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Started By
Message
The tune-up thread
Posted on 8/19/14 at 8:45 pm
Posted on 8/19/14 at 8:45 pm
I got the new truck Saturday, and have been slowly going through the process of tuning it up and fixing broken things. I just did this stuff today, but will add more to the thread as I get money to do them. I have some shocks and bumpstops coming in tomorrow, so I'll update it when I get that done.
Shocks on pg. 3
*I am no pro mechanic, so maybe there are better ways to do this stuff. Post them if you got em*
This is pretty much general GM truck stuff, and I wanted to show that basically anyone who really wanted to do this stuff actually could. The OB has a few do-it-yourself wannabees, so maybe they'll get off of their arse and save some money. None of it was that hard, and I don't see it being hard for someone with the right tools(jack and jackstands, full set of ratcheting wrenches, a full metric/standard socket set in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" sizes). You'll probably also need a breaker bar, some penetrant, and a few different types of grease and lube. I also have a carpet drying fan out there to keep me cool.
Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything.
Started off with 3M fuel system cleaner. It is supposed to be good stuff, but I had to go to NAPA to find it.
After I picked up all of my stuff, I started with a MAF/Throttle body cleaning. I already have both MAF and throttle body cleaners, so I didn't need to make a trip for those.
Here you can see the whole intake system once the "VORTEC" cover is off. It goes in from the air filter, through the mass air flow sensor to the intake tube, and into the throttle body. You need to separate that black plastic tube and everything connected to it.
Here is a picture with the intake tube removed. The mass air flow sensor has a yellow arrow pointing to it. Take that off of the rubber or whatever OEM tube you have, and spray cleaner all over the inside. The green arrow plug needed to be removed so I could pivot my throttle body to clean the back. The red arrows show where the nuts are and need to be removed. DO NOT DROP THEM. You'll end up like me looking for the damn thing for 30 minutes.
My throttle body had coolant hoses running through the bottom of it, so I couldn't completely remove it. I just had to clean it in place
Here you can see the carbon buildup on the back side of the throttle body and the inside of the intake. I sprayed throttle body cleaner in there and scrubbed it with a toothbrush. Then, I sprayed it again and wiped it clean.
Then, I put all of the shite back together again, and used the new Seafoam spray to clean the intake. It barely smoked, but for some reason, every late model GM truck I have Seafoamed did not smoke. All other cars did though.
Shocks on pg. 3
*I am no pro mechanic, so maybe there are better ways to do this stuff. Post them if you got em*
This is pretty much general GM truck stuff, and I wanted to show that basically anyone who really wanted to do this stuff actually could. The OB has a few do-it-yourself wannabees, so maybe they'll get off of their arse and save some money. None of it was that hard, and I don't see it being hard for someone with the right tools(jack and jackstands, full set of ratcheting wrenches, a full metric/standard socket set in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" sizes). You'll probably also need a breaker bar, some penetrant, and a few different types of grease and lube. I also have a carpet drying fan out there to keep me cool.
Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything.
Started off with 3M fuel system cleaner. It is supposed to be good stuff, but I had to go to NAPA to find it.
After I picked up all of my stuff, I started with a MAF/Throttle body cleaning. I already have both MAF and throttle body cleaners, so I didn't need to make a trip for those.
Here you can see the whole intake system once the "VORTEC" cover is off. It goes in from the air filter, through the mass air flow sensor to the intake tube, and into the throttle body. You need to separate that black plastic tube and everything connected to it.
Here is a picture with the intake tube removed. The mass air flow sensor has a yellow arrow pointing to it. Take that off of the rubber or whatever OEM tube you have, and spray cleaner all over the inside. The green arrow plug needed to be removed so I could pivot my throttle body to clean the back. The red arrows show where the nuts are and need to be removed. DO NOT DROP THEM. You'll end up like me looking for the damn thing for 30 minutes.
My throttle body had coolant hoses running through the bottom of it, so I couldn't completely remove it. I just had to clean it in place
Here you can see the carbon buildup on the back side of the throttle body and the inside of the intake. I sprayed throttle body cleaner in there and scrubbed it with a toothbrush. Then, I sprayed it again and wiped it clean.
Then, I put all of the shite back together again, and used the new Seafoam spray to clean the intake. It barely smoked, but for some reason, every late model GM truck I have Seafoamed did not smoke. All other cars did though.
This post was edited on 8/20/14 at 9:21 pm
3
Posted on 8/19/14 at 9:04 pm to Hammertime
After that, I decided to change my plugs and did the wires also because they break every time I pull on them wrong.
Here you can see how much room is actually in this engine compartment. I did my old Tahoe not too long ago, and it was much more tight.
To start off, I unhooked the battery and then made some room by removing these three bolts/nut with the yellow arrows, and unclipping this wire at the green arrow. I could then move that Battery bracket out of the way so I could get at that plug better. I also unplugged the little plug I am pointing at so I didn't break it, but I have no idea what it is for
The wires are pretty easy to pull off of the coil packs, but I always have trouble pulling them from the plugs. I have found that grabbing them with some large lock-jaw pliers and wedging them out works well. Be careful not to squeeze them too hard or you will crush the heat shield. Just wiggle the shite out of them while wedging them out
Here is a pick of the heat shield and spring that needs to be swapped over
I think this was an 8" extension and a 5/8 spark plug socket. That extension worked for the #2 cylinder, but I had to switch to a smaller one for all of the others
Old vs new plugs
I put a little bit of anti-seize on the threads and spread it out, and I put dielectric grease on the top of the plug after I get it in. You can get both of these at Autozone or whatever store
For the passenger side, I moved these hoses and got more room to work
This plug is normally the most dreaded. It is the furthest one back on the passenger side. Suprisingly, it was very easy to get to on my 2500, but I know from experience that it is much harder to do on a 5.3 liter. IIRC, I had to use some combo of extenstion and u-joint to get it out. Major PITA
I make sure to thread all of them in by hand first, and then use the extension/socket to screw them down. When I am tightening, there is a definite point where I know it is tight. You should be able to figure it out. Do not tighten much more than that. Put all of your shite back together, and make sure that the plug wires "click" into both the plug and the coil pack
Here you can see how much room is actually in this engine compartment. I did my old Tahoe not too long ago, and it was much more tight.
To start off, I unhooked the battery and then made some room by removing these three bolts/nut with the yellow arrows, and unclipping this wire at the green arrow. I could then move that Battery bracket out of the way so I could get at that plug better. I also unplugged the little plug I am pointing at so I didn't break it, but I have no idea what it is for
The wires are pretty easy to pull off of the coil packs, but I always have trouble pulling them from the plugs. I have found that grabbing them with some large lock-jaw pliers and wedging them out works well. Be careful not to squeeze them too hard or you will crush the heat shield. Just wiggle the shite out of them while wedging them out
Here is a pick of the heat shield and spring that needs to be swapped over
I think this was an 8" extension and a 5/8 spark plug socket. That extension worked for the #2 cylinder, but I had to switch to a smaller one for all of the others
Old vs new plugs
I put a little bit of anti-seize on the threads and spread it out, and I put dielectric grease on the top of the plug after I get it in. You can get both of these at Autozone or whatever store
For the passenger side, I moved these hoses and got more room to work
This plug is normally the most dreaded. It is the furthest one back on the passenger side. Suprisingly, it was very easy to get to on my 2500, but I know from experience that it is much harder to do on a 5.3 liter. IIRC, I had to use some combo of extenstion and u-joint to get it out. Major PITA
I make sure to thread all of them in by hand first, and then use the extension/socket to screw them down. When I am tightening, there is a definite point where I know it is tight. You should be able to figure it out. Do not tighten much more than that. Put all of your shite back together, and make sure that the plug wires "click" into both the plug and the coil pack
Posted on 8/20/14 at 3:33 pm to Hammertime
quote:
My throttle body had coolant hoses running through the bottom of it, so I couldn't completely remove it. I just had to clean it in place
Can plug and bypass that hose. Just keeps the TB from icing in very cold climates and gets in the way otherwise.
That 3M cleaner is PEA based just like Techron. I use both depending on whichever one I can get cheaper or is offering a rebate.
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