My 2005 Yukon XL

[DieselSlug]

Got the pitman arm off, always fun. I think all we need to do now is recenter the input orientation and we can swap this sucker over to the Yukon. I've never been more excited about something so lame.

 

[DieselSlug]

Prepping for the biggest storm of the year for us.

The plan was to get my headlights adjusted, heated the first nut up good after a few weeks of periodic spraying I decided to try it. Guess what, it broke. Not surprised. So for now, sorry to the people I blind. The head of the bolt is hidden beneath a double riveted plate. Such a horrible design. So to tackle this project again I will need to break the remaining 3 bolts, disassemble the housing, drill out all the rivets, insert new carriage bolts (most likely cut an access hole for future), re-rivet, re-assemble, reinstall, and finally aim.
This is what the inside looks like, the head is beneath the tiny hole you see:


Also looks like the lift cylinder leak is getting worse. Really need to do something about it:


I got the Escalade D-pillars installed, but forgot the pics. So I guess it didn't happen.

 

[BigDogYJ]

Prepping for the biggest storm of the year for us.

The plan was to get my headlights adjusted, heated the first nut up good after a few weeks of periodic spraying I decided to try it. Guess what, it broke. Not surprised. So for now, sorry to the people I blind. The head of the bolt is hidden beneath a double riveted plate. Such a horrible design. So to tackle this project again I will need to break the remaining 3 bolts, disassemble the housing, drill out all the rivets, insert new carriage bolts (most likely cut an access hole for future), re-rivet, re-assemble, reinstall, and finally aim.
This is what the inside looks like, the head is beneath the tiny hole you see:
View attachment 97703

you know I stared at this pic for a while trying to rattle my brain where in the heck this lives on a Yukon. couldn't do it. then realized when I saw the pic of the lift cylinder, this must be the remote headlights mounted on the plow. no way that was a factory design on the GMT800's. haha. sorry about the busted nut.

 

[DieselSlug]

you know I stared at this pic for a while trying to rattle my brain where in the heck this lives on a Yukon. couldn't do it. then realized when I saw the pic of the lift cylinder, this must be the remote headlights mounted on the plow. no way that was a factory design on the GMT800's. haha. sorry about the busted nut.

Haha, 100% correct. This is the Fisher plow headgear. Reading how I wrote it I can see the thinking!

Going to wait for a lull in the weather to tackle the headlight job and lift cylinder resealing kit. Fingers crossed we make it through the next 3 days. I do have a quart of extra blue fluid to top off.

 

[DieselSlug]

Got the aftermarket tail lights in today, and installed. Was on the fence about aftermarket. But for the cost, had to try.

 

[DieselSlug]

First plow round Sunday just before 5. Took care of our drive, MIL, and BIL.


Second plow event Monday AM along with a road rip to make the rounds to MIL and BILs:

 

[DieselSlug]

Took the boy to wrestling tonight, on the way back home I got a flashing check engine and could feel the engine run rougher. My SG2 wouldn't pick up the code for some reason. Got home and pulled plug wires, cylinder 6 was not arcing. This was a JY coil installed back in October 2025. Swapped out another JY coil I had on the shelf as soon as I got back home. CEL Light immediately went away and all seems well.

Man I love the LS based engines, so simple. Also its time for an oil change.

 

[MrMarty51]

First plow round Sunday just before 5. Took care of our drive, MIL, and BIL.
View attachment 97777

Second plow event Monday AM along with a road rip to make the rounds to MIL and BILs:
View attachment 97781View attachment 97782

 

[DieselSlug]

Of course tonight I take the Milwaukee Hulk impact to the plow lights at darn near 0-degrees out and buzz the 3 remaining bolts off.



This was not an easy task,these aren't made to service. Lots of plastic bending, pressing, and trying to get the rivets out that are blinded right to the backs of the light housings.

 

[dbrannon79]

looks like those are carriage bolts made to adjust in the slots. you should be able to find some stainless carriage bolts to go back together with, if not, try electroplate the new ones with brass to help make them live longer. you can do the steel brackets as well while it's apart.

 

[MrMarty51]

looks like those are carriage bolts made to adjust in the slots. you should be able to find some stainless carriage bolts to go back together with, if not, try electroplate the new ones with brass to help make them live longer. you can do the steel brackets as well while it's apart.

If You go back with stainless steel bolts get some kind of antiseize on them threads.
Stainless is recommended to use nickel base, if You dont have that then just use the old standby silver aluminum base.

 

[DieselSlug]

looks like those are carriage bolts made to adjust in the slots. you should be able to find some stainless carriage bolts to go back together with, if not, try electroplate the new ones with brass to help make them live longer. you can do the steel brackets as well while it's apart.

I may have to grind the head some on the new traditional carriage bolts to help them sit in the valley plate properly, but its doable.

If You go back with stainless steel bolts get some kind of antiseize on them threads.
Stainless is recommended to use nickel base, if You dont have that then just use the old standby silver aluminum base.

My plan was to try and find stainless. If I cant to try and find at least a grade 5 or more. Im not too worried about the future in terms of rust for these as I fluid film this thing annually and plan to heavily douche it in protectant upon re-assembly. I think i only have the copper and aluminum antiseize here on hand.

Got the secondary light apart this AM without breaking plastic. Phew. This sucked, lots of prying and bending.

 

[DieselSlug]

New issue, finding a 3/16 rivet of proper length. Loosely put together the thickness of plate, housing, gasket, and plate is 3/4-inch. So at a minimum I need a 3/4-inch long 3/16-inch diameter rivet. Not easy to get locally I am finding.

So question, would a 3/4-inch long rivet be enough? I can find 7/8-inch online, which is a problem too as its way longer and will hit the glued in light shrowd. I have zero riveting experience, but my gut tells me I need the 7/8s to allow space for the head to mushroom enough and catch the plate on that side.

 

[dbrannon79]

what about using some nut-zerts (or whatever their called) or tack welding some small machine nuts on the base plate so you can use some stainless machine screws instead of rivets? iirc they make brass nut inserts that you could drill out the base plate to the proper size, then drive the inserts in from the back. they come with a knurled outer diameter to be press-fitted into the holes.

 

[DieselSlug]

what about using some nut-zerts (or whatever their called) or tack welding some small machine nuts on the base plate so you can use some stainless machine screws instead of rivets? iirc they make brass nut inserts that you could drill out the base plate to the proper size, then drive the inserts in from the back. they come with a knurled outer diameter to be press-fitted into the holes.

I see what your saying, ive always wanted a nutsert kit. Contemplating if there is enough room for anything above (or below for that matter) on the inner plate. Its butt-tight to the housing. I actually struggled tonight to get it all back together dryfitted with just the thickness of the plates and gaskets. I feel like a 8-32 machine screw would do.

I did manage to get all stainless hardware today, and of course a rivet kit that isn't gonna work without at a minimum longer rivets.

 

[dbrannon79]

I see what your saying, ive always wanted a nutsert kit. Contemplating if there is enough room for anything above (or below for that matter) on the inner plate. Its butt-tight to the housing. I actually struggled tonight to get it all back together dryfitted with just the thickness of the plates and gaskets. I feel like a 8-32 machine screw would do.

I did manage to get all stainless hardware today, and of course a rivet kit that isn't gonna work without at a minimum longer rivets.

how thick is the steel back plate? would it be thick enough to run an 8-32 tap through and get enough threads to hold similar to how a self tapper would on sheet metal? the nutserts I was thinking of are made for setting into plastic with a soldering iron. normal nutserts aren't threaded all the way down.

something I also thought about too is using something like an 8-32 nut. drill out the hole on the back plate so that the nut would tightly fit into the hole, then tack weld it into place with a wire welder or brazing torch. it's a fine detail work but might be easier if longer rivets aren't available.

 

[DieselSlug]

All plates are 1/16-inch thick (bottom pictured). I dont think its enough to just tap even with fine thread with how much I see these headlights wiggle.



Going out today to check out the cheapie HF rivnut setter (more expensive one is out of stock....)

I did get a set of 3/16 x 7/8 rivets ordered as well, but im trying to keep all options on the table at this point.

 

[jrsavoie]

I see what your saying, ive always wanted a nutsert kit. Contemplating if there is enough room for anything above (or below for that matter) on the inner plate. Its butt-tight to the housing. I actually struggled tonight to get it all back together dryfitted with just the thickness of the plates and gaskets. I feel like a 8-32 machine screw would do.

I did manage to get all stainless hardware today, and of course a rivet kit that isn't gonna work without at a minimum longer rivets.

You might also want rivet washers on the ends of the rivets.

If you can move up to a 10-32 machine screw, I would. For some reason #8 screws cause me grief.

 

[DieselSlug]

Nutserts for the win, thanks all for the suggestions. Had to install them technically upside down, but it worked.

Had to use 8-32 under the headlight (3x) and 10-32 for the side under the turn signal (3x) due to limited clearance. Had to bend some more plastics to re-install and it was tougher with the gasket but we got it!



Just have to go get some 3/4-inch length 8-32 screws as the 1/2-inch just aren't enough.

 

[dbrannon79]

use lots of anti-seize I would also dab some hot glue on the small screw heads so that they are sealed from the Philips head rusting out. you can always heat the tip of the screwdriver to melt into the hot glue if you need to remove later.

you might even coat the steel plates with something. maybe some clear coat rattle can so they never rust out. at my work we use a lot of what I call cosmoline in a spray can iirc CRC makes some that they call corrosion inhibitor. after it dries its not coming off very easy

I used some on a long steel shaft that was freshly machined. it was going into storage. after I finished coating it, it got left outside on a pallet and then the rains came. sat out there all weekend! a couple months later in storage it still looks new other than the brown-ish tinge of the spray I used