Wolf_Momma

Heya! My '89 Chevy Suburban was used as a workhorse under severe operating conditions, let's just say alot of stop and go, backing up and going forward ( already had to rebuild the tranny ) and no highway driving.
Now that I have it back, I was wondering what would help the rebuilt 350 last longer? An electric fan? Mind you, I'm a junkyard pirate and I'm on a budget... So, I can't afford one of those cold air intakes ( even though I'm not sure if one of those would fit anyway )
Please help me out! Thankyou =)
Oh, and, will Lucas Oil power steering stop-leak and Lucas oil stabilizer work? Has anyone tried those? Lemme know! My beastie goes through a quart of oil every 4 days or so. @.@

hawksdad77

Wolf _Momma,

I suppose it would depend on how much work you wanna put into it. The 350's in 89's are indeed a simple set up and pretty much the only thing that differs from itfrom the earlier burbs is that its got a TBI on it rather than a Carburator.

You should already have some from of "outside" air intake but who knows where the stock one went if your using a conventional intake housing. Definately check the junkyard on that.

One of the common "leaks" in a 89 is the power steering. If you can identify where the leak is coming from then I guess you wouldnt be posting about it, but the pump itself does leak quite a bit. Ive seen this in mine as well as other posts with similar year and model. It does require you to take the pump out (not hard but not as easy as it may look) but replacement on remans' are relatively inexpensive so stay away from the junkyard on that one IMHO. Lucas lubricants are great maintenance options if you choose to do so but be wary that some inline systems does have a filter system within its hydraulics and you could clog them up by introducing after market products like Lucas. Best bet, clean the area the best you can and keep a close eye on it. And if your on a budget, make sure you visit your local autoparts stores website, print out the actual part with the price on it then go to the store and request a price match. You'll be surprised at how much the instore prices and online prices differ.

As for an electric fan? Well, I would definately consider saving up a bit and go with a aluminum 4 core radiator. I put one in mine 2 summers ago (I live in Arizona) and it has worked wonders. I thinks thats that least problamatic part of my motor. The belt driven fan works just fine. If your gonna go that far in disassembling the fan to get the radiator, consider checking / replacing your water pump too.

In the meantime, Ima go under my 89 and see where Im leaking air to keep failing the emissions pressure test.

Wolf_Momma

Thankyou! Yeah, we took it to a mechanic and the guy said it needed a new power steering box ( Obviously. It's impossible to drive faster than 50 without skating all over the road) so I bought a used one with a 3-year warranty from EverDrive.com, only $122 and no core charge! Anyway, I'm gonna have that put in. My buddy went ahead and gave 'er a tune-up, changed the oil and replaced the brake pads..He also cut off my muffler, Daaamn that old engine still has some roar haha, since it doesn't have a cat, Yeah, gotta get a hi-flow cat too.Where I live there is no emissions test *dance*.. Someone gave me a long glasspack to replace the stock muffler so I'm going to have that welded on. Plus we're going to change the tranny filter, too. It's having a bit of a hard time shifting from 2nd to 3rd.
So you think the steering pump needs replacing too?
And I live in New Mexico and the summer's pretty hot here too.You know most mid-90s ford cars ( I believe ) have electric fans. A friend took out one from a ford car in a junkyard and installed it into his Lincoln.. But if the radiator works better than a fan I guess I'll save to get one of those.
And, yes I have that air intake hose thing that sucks air through the grill, you think that is enough air?
If you wanna check it out, I made a short lil' video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdIW9quu2rw
.. Do you have pics of your truck? I would love to see it!

hawksdad77

Sure, you gotta remember too, if you install an electric fan or an electric anything. Its just another something that could go wrong. But thats just me.

I spent a little extra and bought a 4 core aluminum radiator, I replaced the water pump with another refurb and replaced the thermostat to a 190 degree. I havent come near overheating once idling, mid summer, with the AC blasting. Should you decide to replace the radiator, just make sure you measure out the dimensions of the radiator thats on the burb right now. Mainly the height. Mine is 17inches but there about 3 different heights you can choose depending on your set up under the hood.

As for your steering issue. Yes, it could be your gear box, and thats what everyone told me until I took a high pressure washer to that side of the motor and realized that it wasnt my gear box at all. Thus my post to clean the hell of it first If you still have a leak afterwards, check your pump

Yes, your stock air intake will suffice. There are upgrades out there but nothing worth it unless you are gonna race it. What ever you do, stay away from alledged quick fix upgrades like the "Tornado" or Spacers. I've seen those things get sucked through the air hose, through the air filter and sucked pass the TBI into the motor. Truly a No Bueno situation. Spacers do great for your top end but nothing for take off.

If you wanna do a little wrench work and know someone witha welder I would suggest an exhaust upgrade. Stock should be a single exhaust system so Dual Exhaust with "tube" headers would be a great start, look into new Cat Converters and Mufflers too when you replace the system. I think I can dig up some pictures somewhere, stya tuned for the next post!