nitroheadz28

Another productive few hours, its so nice when things don't break off in your hands (Mostly because you replaced the broken parts haha).

Got the water pump and belt drive on and everything else buttoned up, going to run a few cycles of water through it and switch to regular green antifreeze, I've heard too many stories about Dexcool and GM having a class action suit against them doesn't inspire any confidence (Not to mention its not available in every store and slightly more expensive).



I opted to splice in a new section of fuel line, Dorman sells a fuel line repair kit with an 18" section line, a flared end with adapter, and a compression fitting. I cut off the end of the line with the rusted on filter and bolted it all up. Should hold just fine based on my research.




Also got the modded spare tire hoist mounted up, it shouldn't get hung up again after cutting/ grinding as much as I could off the secondary latch without removing it from the assembly.

So far I've done:
-Water pump, thermostat, belt, tensioner, idler pulley
-Plugs, wires
-Fuel filter
-Throttle position sensor, idle air control valve
-Modified the spare tire hoist to never seize on me again in case of a flat

Things left to do:
-Reseal and reinstall transfer case (Still waiting on parts, will create a new thread about this fiasco with a GM parts vendor)
-Change PCV valve
-Remove the rusty nuts and bolts holding down the rear bench seat brackets
-Flush coolant a couple times and refill with the regular green stuff
-Test the alternator and fuel pressure to verify they're in good health
-Reinstall the dash

Then it'll be time to drive cross country!

mountainmanjoe

I heard about the Dexcool issues too, but I think it only becomes a problem when you leave it in there for too long. They're still putting it in new vehicles, so it can't be that bad.

In regards to the tire hoist, can you explain a bit more about which part was the problem, and how you fixed it? Mine is OK for now, but do you have any ideas how to prevent issues? It's a critical part ... could really ruin your day.

nitroheadz28

Update:

So! Transfer case is done, front output shaft replaced with new seals and case halves sealed up with Hondabond. I got it mounted back in the van, filled it and buttoned everything up. Now the van wont fire up... Lol.

I ran out of daylight and it got pretty cold out, but will check fuel pressure tomorrow. I cut the replacement section of line down as short as I could because the fuel line was a little kinked and I was worried it would get in the way of fuel flowing properly. No codes are coming up in the ECM either, I'm really hoping the line didn't get kinked too much and needs replacement

Now another odd thing thats going on. I bought this van with the ABS light on, and when I dropped the crossmember I noticed that 2 plugs were disconnected from the ABS block. When I reassembled everything today and gave it a go, the ABS block clicks loudly at a rate of 1 click per second with the key in the run position. From initial research it seems that the ABS module could be bad, at least the brakes work with it unplugged I suppose. Any suggestions?

nitroheadz28

Update:

This is the van from HELL. I finished putting it back together almost a week ago and it would not fire up. I checked all ECM and fuel pump related fuses, along with the relay and voltage at the relay. The fuel pump was not kicking on.. I had it towed over to the shop and they did the same, the fuel pump took a crap.

The bolts that hold the gas tank straps are captured by nuts welded inside the frame. Surprise surprise, they broke and spun as they were removing it. They had to cut the straps off to get the tank out, then one of the fuel lines going to the pump assembly broke off as the line rusted into the fuel pump adapter. Everything is so rusty that its hard to believe, adding to that they only sell the fuel lines as a complete set. After spending $1300 for a new pump, straps, lines, and the frame to be cut and new nuts welded in the van purred. Success right? Not so fast... As they were filling the tank back up, the filler hose was leaking. The end of the hose was rusted onto the tank and cracked from them wiggling the tank out. Another $300 for parts and labor, CHA CHING! Man, what an awful experience. At least I saved a good $1000 in labor doing the tune up, belt drive, sensors, coolant flush, and transfer case myself.

The people who sold me this van knew how bad it was, they had it undercoated at some point and it had just been inspected a few weeks before purchase. At the end of the day it was a learning experience, its my fault for not throwing the van up on a lift at a shop. Live and learn I guess.. At least it runs and is mostly refreshed at this point lol.


Some gnarly pics for your entertainment purposes: