Need some help. I am thinking of buying a 2006 Silverado Crew(140,000 miles) so I took it to my mechanic to have him look it over. Tells me that he needs to repair the transmission cooler lines, replace the transmission pan gasket, and replace the A/C Drive Belt and Tensioner Cost: About $500. I was wondering if I could do this myself? Would appreciate any help. Thanks.

Menz

 

Sure. If you have the tools and knowledge you can do anything. If you don't, all you need is the ability to try something you have never done before. Drive belt and tensioner is simple, proper si ze wrench on the tensioner to remove the belt tension and pull the belt right off. Just make sure before you do this that you have the belt route sticker on the plastic radiator cover or you will have to note how the belt is ran over and under all the pulleys. Next get the proper size socket and ratchet and remove the tensioner. Buy a whole new tensioner, not just a pulley and replace it. For the transmission, if you have to replace the pan gasket I would recommend also replacing the trans filter. Drain the fluid, remove pan, change filter and gasket, replace pan and refill fluid. For tranny lines, you will need line wrenches. Remove lines, bend new ones with a tubing bender, cut to length, put on the fittings, flare the ends with a flaring tool and reinstall. None of this is very difficult or all that expensive to do. Could get a bit messy though. Should take a few hours to do it all. If you've never done hard lines before I Imagine you could YouTube it to see how it's done. Good luck on your purchase

 

Hello menz,

First, yes you can. I am not up on your 2006, but I would think the hardest thing on this list would be the transmission lines.

Now i know you can change the belt and the tensioner. The pan gasket would not be too bad, except draining the oil. I would replace the filter along with the gasket and new oil.

The thought that came to mind is the transmission may be in question, with needing a gasket and lines repaired. You may want to consider this as a flag.

Not trying to spoil your buying a truck, just some avenues to think on.

 

Just a side note, look in junk yards for trans cooler lines. These lines typically don't go bad. If they need replaced it is probably because someone hit something and they happened to have gotten in the way or someone striped the fitting changing out the radiator or something. Not sure what the story on your s are but it's not a common part to have to change or go bad, so finding good useable ones in the junk yard shouldn't be to hard.

 

Ask seller if this truck has had any transmission repairs done to it. In the process of a repair is when the lines may have gotten damages. I agree if that was the case that this could be a big red flag on this truck.

 

I'm going to have to go against the grain on this thread, transmission cooler lines leaking on these pickups is very common and I see it almost daily in the shop. Other than that the toughest job on your list would be removing the pan depending on your setup. Some of them have the crossover for the exhaust and the shift cable bracket pretty tight on the pan so you have to wrestle it out a bit or loosen a few things.

Trans cooler lines are simple, just need a real small screwdriver or pick to dig the clips off when removing the lines.

A/C belt is very simple and has its own tensioner, so just loosen the serpentine belt so you can pull it off the crank and out of the way but put the ac belt clear behind the crank then onto the compressor first when installing it or you'll fight it forever.

 

Hey Guys!
Thanks for the input. Work to be done doesn't seem too terribly difficult. Think I'm going to purchase the truck and deal with its issues. Anything else I should look for before I make the commitment?

Thanks again,
Menz

 

Those are not real hard to do. I assume its a gas burner and 4x4, but if its the diesel with Allison that is a good time to drain the fluid and do the trans go jr mod.

 

These lines typically don't go bad. If they need replaced it is probably because someone hit something and they happened to have gotten in the way or someone striped the fitting changing out the radiator or something.