slipshod
04-06-2005, 11:27 AM
My old truck is a constant challenge with almost 300,000 miles on it. I went through this truck four years ago and replaced or repaired everything on it the was even marginal at the time. Seventeen New York salty road winters sure do make life interesting when it comes time to take things apart.
I just replaces the idler arm for the third time yesterday. I can tell when I am replacing a part that I put on the truck because all the bolts are covered with Cop-Graph a anti-sieve product.My youngest son and I put the truck up on jack stands and inspected everything we could including changing all fluids from front to back. Here is the list of new parts that will go on the truck this weekend.
1. New half-shaft left hand side. there is a bit of play in it and the outer boot is splitting, never replaced.Right hand shaft was done last year.
2. New hub on the left side, no problem yet but the right hand side sieved last fall so it is a matter of time.
3. Front grille, While Deer hunting I went to town one night to get propane and I had a road kill. First thing I have ever hit with the truck. Broke one little piece of plastic but my son garbage picked a perfect grille so why not.
4. Left rear top shock mount During our examination we noticed that this mount is about rotted off the truck. Dinged the other side good with a chipping hammer and it is solid. The right side is in front of the axle the left behind it. That is the reason for the difference.
5. Braided stainless covered fuel and return lines From the Throttle Body to the frame. I have already made a butch job repair in the supply line and I don't like it. It seems like the plastic insides are getting brittle and I do not want a failure. Besides I found new old stock ones on a web site with the mounting hardware for $80.00.
6. Fuel lines from the Stainless back. This is a replacement of replacements. I figure since I am reworking the fuel lines I might just as well go all the way to the tank. I will remove the box and do an assessment of my tank (replaced once already) and the fuel sending unit(also replaced once) This time I will do a stock style rerouting of the lines so everything is tied nicely to the frame.
7. Rear brake supply line only because the box will be off and no better time to do it. Over the winter I redid rear brakes after I had a backer plate fail and the shoes and wheel cylander got tore up. I had to drive eighty-five miles one way to get two new backer plates from a dealer who had them in stock from some guy that ordered them and never picked them up. At that time I ran new lines across the rear axle and the rubber going to the frame.
8. Rear Bumper I cheaped out four years ago and installed an aftermarket. I have never been happy with it. I kept my original mounting brackets. Son got the new bumper same place he found the grille. I can not see where this thing has ever been on a truck. It still has GM routing tags on it. Lady says the stuff was in the garage when they bought the house. He also found a left tail light, a bunch of GM bolts, and a roll of Silverado lower trim and emblems. It was like Christmas for me.
9. Clutch Master Cylander I replaced the slave on it once and now I am getting a bit of seepage under resevoir.
10. Back to the paint shop getting truck repainted below the trim line and some touch -up done.
11 Tailgate I found one for $25.00 that is rust free Mine is starting to blossom a bit. also putting in locking latch so truck is secure when cap door and tailgate are locked. will get painted when truck goes in. Debating if I want to coat the box with something like Duriliner. I use this truck for grocery grabbing and daily driver if I want to haul I use my dumper. But if something is free along the way I will not hesitate to load up if it fits.
I am sure I will find a few more little things as we get going on it this weekend and I will not hesitate to change them. By my calculations I have just under $20,000 into this truck total not counting fuel , oil, etc....... since November 10, 1987. My goal is 500,000 miles!
I just replaces the idler arm for the third time yesterday. I can tell when I am replacing a part that I put on the truck because all the bolts are covered with Cop-Graph a anti-sieve product.My youngest son and I put the truck up on jack stands and inspected everything we could including changing all fluids from front to back. Here is the list of new parts that will go on the truck this weekend.
1. New half-shaft left hand side. there is a bit of play in it and the outer boot is splitting, never replaced.Right hand shaft was done last year.
2. New hub on the left side, no problem yet but the right hand side sieved last fall so it is a matter of time.
3. Front grille, While Deer hunting I went to town one night to get propane and I had a road kill. First thing I have ever hit with the truck. Broke one little piece of plastic but my son garbage picked a perfect grille so why not.
4. Left rear top shock mount During our examination we noticed that this mount is about rotted off the truck. Dinged the other side good with a chipping hammer and it is solid. The right side is in front of the axle the left behind it. That is the reason for the difference.
5. Braided stainless covered fuel and return lines From the Throttle Body to the frame. I have already made a butch job repair in the supply line and I don't like it. It seems like the plastic insides are getting brittle and I do not want a failure. Besides I found new old stock ones on a web site with the mounting hardware for $80.00.
6. Fuel lines from the Stainless back. This is a replacement of replacements. I figure since I am reworking the fuel lines I might just as well go all the way to the tank. I will remove the box and do an assessment of my tank (replaced once already) and the fuel sending unit(also replaced once) This time I will do a stock style rerouting of the lines so everything is tied nicely to the frame.
7. Rear brake supply line only because the box will be off and no better time to do it. Over the winter I redid rear brakes after I had a backer plate fail and the shoes and wheel cylander got tore up. I had to drive eighty-five miles one way to get two new backer plates from a dealer who had them in stock from some guy that ordered them and never picked them up. At that time I ran new lines across the rear axle and the rubber going to the frame.
8. Rear Bumper I cheaped out four years ago and installed an aftermarket. I have never been happy with it. I kept my original mounting brackets. Son got the new bumper same place he found the grille. I can not see where this thing has ever been on a truck. It still has GM routing tags on it. Lady says the stuff was in the garage when they bought the house. He also found a left tail light, a bunch of GM bolts, and a roll of Silverado lower trim and emblems. It was like Christmas for me.
9. Clutch Master Cylander I replaced the slave on it once and now I am getting a bit of seepage under resevoir.
10. Back to the paint shop getting truck repainted below the trim line and some touch -up done.
11 Tailgate I found one for $25.00 that is rust free Mine is starting to blossom a bit. also putting in locking latch so truck is secure when cap door and tailgate are locked. will get painted when truck goes in. Debating if I want to coat the box with something like Duriliner. I use this truck for grocery grabbing and daily driver if I want to haul I use my dumper. But if something is free along the way I will not hesitate to load up if it fits.
I am sure I will find a few more little things as we get going on it this weekend and I will not hesitate to change them. By my calculations I have just under $20,000 into this truck total not counting fuel , oil, etc....... since November 10, 1987. My goal is 500,000 miles!