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91 Suburban V2500 - Tow/Weekend Rig - Build Thread

This is a constant battle/scenario for me too. I sold my 82 3/4 ton work truck for a 97 extra cab with a big block. Its light years better performance wise, but my greatest fear is having a major trans or engine malfunction and then I'm forced to fix it AND still make a payment.

My 82 rarely let me down. And I worked the snot out of it. It was just slow and bouncy.

Who knows what the best answer is...besides being rich

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL
 
COCHEV said:
This is a constant battle/scenario for me too. I sold my 82 3/4 ton work truck for a 97 extra cab with a big block. Its light years better performance wise, but my greatest fear is having a major trans or engine malfunction and then I'm forced to fix it AND still make a payment.

My 82 rarely let me down. And I worked the snot out of it. It was just slow and bouncy.

Who knows what the best answer is...besides being rich

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL
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See that is what I will not do, if I have a reliable truck, nothing will make me get rid of it and buy a newer truck.
If it was unreliable, then that is a different matter.
Now as for Darren, you have been trying to upgrade a lot of things to make it more powerfull, but how was it before you messed with it?
was reliable?
Can't blame a truck if you started messing with it and it became unreliable.:dunno:
For me, my daily drivers are completely stock, th emost reliable possible.
My play trucks are a different matter, nothing on them is normal, and they usually are reliable because they are always old tech, but simple.:thumb:
 
dhcomp said:
I agree. I don't have too lofty of requirements in the ride, drive, etc, really, im happy with the truck in those regards. Its just the lack of power, decreasing reliability, and $$$ getting poured down the drain over last minute fixes. The truck just isn't up to being Almost DD status anymore.

The car loan will be easy once i get a place, i just don't want to do it the other way around.
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Right on, you can't live in a car. Well, you could but we'd call you a bum! :haha: Having your own place is far more rewarding then driving around in a 50k truck.
 
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Next development.

Drove truck to work, got about 1/2 way home at the end of the day, and it started to stumble briefly. Shifted into neutral, back into drive, truck stalls out.
Won't restart, cranks slow and spits and pops and makes wierd noises.

Too loud on side of freeway to diagnose, so it gets towed.

First vehicle of time to get towed in 12 years of driving :(

Stole my roommates subaru to blast up to the mountain.

Need to see what happened, and if its repairable this week.

Oh, and got to work today, and the bimmer is puking coolant....

Very close to selling everything, but need to stay the course of cheap and old to make this house purchase happen....
 
dhcomp said:
Next development.

Drove truck to work, got about 1/2 way home at the end of the day, and it started to stumble briefly. Shifted into neutral, back into drive, truck stalls out.
Won't restart, cranks slow and spits and pops and makes wierd noises.

Too loud on side of freeway to diagnose, so it gets towed.

First vehicle of time to get towed in 12 years of driving :(

Stole my roommates subaru to blast up to the mountain.

Need to see what happened, and if its repairable this week.

Oh, and got to work today, and the bimmer is puking coolant....

Very close to selling everything, but need to stay the course of cheap and old to make this house purchase happen....
Click to expand...
See that is why I have a few cheap cars, and I try not to mess with my daily drivers, if it ain't broke don't fix it.:dunno:
I hope you figure out what it is, but it sounds like what happened to me and mine was fuel related, still don't know if it was the filter or the pump since I changed both at the same time.
Check the fuel pump pressure and volume, and if the filter hasn't been recently changed check it too.
But one at a time.:thumb:

Oh I reread, you said it cranks slow, did you by any chance leave the dist. lose?
It sounds like a timing issue. Or maybe the dist fell appart inside, like an advance weight or something?
 
imiceman44 said:
See that is why I have a few cheap cars, and I try not to mess with my daily drivers, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Oh I reread, you said it cranks slow, did you by any chance leave the dist. lose?
It sounds like a timing issue. Or maybe the dist fell appart inside, like an advance weight or something?
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Yah, not my daily driver, and really, its 95% stock powertrain wise. No mods that I would consider to hurt reliability.

Sounds like timing is off when i try to start it. Distributor is tight...and BRAND new with all new parts...but that is the first thing i will take apart.

Don't remember the brand.
 
y5mgisi said:
Interested to see what you find on that. Any idea how many miles are on the timing chain?
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Probably somewhere between 50k and 250k :haha:

Very fair guess as to what broke. Would explain the slow cranking.

Takes a LOT to slow down a starter with 2 good 12v batteries wired up.
 
Who else wants to take bets and make suggestions?

Unless the distributor shaft broke, Timing chain is sounding like the best guess so far. Will tear it apart tmr night.
 
Not Timing chain. Popped cap off, rotor still spins.

Thank god for remote start when working alone....
 
imiceman44 said:
Well I could loan you a vehicle, you just need to pay the reg and insurance.:whistle:
I wouldn't mind seing it out of my driveway for a while.
97 GM van with a 5.7 vortec, gets 20-21 MPG with my driving.
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Thanks for the offer, but i'll survive for a bit.

And 6.0L is still in the plans, just need a functioning truck while i make that happen....

When the burb i'm eyeing on ebay sells for too much, i'm about to regain motivation to get mine running...
 
Sweet rig but any days now I like my small block mpg. I'm curious what a 6.0 gets for a mileage, my parents have a 2003 denali but I dont know what kills the mileage more, the 6.0 or the AWD, it gets 11 across the board
 
eclipse85k10 said:
Sweet rig but any days now I like my small block mpg. I'm curious what a 6.0 gets for a mileage, my parents have a 2003 denali but I dont know what kills the mileage more, the 6.0 or the AWD, it gets 11 across the board
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AWD in the Denali's and the Escalades is ridiculous. What, is it going to make it perform better on the street? I doubt it. Never want to be in a situation when i'm lacking front wheel traction on dry roads in a rig like that!

The 6.0L is kinda known to get the same or worse mileage than the 454 (7.4L), which is pretty silly....
 
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