Just arrived, howdy

[BurbLife]

Hey All,

Been looking around for a forum to talk DIY on American iron.

For the last 15 years been doing most of my local family driving in a '94 Suburban 1500 4x4. My youngest just got their first car yesterday and time to give some attention to the Burb. It's got 170k on it and looking to make the most of the TBI and maybe some new or rebuilt heads. Besides tires, AC compressor, alternator, a few batteries and fluid changes, it has been rock solid and trouble free. About to recharge the AC and fix some stubborn power window switches.

Other past trucks include a '73 Blazer.

Hope everyone had a good 4th.

RJ

 

[jrsavoie]

Welcome to the circus

 

[BurbLife]

Thank you for the welcome, do you think putting in a Amsoil Bypass filter in before 180k would make any difference? I don't much about that system. My truck was nicely optioned when new with a tow package and trans cooler. I bought it off a family I know and they said it never towed anything. I plan on keeping the truck for another 10 years and would like to not do more than new heads and TBI improvements.

 

[MrMarty51]

Why new heads ?
It aint broke dont fix it.
I had a 93 K1500 ext cab. 350, 4L60E.
At about 150,000 miles installed a new timing chain/sprocket set and had the harmonic balancer cut down and a sleeve made for it to bring it back to OE spec on the OD where the front crank seal rides.
At near 300,000 miles the oil pressure began to drop a few pounds.
Back off with the coolant pump, lifted the engine and set it on two 2X4x4” long blocks to make clearance to drop the pan.
New oil pump, pan gasket, timing chain/sprocket set and coolant pump.
At about 350,000 miles this engine was still running and using no oil and I sold the truck.
Welcome to the forum BL.

 

[jrsavoie]

I added a bypass filter and ran.full synthetic oil on all of our 6.5s regardless of mileage when we bought.

I eventually started tapping the engine oil cooler return line/ installing a T.

And returned to a nipple in the engine oil fill .neck.
I always found a place under the hood to install the bypass filters.

I prefer the FS2500 cartridge filter over the Amsoil or the newer FS2500 cannister filter

 

[BurbLife]

Why new heads ?
It aint broke dont fix it.
I had a 93 K1500 ext cab. 350, 4L60E.
At about 150,000 miles installed a new timing chain/sprocket set and had the harmonic balancer cut down and a sleeve made for it to bring it back to OE spec on the OD where the front crank seal rides.
At near 300,000 miles the oil pressure began to drop a few pounds.
Back off with the coolant pump, lifted the engine and set it on two 2X4x4” long blocks to make clearance to drop the pan.
New oil pump, pan gasket, timing chain/sprocket set and coolant pump.
At about 350,000 miles this engine was still running and using no oil and I sold the truck.
Welcome to the forum BL.

When I bought the Suburban at 160k, it was smoking a lot on cold starts for a few minutes. I have some experience working on cars, but not a lot. The guy at my local auto parts suggested I try a bottle of B-12 chem tool in the crank case and run it for 5 minutes at a slightly higher RPM above idle. After I did that I changed the oil, plugs rotor, cap and wires. After a few tanks with B-12, it stopped smoking on cold starts. We don't drive it a lot, only 11k in 15 years. I am worried the truck wasn't maintained all that well, The family I bought it from moved out of state without any way to contact. Maybe a compression test? I appreciate your mention of the timing chain. Going to do a bit of research and see if I can tell if someone got to it already.

Thx! RJ

 

[MrMarty51]

Usually smoke on startup after setting over night or some such is a sign that the valve stem seals is not functioning properly.
Good plan to do the compression test then if some chljnders are lower than others check to see if its rings or valves.
Add oil through the sparking plug holes then rerun test on the weak cylinders.
Never ever try this on a diesel engine. BOOOOOM the gauge will go in your hand.
Fireworks would be mild.
If compression comes up its rings, if it stays the same, or close to the same then leaking valves.
If valves arent leaking the valve stem seals can be replaced without removing the heads.

 

[Will L.]

Yeah- the b12 trick is usually for stuck rings not valve guide seals.

Yes a bypass filter is a good thing. The one mentioned or the Frantz are both good choices.

Yes to the compression test. My suggestion is do dry, wet, and cylinder leakdown tests to all at once. Write down the info in a log book to keep for the rig. Posting it here is smart as well. Hears later being able to reference the numbers can tell you a lot.
A can of Restore into the oil is a great thing also.

As for TBI- you don’t put enough miles on it to justify paying for the new injection systems available. But you can use an old timing light- shoot the light at the fuel spraying and see how good the spray pattern is.

Removing the exhaust before any muffler or other nasty catching devices then do the water down the intake manifold trick to clean out all the carbon. I actually suggest doing that before doing the other stuff including the compression test.

Higher energy ignition systems helped those engines out if you know the tbi is working right.

iirc @THEFERMANATOR had a lot of knowledge on the tbi systems for tips.

Please fill out your signature line with the rig, engine, and all the details you know about it especially modifications so that as you post we can remember what we are working on. Please his site has become the king of 6.2/6.5 diesel engines so often everyone jumps to that assumption and we surely don’t wanna give mis information on it.

Pics are always fun if you get the time.

 

[BoostN]

Welcome!!