...Like that.

Driving the short distance home, it seemed normal, like nothing happened. So one heat range cooler plugs, all the right tuning, plenty of fuel, and only 12 lbs boost. Was it some sort of normal for a supercharged combo backfire???

Honestly I don't know, and I am just sick of this thing. It has very little power, but makes 550 to the tire. I guess it's just the very tall tire along with the heavy vehicle thing, but I'd have to give this thing a pig rating at best, and hillbillie junk rating if I was honest with myself.

I am not going to pour thousands into another disappointing big cube over boosted gasser, not any longer. I suppose with 1,000 cubic inches and maybe 100psi boost I can get it to move and possibly get 1 MPG, but that's just stupid.

Know what else is stupid? Converting it to a duramax. Dave sent me the MASH motorsports link and it would be like $36K just to get started with stock junk. Look up stupid, and doing that will be definition number two. (#1 was me doing all this somehow thinking it was going to work in the first place).

A duramax costs too much, would need a $6K transmission and be another electronic nightmare of high cost parts.

You know what makes the most sense for this thing other than hoping it gets stolen? Putting an old school mechanical 12 valve in it, keeping the power lower, and hooking it to the 4L80E and driving the thing.

I was thinking about it. 100 over injectors, a nice P-pump and compounds would likely yield nearly 20 mpg and could deliver 1000 ft lbs. More than some crazy stupid over done LS piece of crap that would get like no mpg.

I'm so pissed at this thing, I just may do it!

[TexasRedNeck]

I knew this guy once that had a p pump12v out of an old dodge project truck he never finished……


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[stlaser]

Nate, can I ask a favor?

Can you check out the IP addresses, pretty sure a Dave or Ken affiliate (H maybe?) or someone hacked Don’s user name…….. 

[stlaser]

I knew this guy once that had a p pump12v out of an old dodge project truck he never finished……


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Negative, that p pump wouldn’t run

[KensAuto]

I knew this guy once that had a p pump12v out of an old dodge project truck he never finished……


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Negative, that p pump wouldn’t run

Hey, I'm the only knucklehead that tried to get Don to leave this one alone because of how clean it was.
You guys created this monster!

[Sammconn]

I knew this guy once that had a p pump12v out of an old dodge project truck he never finished……


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Negative, that p pump wouldn’t run

Hey, I'm the only knucklehead that tried to get Don to leave this one alone because of how clean it was.
You guys created this monster!

Give me a few months and I’ll have an LBZ that’s for sale.
 

Albeit it is a couple generations newer…

[JR]

 

I see P pumps going for 4k now, crazy.

[Flyin6]

I see P pumps going for 4k now, crazy.

Maybe not even a P-Pump. Possibly a VE pump. even that would out power this pathetic LS cream puff of a drag race/non-truck motor

[stlaser]

I see P pumps going for 4k now, crazy.

Maybe not even a P-Pump. Possibly a VE pump. even that would out power this pathetic LS cream puff of a drag race/non-truck motor

So I’ve lost track of this truck with all the hoops and loops the pilot owner has put it thru……

Couple questions, statements now that I’ve poked some fun and DOT’d myself into satisfaction….

What does this pig weigh exactly now?

4.56 gears

Stall converter?

500hp motor? That’s a lot of power, something isn’t managed correctly…..

Speaking of which who is tuning this as of late?

It’s not a diesel or a chinook or a suzuki 2 wheeler at the end of the day.

Diesels aren’t cheap even ve Cummins motors. Get this right with what you have and drive it. My 2 cents

[stlaser]

I knew this guy once that had a p pump12v out of an old dodge project truck he never finished……


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Negative, that p pump wouldn’t run

Hey, I'm the only knucklehead that tried to get Don to leave this one alone because of how clean it was.
You guys created this monster!

You are a knucklehead 

[Sammconn]

I see P pumps going for 4k now, crazy.

Maybe not even a P-Pump. Possibly a VE pump. even that would out power this pathetic LS cream puff of a drag race/non-truck motor

So I’ve lost track of this truck with all the hoops and loops the pilot owner has put it thru……

Couple questions, statements now that I’ve poked some fun and DOT’d myself into satisfaction….

What does this pig weigh exactly now?

4.56 gears

Stall converter?

500hp motor? That’s a lot of power, something isn’t managed correctly…..

Speaking of which who is tuning this as of late?

It’s not a diesel or a chinook or a suzuki 2 wheeler at the end of the day.

Diesels aren’t cheap even ve Cummins motors. Get this right with what you have and drive it. My 2 cents

This.

[Flyin6]

I drove it...Oddly, everything seems just fine except for a lower than normal idle???

[oldkoot]

Maybe its just me.... but why wouldn't a stock LS be enough for an adventure rig?  just did Colorado/Moab/SD trails a plenty in my wifes Jeep Gladiator, combined with 3000+ miles of gravel and dirt roads across the USA and it's not real spunky stock engine did just fine. It did fine in the snow at 12K plus elevation, it did fine on the slick rock and sand of Moab and it did fine in the rocks and mud of South Dakota. Even averaged close to 17mpg for the trip.

[JR]

 

[Flyin6]

Maybe its just me.... but why wouldn't a stock LS be enough for an adventure rig?  just did Colorado/Moab/SD trails a plenty in my wifes Jeep Gladiator, combined with 3000+ miles of gravel and dirt roads across the USA and it's not real spunky stock engine did just fine. It did fine in the snow at 12K plus elevation, it did fine on the slick rock and sand of Moab and it did fine in the rocks and mud of South Dakota. Even averaged close to 17mpg for the trip.

I am actually inclined to agree. The stocker will move the thing and even (supposedly) tow a good load. And this mill does move it around nicely, just not powerful. But the more I think about it, maybe I just don't need a bunch of excess power. This LS, the 6.0 LQ4 line are gas suckers. The supercharger only adds a nice whine to the noise, but adds nothing to power output. You get slow as a stocker, or slow with a supercharged sound with my combo.
Anyway, I think I'm just gonna set my sights lower and just drive it. I don't need another project, as the farm is taking up 110% of my time.

[JR]

It has to be in the tune Don. You said it pops

Just get a nice 6.2, sell the supercharged motor and you will make $$$. I had a 6.0 and it was a dog with terrible mileage no matter what I tried.

[Flyin6]

It has to be in the tune Don. You said it pops

Just get a nice 6.2, sell the supercharged motor and you will make $$$. I had a 6.0 and it was a dog with terrible mileage no matter what I tried.

I drove it today to some football scrimmage games. It ran great. It backfired 5-6 times in a row, that one time while at high RPM and 12 lbs boost. Now the idle is not as stable, so something has indeed changed, but I don't know what
But
Speaking purely about the power thing, I think I am just going to have to start to accept that all the vehicles I drive will not be as powerful as I would like them to be.
Really thinking about it, the vehicle is not the problem...It is me
^^^Some personal growth here^^^^
I think I am starting to just accept that some things are not meant to do all the things I envision them to do, physics being what they are and all that...
If I do anything to this truck (current thinking) it will be to build a larger cu in LS that naturally makes more torque and bolt on a reasonable power adder if I add anything at all.
I still do want it to pull my mini-camper along well, so a bit more torque would be helpful.
But, for the moment, I just don't have the time to do anything with it...The farm/Homestead project if you can still call it that is taking up almost all my free time.

[JR]

Well, there is always the 8.1 (not really an LS motor) that I hear pull as hard as many diesels, but mileage sucks. Pretty much a bolt in.