better hurry LB, winter's close on your heals!Lockboy1691 wrote:worked on my 350 engine yesterday it was the first nice day in a week and half, and so far, the only one. I just want to get my new van on the road so i can experiment with my old van...... Convertible?
What did you do to/with your van today?
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
'89 Astro, 4.3L, TBI. Minor intake and exhaust mods. Rebuilt 700R4 trans (by me). Corvette servo, 0.5" boost valve, police grade 1-2 accumulator spring (shifts fast and solid). B&M stacked plate trans cooler. Bilstein shocks. Belltech sway bars front and back. New head unit, speakers and subwoofer. Needs paint and a new headliner.
name's Steve
I can't remember all I've forgotten about that....
name's Steve
I can't remember all I've forgotten about that....
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Cobra
- ASV Supporter
- Posts: 1750
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:31 pm
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
finally installed my TB after removing the restrictor plate feels better under part throttle haven't gone WOT yet soon i'm sure very soon
1998 GMC Safari AWD, BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler
1997 gone
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler
1997 gone
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
Drove the van for the first time since I replaced the cap/rotor. I don't know if its just me but the throttle felt smoother and more responsive right off the bat. Unfortunately I need to take my doghouse off again because its not set right and my feet got really cold on the way into work today. That can wait until I do the wires/plugs.
2000 GMC Safari SLE AWD
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doyoulikeithere
- ASV Supporter
- Posts: 2060
- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:27 pm
- Location: Misty Mountains of Cowichan BC.
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
Installed some new snow tires.
2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 - Blue.
2016 Yamaha XSR900 - Silver.
1990 Astro - AWD - Brown.
1987 Astro - With 5 Speed & 4wd - Silver & Blue.
2016 Yamaha XSR900 - Silver.
1990 Astro - AWD - Brown.
1987 Astro - With 5 Speed & 4wd - Silver & Blue.
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Cobra
- ASV Supporter
- Posts: 1750
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:31 pm
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
installed new pos/neg leads and Accel ignition coil went for test drive. Pulled back into driveway to check all fluids and noticed steam(sure looked like steam) coming out of the engine oil dip stick tube. I've never seen that before should i be scared?
1998 GMC Safari AWD, BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler
1997 gone
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler
1997 gone
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
might just have been some condensation in the crankcase boiling off. See anything unusual on the dipstick?
'89 Astro, 4.3L, TBI. Minor intake and exhaust mods. Rebuilt 700R4 trans (by me). Corvette servo, 0.5" boost valve, police grade 1-2 accumulator spring (shifts fast and solid). B&M stacked plate trans cooler. Bilstein shocks. Belltech sway bars front and back. New head unit, speakers and subwoofer. Needs paint and a new headliner.
name's Steve
I can't remember all I've forgotten about that....
name's Steve
I can't remember all I've forgotten about that....
-
astrozam
- I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
- Posts: 2770
- Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:57 am
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 2 times
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
Didn't you just replace your intake gasket?Cobra wrote:installed new pos/neg leads and Accel ignition coil went for test drive. Pulled back into driveway to check all fluids and noticed steam(sure looked like steam) coming out of the engine oil dip stick tube. I've never seen that before should i be scared?
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Cobra
- ASV Supporter
- Posts: 1750
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:31 pm
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
clean oil (that is unusual for me lol) otherwise no, i'm going to check it again when i get to work tomorrow. i'll be changing the oil at the end of the month going to carefully inspect what comes out.
yes i did zam also changed oil after the job
yes i did zam also changed oil after the job
1998 GMC Safari AWD, BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler
1997 gone
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler
1997 gone
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
Turns out my idler arms are shot and my old dry rotted tires are on their way out in more way than one.
Just ordered some MOOG idler arms and Monroe Sensa-Tracs from Rock Auto. Used coupon code "40876371104707" for an extra 5% off. Also, planning to use the buy 3 get the 4th for free rebate on the shocks. (Rock Auto also has some MOOG rear wheel drive idler arms on wholesaler closeout for those of you looking for new ones).
Now I just need flush all the fluids I already bought replacements for and save up for tires. Van should be good for a while!
Just ordered some MOOG idler arms and Monroe Sensa-Tracs from Rock Auto. Used coupon code "40876371104707" for an extra 5% off. Also, planning to use the buy 3 get the 4th for free rebate on the shocks. (Rock Auto also has some MOOG rear wheel drive idler arms on wholesaler closeout for those of you looking for new ones).
Now I just need flush all the fluids I already bought replacements for and save up for tires. Van should be good for a while!
2000 GMC Safari SLE AWD
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leadtrombone
- I finally get the smurf thing
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 2:36 am
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
Did you really need to lift it off the subframe to change the tires.doyoulikeithere wrote:Installed some new snow tires.
Seems like a lot of work... For tires.j/k
1999 Safari SLE. Stock. Proud owner since May 2010. So far I love it..
P1050479 by leadtrombone, on Flickr
The old cars - my progression to here (most recent first)
1996 Honda Passport
1988 BMW 320i touring
1989 BMW 520
2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
2002 Dodge 1500 Quad Cab
1989 BMW 320i
1990 Toyota Tercel EZ
1991 Mitshubishi Mirage
1970 Mercedes Benz 250 Saloon
P1050479 by leadtrombone, on Flickr
The old cars - my progression to here (most recent first)
1996 Honda Passport
1988 BMW 320i touring
1989 BMW 520
2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
2002 Dodge 1500 Quad Cab
1989 BMW 320i
1990 Toyota Tercel EZ
1991 Mitshubishi Mirage
1970 Mercedes Benz 250 Saloon
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MountainManJoe
- I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
- Posts: 3146
- Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:55 pm
- Location: The Pacific North Wet
- Has thanked: 48 times
- Been thanked: 25 times
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
235,000 km
Replaced coolant.
Everything went smoothly, no issues.
(Check out my method here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5986&p=64731#p64731)
Scrubbed the inside of reservoir tank so I can actually see the fluid level!
Replaced engine oil.
Found out Mr. Lube had put on the wrong oil filter. It was the right diameter, but shorter. I don't usually go to these places, but I was leaving on a camping trip and short on time. Never again.
The magnetic drain plug had a couple pinches of fine metallic paste on it. I don't think thats normal. I haven't noticed any unusual engine symptoms, so I have no idea what it could be.
Rear differential
Fluid was quite dark and soupy, but the magnet had only a light coating of fine metal dust.
Inspected the gears. Spiders were in good shape. Ring gear wear pattern was dead centre. Pinion gear wear seems to be concentrated on the toe side, but there's no play in the shaft so I figure it's OK.
Wire-brushed the housing cover and gave it a coat of forest green paint (only thing I could find). Instead of sealing it with RTV, this time I decided to use a Fel-pro gasket. The idea is, I won't have to clean RTV off all the surfaces, bolts, and bolt holes, which is a lot of work. Besides, the gasket costs less than a tube of RTV. Fill hole was very easy to get to, especially with OV lift kit.
Transfer-case
Fluid came out BLACK. However, I didn't notice any binding in sharp, low-speed turns. Filled 'er up with fresh smurf juice and moved on. Fill hole is more difficult to get to, so I slid the oil bottle on top of prop shaft, and used a pour-tube to squeeze it in.
Front Differential
Fluid came out clean. This is the most difficult axle housing to get to. It's quite tight underneath, and you need two sockets. Drain plug: 13mm. Fill plug: 15mm wrench or low-profile ratchet (the steering linkage gets in the way). There's no way you can get a oil bottle higher than the fill hole, so I used a squeeze-ball pump to get the oil in.
For every one job you finish on a used vehicle, you find two more.
While I was working on the front end, I noticed the CV shafts were quite loose. That might explain the whining sound while turning at high speeds. They're not knocking yet though, so I'll leave 'em in. The front-passenger axle seal has a slow leak. Oil cooler lines have had a slow leak for a long time. Idler arms are still solid after more than a year. Those Moogs really did the trick. But the drag link is very loose so I'll have to change it soon.
High priority things I still need to do (whenever it stops raining):
Rotate tires. Buy new tires.
Replace transmission fluid, filter, gasket and mount aux cooler
Wash & wax before winter.
Check brakes and grease all joints
check ignition components
Change passenger door hing pins
mount scanguage in dash
fix armrest
Isolate critical circuits for aux battery setup.
Replaced coolant.
Everything went smoothly, no issues.
(Check out my method here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5986&p=64731#p64731)
Scrubbed the inside of reservoir tank so I can actually see the fluid level!
Replaced engine oil.
Found out Mr. Lube had put on the wrong oil filter. It was the right diameter, but shorter. I don't usually go to these places, but I was leaving on a camping trip and short on time. Never again.
The magnetic drain plug had a couple pinches of fine metallic paste on it. I don't think thats normal. I haven't noticed any unusual engine symptoms, so I have no idea what it could be.
Rear differential
Fluid was quite dark and soupy, but the magnet had only a light coating of fine metal dust.
Inspected the gears. Spiders were in good shape. Ring gear wear pattern was dead centre. Pinion gear wear seems to be concentrated on the toe side, but there's no play in the shaft so I figure it's OK.
Wire-brushed the housing cover and gave it a coat of forest green paint (only thing I could find). Instead of sealing it with RTV, this time I decided to use a Fel-pro gasket. The idea is, I won't have to clean RTV off all the surfaces, bolts, and bolt holes, which is a lot of work. Besides, the gasket costs less than a tube of RTV. Fill hole was very easy to get to, especially with OV lift kit.
Transfer-case
Fluid came out BLACK. However, I didn't notice any binding in sharp, low-speed turns. Filled 'er up with fresh smurf juice and moved on. Fill hole is more difficult to get to, so I slid the oil bottle on top of prop shaft, and used a pour-tube to squeeze it in.
Front Differential
Fluid came out clean. This is the most difficult axle housing to get to. It's quite tight underneath, and you need two sockets. Drain plug: 13mm. Fill plug: 15mm wrench or low-profile ratchet (the steering linkage gets in the way). There's no way you can get a oil bottle higher than the fill hole, so I used a squeeze-ball pump to get the oil in.
For every one job you finish on a used vehicle, you find two more.
While I was working on the front end, I noticed the CV shafts were quite loose. That might explain the whining sound while turning at high speeds. They're not knocking yet though, so I'll leave 'em in. The front-passenger axle seal has a slow leak. Oil cooler lines have had a slow leak for a long time. Idler arms are still solid after more than a year. Those Moogs really did the trick. But the drag link is very loose so I'll have to change it soon.
High priority things I still need to do (whenever it stops raining):
Rotate tires. Buy new tires.
Replace transmission fluid, filter, gasket and mount aux cooler
Wash & wax before winter.
Check brakes and grease all joints
check ignition components
Change passenger door hing pins
mount scanguage in dash
fix armrest
Isolate critical circuits for aux battery setup.
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
new water pump today (new water pump on the boy's jeep yesterday)...been a water pump kinda weekend. I am now officially tired.
'89 Astro, 4.3L, TBI. Minor intake and exhaust mods. Rebuilt 700R4 trans (by me). Corvette servo, 0.5" boost valve, police grade 1-2 accumulator spring (shifts fast and solid). B&M stacked plate trans cooler. Bilstein shocks. Belltech sway bars front and back. New head unit, speakers and subwoofer. Needs paint and a new headliner.
name's Steve
I can't remember all I've forgotten about that....
name's Steve
I can't remember all I've forgotten about that....
-
MountainManJoe
- I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
- Posts: 3146
- Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:55 pm
- Location: The Pacific North Wet
- Has thanked: 48 times
- Been thanked: 25 times
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
Noticed a drip under it today. Hopefully the gasket swells up.timelessbeing wrote:Rear differential
Instead of sealing it with RTV, this time I decided to use a Fel-pro gasket. The idea is, I won't have to clean RTV off all the surfaces, bolts, and bolt holes, which is a lot of work. Besides, the gasket costs less than a tube of RTV.
Re: What did you do to/with your van today?
New idler arms and shocks came in. Pretty stoked. Can't wait till Saturday.
If anyone wants my old shocks for free (plus shipping) let me know. They are 10 years old and have 85k on them, I'm just on a replacing binge.
If anyone wants my old shocks for free (plus shipping) let me know. They are 10 years old and have 85k on them, I'm just on a replacing binge.
2000 GMC Safari SLE AWD