[69nomad350]

Nice wagon, @69nomad350!

I let the engine run for about 10 minutes shortly after my last post. The transmission started leaking out of the pan. 4L80 out of a '04 2500HD pickup with about 160K on it and no previous maintenance performed. I did research about changing the filter and adding new fluid or not. It's very inconclusive. About 50-50 do it/don't do it. So, I bought a brand new drain pan and a gallon jug. Drained the fluid into the new drain pan. Cleaned the tranny pan (lots of metal in it), reinstalled the tranny pan with a new gasket and then poured the fluid in the drain pan into the gallon jug and then back into the trans. The factory pan gasket is pretty stout and it was not apparent were it was leaking. The bolts were all tight. It doesn't leak now, though. Its a little low, maybe 1/3 quart. Got the gas pedal installed, sway bar installed, driver side fender, seat and steering wheel all installed.

I hadn't started it in several days before today. Started the engine and it was running crappy again. Vacuum leak at the intake manifold, again. Tightened it up again and it ran ok. Despite not fixing the rear brakes, I drove it around the block today. The engine does not seem to have much power. I do have 2.76 gears but even in 1st gear it felt puny. There is a slight incline into the shop from the driveway - maybe 2-3 inches and at a smooth angle (not a 90 degree). I was backing the car up with the engine just idling. It hit that incline and stopped. I probably revved it to 3 grand and it couldn't make it up that little bitty incline. Rolled forward and got some momentum and it rolled over it.

The truck manifold on the passenger side seems like it needs to go. Had to grind the flange to clear the frame. The exhaust pipe has a flange that bolts to the manifold flange. Had to grind that for clearance also. But, it seems like it still may be touching somewhere. Something is, anyway. While accelerating, there is a noise and vibration that stops when I let off the gas. Doesn't occur when the car is rolling with the engine at idle or under braking. It seems to be coming from the passenger side of the car.

The good news? It left my property under its own power for the first time in a decade!. Despite the issues, still feeling excited. Need to fix the brakes to I can really drive it.

Thanks,
David

Glad you made it around the block! I'm due for a brake upgrade also but the original drums still do the trick for now.

 

[cybrslider]

So I didn't get to work on the car until this morning. It is definitely the truck exhaust hitting the frame causing the vibration/noise. I know this because, after the car sat for a week with nothing done to it (and it ran fine when parked) it won't run now. It was idling very roughly and the engine was shaking around, that is how I know the exhaust is hitting the frame. And the car won't idle at all now.

This is twice that I had the car running well, let it sit for a few days and then come back it and it runs like crap or won't run. First time was fixed by retorqueing the intake manifold down. That wasn't the problem this time. With or without the MAF, it won't idle and if I give it gas to keep it running it is missing and running like crap. I checked to make sure nothing came unplugged. It's not throwing a code. I am at a loss.

I'll do further research but anyone with an idea is welcome to comment

Thanks,
David

 

[cybrslider]

The 02 sensor on the passenger side, while running and me holding it at about 1200 RPM, is ranging between 431 and 455 mV. The driver side is all over the place - as little as 55mV and as high as 901mV.

Car is running about 195 degrees and it is idling now. So it had to warm up first? Or, it had to be held at about 1200 RPM for about a minute or 2 to learn how to idle?

Thanks,
David

 

[cybrslider]

Apparently the driver side o2 ranging from 55 mv to 900 mV is normal. The one that is not normal is the one in the very narrow range of 431 to 455 mV. That is the one with the problem.

 

[cybrslider]

Switching the o2 sensors around didn't help - still reading around 445mV on passenger sensor. That doesn't really explain why it is running so crappy in open loop? The PCM will richen up the passenger side in closed loop if the o2 isn't working, right? But it doesn't even consider the o2 sensors in open loop, right?

The check engine light is not working and the PCM is throwing codes: P0171 and P0174, which is a fuel trim lean condition from both o2 sensors. Cleared them. They come back periodically. I checked for vacuum leaks and there are none. I popped that passenger side vacuum plug off the manifold and hooked up a vacuum gauge. 16 inches at idle and it is so steady you would think the gauge was broken. It is possible that the bugger welded temporary exhaust has leak or three. I can't hear them or feel them and I don't see any tell tale signs but definitely possible. So, I am looking at headers now to alleviate the passenger side exhaust touching the frame as well as removing the bugger welded temporary exhaust that might be leaking.

Still have not fixed the brakes but I have the inverted flare adapters I need now to install the adjustable p-valve. Probably work on that and getting the electric fan installed (as opposed to the mechanical fan with no fan shroud that is on there now) while I figure out what to do about the exhaust and research this more.

Sorry for the stream of posts...

Thanks,
David

 

[LeoP]

You really should talk/message Philip, he most likely ran into some of the same problems, Good luck!

 

[cybrslider]

Made some progress but some things are so frustrating!

Fixed the passenger exhaust. I had Patriot LS Swap Manifolds but was wrongly accusing the passenger side of not fitting. It does fit. It is very close to the starter but has about 1/2 inch clearance. Must have held my mouth wrong the first time. I added some heat protection to the wiring and starter since they will be getting a bit hotter now.

The car sat for a few days while I worked here and there on the exhaust. I finished it up this past Sunday. I started the engine and it ran like crap again but for a much, much short period of time this time. It was smelling really, really rich. And, it was burning thru gas quickly just idling. I put the scan tool on it and the short term fuel trim reading was like 38-40 percent! Wow no wonder that thing smelled so rich! Plus, the PCM was still throwing the P0171/0174 codes. After reading some stuff while searching for an answer, it occurred to me that I hadn't checked the fuel pressure since I first got the engine started. So I checked it. 15 pounds. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! The tank was hot tanked and lined and the fuel lines are new and the filter/regulator is new so I couldn't believe the filter would be clogged. Only one thing to do: I dropped the tank and pulled the pump. The pump was off the supply hose! I don't know how it could have done that. The nipple on the pump is not barbed, just smooth, so I clamped it like it was a bleeding artery. Still, it blew off. It shouldn't have had enough clearance to blow off I would think. Anyway, got another AC Delco EP381 pump. This one was made in Brazil instead of China and it has a barbed nipple on the pump. Dropped that one in tonight and I'll be damned - it only puts out 45 psi. The engine runs a hell-u-va lot better with 45 psi fuel pressure than it does with only 15 psi. But, it needs 58 psi, right? Crap.

I also got the new adjustable proportioning valve installed on the brakes today. I haven't had any help to bleed them yet but hopefully I can do that tomorrow. Not sure what I will do about the fuel pump. I might just go ahead and get an aftermarket pump.

Thanks,
David

 

[cybrslider]

I think I found the problem with the fuel pump. I re-installed the original pump and tried to brace it so it couldn't come off the supply tube. That lasted about 5 miles and it blew off again. I pulled the tank and pump again. I was mistaken about what blew off what. The hose was still attached to the pump nipple. It blew off the other end of that hose, which was connected to a barbed hose fitting and clamped. The fuel pump has a 5/16 inch nipple and the little 2 inch piece of hose that comes with the pump is also 5/16. The supply tube is 3/8 inch. So I thought I would put in a brass, barbed 5/16 to 3/8 adapter. That was problem number 1 and the main problem. I think that was too much of a restriction and it was causing back pressure there that eventually overcame the clamp. So I removed the adapter. I had to put something else back in there for the length so I put a 3/8 x 3/8 brass barbed hose splice.

The other problem, which is not as bad maybe, is that the pump was sort of "floppy" where it is mounted at the end of the supply tube because of the two pieces of rubber hose. I took two 9 inch lengths of 3/8 tubing and flattened them. Slipped them between the pump the rubber insulator on one end and bent the other end so it would contact the supply tube. Hose clamped those onto the supply tube and zip tied the pump end. That made the pump more rigid so it can't flop around as much when it gets power.

Got about 15 miles on this solution so far. The engine runs good! It sounds good! It does wild, one legged, smoky burn outs! Tranny shifts good. Got it into 4th gear a few times. 1500 RPM @ 55 MPH. The cruise control works. I am stoked!

The car is now down to fixing old stuff like the 50 year old steering shaft seal that started leaking, power steering return line leaking at the gear, transmission puking tranny fluid out of the vent, 50 year old rear end pinion seal starting to leak, putting the interior back in, fixing the window leaks, getting some tunes in the car. Need an exhaust system installed also, which is going to happen very soon. After that, maybe after market air conditioning.

Thanks,
David