Matt300ZXT
Well-known member
A few weeks ago, I traded my Cummins Ram for a 1998 K3500 Chevy dually with a 454 and 1999 Yukon with a 350. Both needed a little work. I drove the 3500 to the new place first, and it died about halfway. A janky redneck engineered conversion from side post battery to top post battery resulted in the power wire running across the front to the fuse panel being too short and getting in behind the water pump pulley and rubbing the insulation off and then shorting out the wire. Once I got it towed home and figured it out, no problem, it's fine now to move around in the driveway until I get to working on it. I think all it needs to really run and get me around town is a brake job; the steering wheel shakes when you start getting on the brakes. Everything else it needs, as far as I can tell so far, is minor stuff that isn't really a priority.
Then a few days later, I loaded up the Yukon with some stuff and drove it to the new place. It ran better, but has a stumble when accelerating through the gears at about 1800'ish rpm. Once it reaches 4th gear and cruises it seems fine and happy at about 2k rpm. It's also low on power when trying to climb hills, but I also wasn't trying to gas it and push through until I get more familiar with the truck. I ran codes on it and got 21 damn powertrain codes, mostly all related to o2 sensor issues, an evap leak, and misfires, potentially due to no signal from the wheel speed sensors, and then wheel speed sensor codes. Some of the codes potentially explain why the brakes want to pull a little to one side or the other.
I decided to attack the Yukon first. I ordered plugs, distributor rotor and cap, plug wires, a fuel filter, o2 sensors, etc. I've been trying to get the 4 o2 sensors out of the truck (it helps when it has a 6" lift and 33s) and got 2 out, but 2 are really really really in there and the o2 socket I bought ain't doing shit, and I can't really get an angle grinder to them to cut off the o2 sensor and just use a standard socket/breaker bar to get them out. Sooooo, I've basically decided on just removing the factory manifolds (there seems to be a light exhaust tick on the passenger side anyway) and y pipe and installing shorty headers, a catless y pipe, and have the PCM tuned to remove the EGR system and keep it from looking for signals from the rear o2 sensors. I think that, and the other parts, should clear up just about every code aside from the wheel speed sensors. I can install new ones of those when I give it a brake job and that will hopefully clear up all the codes and get it to running right.
It's been a while since I've been at a place where I could work on a car (spending hours on paint correction and polishing doesn't really count as turning wrenches) and had a car that I could work on. I didn't want to touch that giant ass diesel Ram, and haven't been able to bring myself to spend the money to get parts for my Mercedes AMG that it needs. I'm not afraid to work on it, just those parts are damn expensive lol It feels GOOD to have grease on my hands again, be under a car and cussing at it while trying to find the wrench I laid on the ground not 20 seconds earlier.
Then a few days later, I loaded up the Yukon with some stuff and drove it to the new place. It ran better, but has a stumble when accelerating through the gears at about 1800'ish rpm. Once it reaches 4th gear and cruises it seems fine and happy at about 2k rpm. It's also low on power when trying to climb hills, but I also wasn't trying to gas it and push through until I get more familiar with the truck. I ran codes on it and got 21 damn powertrain codes, mostly all related to o2 sensor issues, an evap leak, and misfires, potentially due to no signal from the wheel speed sensors, and then wheel speed sensor codes. Some of the codes potentially explain why the brakes want to pull a little to one side or the other.
I decided to attack the Yukon first. I ordered plugs, distributor rotor and cap, plug wires, a fuel filter, o2 sensors, etc. I've been trying to get the 4 o2 sensors out of the truck (it helps when it has a 6" lift and 33s) and got 2 out, but 2 are really really really in there and the o2 socket I bought ain't doing shit, and I can't really get an angle grinder to them to cut off the o2 sensor and just use a standard socket/breaker bar to get them out. Sooooo, I've basically decided on just removing the factory manifolds (there seems to be a light exhaust tick on the passenger side anyway) and y pipe and installing shorty headers, a catless y pipe, and have the PCM tuned to remove the EGR system and keep it from looking for signals from the rear o2 sensors. I think that, and the other parts, should clear up just about every code aside from the wheel speed sensors. I can install new ones of those when I give it a brake job and that will hopefully clear up all the codes and get it to running right.
It's been a while since I've been at a place where I could work on a car (spending hours on paint correction and polishing doesn't really count as turning wrenches) and had a car that I could work on. I didn't want to touch that giant ass diesel Ram, and haven't been able to bring myself to spend the money to get parts for my Mercedes AMG that it needs. I'm not afraid to work on it, just those parts are damn expensive lol It feels GOOD to have grease on my hands again, be under a car and cussing at it while trying to find the wrench I laid on the ground not 20 seconds earlier.