You might want to consider the GM catch can set up:
I don't know where the year cut off is but do some research about the updated valve covers as well.

 

Your father was or is a wise man. I have the oil monitoring system on my 2015 Malibu with the last year that Chevrolet used the non-turbo, 2.5 liter motor. I am not young anymore, and I am keeping this car until they bury me. I love the motor and transmission ( I do wish it had a removable fluid filter but I'll be doing fluid changes every 25,000 miles on the 6T40) and 5000 miles on the motor with full synthetic lubricants and top of the line engine oil-filters, and not that Fram junk filters.

This Malibu will do over 43 MPG on the freeway's and at 55-60 MPH she's ruing over 50 MPG with the CC on. Better, when I need extra power, this car will haul you-know-what. Chevrolet really needs to put it back in their cars, but it's only available on the Colorado pickups for now. What a shame and the waste of a great engine!.

I spent all four years of high school in auto shop,class and was in junior college to complete my training as an automotive mechanic (not called techs back then) for two year's in junior college but ended that when I got into the petroleum sales and distribution biz.

It paid good but I wish I had become an ASE mechanic instead.. At least I do all of my own work on my two vehicles, both Chevrolet's (which I have loved since my HS days) and I've overhauled over 100 carburetors (yeah, I am that old).in my time. Sadly, I made the mistake of purchasing a Fomoco Mustang 5.0 liter with fuel injection into the ports, not the TBI GM units. The driver's seat literally fell apart in three years, and the thick film ignition module was defective on those cars.

Sold that POS and have been with GM/Chevy ever since, although before that I owned a nice AMC Jeep CJ-5 which was a good vehicle previously. My 22 year old K-1500 had a bad low side schrader valve leaking on the A/C system, which I am slowly working on, but it's been a great FWD pickup truck and when things age, things like this go bad, no matter what.

It's still holding -30 PSI after two days on the gauges, so since the leak is now gone it's just a simple addition of one or two ounces of PAG 150 some 22 ounces of R-134A with leak detector and it'll be putting out 40 F degrees once more and, she'll be back in business with the original A/C compressor. Can't beat that with a stick! Damn, but I love my GM/Chevrolet's.

 

You and I both know that pretty much gone are the days where a father taught his sons and daughters how to do the vehicle basics and the importance of maintenance. Lots of fathers no longer have the desire or the skill to teach. I like that I can diagnose most of my problems and if am physically able I still like to do the work myself. No one to blame but me if there are problems. So many times on my various rigs over the years, I know preventative maintenance saved me gobs of money.

 

PNW NBS Z71:

PM always saves money. Back in the day, you did your oil changes at 3000 miles maximum. Grease the zerks and change transmission oil at 30,000 miles or less as it not as good as it is now. What really bothers me is all hose ads for ARCO gasoline. ARCO saves some money by not using credit cards, only cash of debit, buts still S**t gasoline. No one gets something for nothing and applies to then better normal Gasoline.

I was in the biz of selling lubricants and fuels, so I know what I'm speaking of in this matter. Arco is crap gasoline and those ads for it are lies. It contains barely enough detergents to pass smog regulations and that it.

I was working on engines in auto class as a HS freshman, and was modifying a Chevrolet 366 cubic inch Big Block motor on my father's Chevy C-60 at 15, as well as overhauling everyone's carburetor in auto-shop class, as I knew what I was doing, and they did not. Got to use their muscle cars on a race strip road as payment for the carb work too, as I did not have my own vehicle in HS, thanks to my parents.

Might have been a good thing cause' I was Hell on Wheels when I drove a vehicle. LOL!! Hammer down was how I drove any car I was behind the wheel of.

I dumped the smog pump in the trash, put a 650 CMF Holley carb on the 366 BB. as the original Holley had a governor system on it, and installed a vacuum advance distributor on it at it only had centifical advance. Later on I got rid of the points style ignition system for an electronic ignition system, as we were changing points and condensers every month.

Mileage and power went up, and it was much easier to work on the motor with all the smog junk in trash bin. I know my Chevrolet's, but in the late1960s'-70's the early smog controls were just cheap add-ons, that were a pain in the ****.

 

I worked in the trenches back when all the smog and pollution crap was around. I hated it. I figured out any way I could to bypass things, when I could get away with it. I was in KC, Mo. and we had bi-yearly state inspections to deal with.

 

Same here: we'd run full advance to the distributor, bypassing that stupid vacuum valve, cut The ERG valve out of the loop and max out the timing to the fuel octane. It knocked we'd back it off a bit or use high octane gasoline.

 

That takes me down memory lane doing that, forgot about doing the same.
I had a Cordoba w/400 in. motor that the only way it would pass the state inspection tailpipe sniffer test back then was to take the air filter out before running it through the inspection lane. Was one of those lean burn motors.
The inventive things we had to do.

 

I agree with the MMJoe. Don't spend another dime on that truck. Not only the engine and tranny, according to you, need replacing, for $6 to $8 K, but easily be looking at another $2500 to $3000 for your loose suspension, which probably means front end parts. I would cut the cord with that Suburban as soon as I could or it won't end pretty. I'm guessing you have a 3/4 ton Suburban. If you do that's really an overkill for pulling an 18' Travel Trailer. They are way more expensive to maintain. If you had a 30' trailer, that's another story.

You are correct in saying you can't find a Suburban for less than $8 K, you can find them for 1/2 that easily, I did. I'm a northerner who spends the winter months down south. Three years ago I bought a 2001 Yukon XL (same as a Suburban) for $4200, with 103 K miles. It needed nothing other than than trim and trinkets. You can find 2001 to 2006 Suburbans in the neighborhood of $4K all day long.

If you go 20K miles a year, and use a quart of oil every 500 miles; if oil is $6 a quart, it would cost you $240 per year. I don't believe for one second that the truck stopped using oil out of the clear blue. Get rid of it, or just put in oil. Another option would be to get a used engine, with relatively low mileage. You should be able to buy it and have it installed for around $2000 to $2500.

Good Luck

Tom

 

Yeah, I agree -- I don't understand what's going on with the oil. At last change, we put a higher viscosity oil into it, and maybe that's helping, I dunno. I haven't towed since I got back from Florida 6 weeks ago, and it hasn't used any oil in that time, as of last weekend's check.

Mine is a Suburban 1500 (not sure how that equates to "tons"). I have no need of a 2500.

Around here (NC area), I don't see Suburbans for as cheap as you are talking -- wow. I've been watching Autotrader for a while, and even within 500 miles of here, I don't see prices like what you're talking about for 2007-2014 units with a backup camera.

Thanks for the info.

 

Hi

Yours is a 1/2 ton, same as mine. Bought mine in Waycross GA. For the 2001 to 2006, the're the ones for $4K, that I have seen. The 2007 ti 2014, I don't know how much. But I do know those years have the AFM which have issues, like you're having.

I know you have a lot of $$$ tied up in your Suburban. At least for the time being, you may just want to add oil, as it is cheap. Maybe a cheaper solution than the $6 to $8 K will bubble up to the top.

I'm sure someone here has had the exact issue as you are having. Stay Tuned!

Good Luck

Tom