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One Piece at a Time: My 1985 Diesel Suburban

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AgDieseler said:
Appreciate the comments, and I'm glad to now have your input on this thread.

I'm looking forward to wheeling Moab with those who have done it before. I'm down for a convoy, though my work schedule might have me in Denver the week before. Lots of time still to plan.

In the meantime, we should wheel Gilmer. It's not far from you, and regular testing of one's rig is always a good thing.

In the spirit of BB17 prep, I'm tackling the high speed vibration first. I just recently completed a 500 mile round trip drive, and 63 is as high as she'll go without the driveline shaking itself like a pneumatic compactor. Getting to Moab in 2017 will require higher speeds.

I had Tom Woods' rep on the line and did a few experiments as I drove, which led to me pulling the shaft and sending it to Ogden. It should get there today. Could be a worm CV ball, or simply out of balance. My angles are all within 2*.

I have a crazy couple weeks of work through to the Christmas holiday, and new client projects in the shop, so I'm taking every spare moment to work on the Suburban. The Charger continues to wait.

David
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As it turns out, i just got invite from a guy at the local fab shop to go with him to Gilmer and he will show me some of the trails. We are going in the morning before the front hits. This will be my first time out there. And you're right, it's just a few miles away for me. If it's what everyone says, then I'll probably start going a good bit. I'll let you know how it goes and hopefully we can schedule something up?
 
Great plan. I'll look for your photos.

David
 
Incidentally. Back home, driveshaft is here, UPS destroyed my PVC shipping tube, and someone got down all the paint cans in what I can only assume was a desperate search for some touch up paint.

Serenity now.

David
 
AgDieseler said:
Incidentally. Back home, driveshaft is here, UPS destroyed my PVC shipping tube, and someone got down all the paint cans in what I can only assume was a desperate search for some touch up paint.

Serenity now.

David
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That's never good.
 
It was good to be back in the shop, even though it was cold.
IMG_8807.JPG

While UPS destroyed my PVC shipping tube, the freshly balanced driveshaft inside was in perfect shape. After bolting everything up, I went for a highway test drive. There was still a minor vibration at 65 and above, so I returned to the shop, put the truck up on jackstands, and ran a few unloaded experiments up to 70mph indicated:
  • Tires on, shaft connected: same general minor vibration confirmed
  • Tires off, shaft connected: minor vibration reduced, but occurs at earlier indicated speed (50mph)
  • Tires off, shaft disconnected: same results as with shaft connected

At this point, I get my pry bar and start pulling and pushing on mounts and yokes. Pay dirt: I'm not sure how, but the locknut on the rear yoke had backed off just slightly. A quick disassemble, cleaning, and retorquing with blue Loctite was all that was needed. I marked the nut to output shaft with paint, and will check their orientation after a few hundred miles.

I ran all three of the above tests again, with much smoother results. The highway test was successful, and while it is now a much smoother cruise north of 65, man it's loud. I'll still get the tires rebalanced, since it's been a while.


Obligatory windshield sunset photo:
IMG_8821.JPG

There's still a good bit of civilizing left to do, but this is a start.

David
 
JoshHefnerX said:
Kinda looks like you may have a grounding problem - blinker indicators were on steady..?
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The LED front signals return current when using the stock pigtail. It hasn't bothered me enough to change it.

David
 
The angle is odd, but it's 2300 at 70, and I don't drive faster than that. I agree; it's a tad higher than I'd prefer.

I referenced the cruise RPMs from the Duramax and the 96 6.5TD (1800@55, 2100@65), but that setup was developed when I had a 700R4 with its 0.70 OD. Since swapping in the 4L80E and its 0.75 OD, I'm a little higher than I originally planned. The turbo sure does like it, though, and I've discovered a whole new happy zone above 2500RPM post-intercooler.

I'll just have to run 40s to compensate.

David
 
AgDieseler said:
The angle is odd, but it's 2300 at 70, and I don't drive faster than that. I agree; it's a tad higher than I'd prefer.

I referenced the cruise RPMs from the Duramax and the 96 6.5TD (1800@55, 2100@65), but that setup was developed when I had a 700R4 with its 0.70 OD. Since swapping in the 4L80E and its 0.75 OD, I'm a little higher than I originally planned. The turbo sure does like it, though, and I've discovered a whole new happy zone above 2500RPM post-intercooler.

I'll just have to run 40s to compensate.

David
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry running a 6.5 at that rpm. You could run it against the governer all day and other then being hard on fuel you won't hurt the engine any.
 
I really enjoy driving Texas county roads - preferably dirt and barely labeled on the map. Heading out on a post-holiday hunt, I paralleled TX79 using only county and FM roads from Taylor to Buffalo. It was nice change of pace from I35 the previous day.
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The weather was a bit warm as a cool front moved in, backed up, and returned. It made for great sunsets.
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IMG_8914.JPG

I managed to harvest a decent size doe. The hams and shoulders and flanks and other trimmed bits will be ground, while the backstraps and tenderloins are deblooding in preparation for a New Year's Eve meal.

David
 
I love lists. I have 3 going at any moment for my various projects - the suburban, the charger, and whatever customer project is in the shop.

So, 2017 is all about BB17 prep and field testing, because it's never too early. I started this list elsewhere, and am just merging it into this thread. Note that some items (swaybar) were on my 2016 priorities list, but the intercooler installation consumed all the available oxygen for large engineered projects.
  • DONE: Fix high frequency driveline vibration
  • DONE: New rear pinion seal - not necessary
  • Glowplug system maintenance - I'm down 1 or 2 right now, and the cold advance sender is also dead. I'm glad Texas doesn't get brutally cold for months on end.
  • Replace 1997 alarm system
  • New shocks - Dr @Stephen Watson is working on a valve recommendation for a new set of Bilsteins. My 5125s are very floaty, and one is leaking.
  • Sort out whether or not I have a lazy spring - the truck is listing to the driver side.
  • Build at least one anti roll bar - speedway engineering has loads of components for a mix/match system. I'll probably build the rear one first since it doesn't involve the steering.
  • Install and tune for a larger turbo - this will be a 'nice to have', but is 100% optional
  • Sliders - 11' wheelbase demands it
  • Design/build internal gear storage for spares and tools
  • Fix a handful of rattles
  • Install roof insulation and new headliner
  • Install added floor sound deadener
  • Grab handles
Also:
  • Put lots of proving miles on the setup
  • Figure out a route that has customer stops along the way...
Now, back to work.

David
 
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