The Suburban Saga
Added 2018-09-16 00:54:43 +0000 UTCMany of you have noted we've been plagued by repeated car trouble. Some of this stems from my unwillingness to finance anything. I buy cars cash and keep a pile of tools ready in the garage. Well for the first time one truck has nearly broken me. Knock-on-wood... I think I've finally won.
The whole issue centered on the power steering in the 1999 Chevy Suburban. It got where it was kicking back and so, on the advice of both a mechanic and some community forums, we installed a bypass kit to ditch their EVO system; a variable valve controlled by information on speed and steering wheel acceleration. Apparently this system was so hated it lasted only 3 years or so.
Well, without that valve, anything over 2,000 rpm would do two things:
1. over-pressurize the lines making steering sensitive
2. create excess heat
Well 1 was noticeable but really not that bad once you got used to it. Kinda go-carty.
2 was trickier because it took time to cook. So we thought we had to car running fine. Drive around town, do 70mph for 20 minute spells... no trouble. Then we would leave town and blammo, steering failures.
This resulted in lots of attempts to fix various parts: ball joints, steering gear, power steering pump, lines, etc.. And worse yet, because of the sustained heat some of those parts really were breaking. Which only reinforced that, once were were home and they were swapped, and the car was driving normally again... the problem must be solved!
Head out of town again... blammo. Rinse and repeat until I'm pulling my hair out. Now, for you the reader, this seems like a simple answer. But from our perspective it was a nightmare of "everything has been replaced or upgraded." Finally though, I got fixated on the heat as a culprit and walked the problem backwards. I realized with NO valve the pressure was directly tied to RPMs and, well you get the idea.
So with no real time I bit the bullet and hit the mechanic. 0 parts available to replace this valve AND with him doing the digging there are some mechanic notes that the 97 and 98 valves are dangerous in their own right. So that means I had to stalk the junk yard once a week for the past month for a 1999 Chevy Suburban. Period.
Well I got lucky the day of the hurricane evacuation notice and spent about 12 hours ripping one from a junker and getting it seated in mine. This should take about an hour, maybe 2.
You know the Midas Touch? I have Sodom's Touch. Everything I touch turns to shit. My pulley tool broke when no one was open... so I had to repair it a bit to pull and cobble together a pusher... which also broke... etc and so forth. Every step was basically complicated by some other breakage or unwaveringly determined bolt.
In the end the new valve is in, along wit a fresh steering sensor. Total cost maybe $100 and -10 sanity. Huge savings to the budget though. Of course, with all the highways routed for evacuation and weather going nuts, I haven't had a chance to do any sustained testing. First chance I get I'm taking a road trip.
I promise you now, if THIS hasn't resolved the matter I'm selling the lot and buying a newer model. I just hate to waste funds on something fixable. While we're doing very well NOW thanks to you all and the fundraising, there have been many, many weeks of C&Rsenal production where I struggled for the gasoline to get to the range to film. I won't soon forget to be thrifty.
Comments
I drive a Ford Focus. At one point, every tire on each of my wheels was popped at least 4 times.
2018-09-24 23:42:35 +0000 UTCHope you're dried out and have a functional vehicle by now. Sam LIsker is an amazingly helpful fellow when it comes to everything Colt. I imagine you are already familiar with him, but if not, he might be willing to help with the episode I'd like to see about the 1911, or any other Colt issue you may want to pursue. Good luck to you and your team.
gary g. davis
2018-09-21 21:06:57 +0000 UTCI have a 1972 f250 my grandpa gave me when I got back from Iraq and out of the army. I love this truck and will never get rid of it
2018-09-21 04:35:59 +0000 UTCVan's are great, if you're not the one working on them. lol
ThatManitobaGuy
2018-09-18 01:39:22 +0000 UTCI'm sure you'll get all sorts of advice, but the biggest question I've got is "do you really need 4WD???" If you look at commercial fleets there is a reason they don't use SUVs. Simple drive trains with a minimum of bells and whistles is the way to go. For me, the need for cargo and passenger capacity....and ease of maintenance and durability is best answered by your basic 3/4 ton van. I personally prefer the E-250 (regrettable no longer made), but all the counterparts will serve as well. While getting a low mileage one (defined as under 150K) is often hard in the pure cargo or passenger configuration, older low mileage ones can be found in the guise of a conversion van, which many families bought and used for vacation and weekends, putting on very little mileage compared to commercial counterparts. Rip out the fold down bed in the back to create cargo room and keep the captain chairs for long distance comfort. They have the same tow capacity as their pickup truck counterparts, so extra cargo is easily hauled by a trailer.
Richard Anderson
2018-09-17 18:49:14 +0000 UTCMaybe you should consider getting an older car e.g. 1950's-60's without all the unnecessary technology: easier to fix...
Guido R.
2018-09-17 07:25:03 +0000 UTCFWD = cheaper to build, more expensive to maintain. Get an older 940 or 740 series RWD sedan & drive happy...
Bruce Brodnax
2018-09-17 07:23:26 +0000 UTCThe replacement is why I had to revert. It's a mess. I like the Land Cruisers but boy is there a premium here.
C&Rsenal
2018-09-17 03:53:54 +0000 UTCI work as a mechanic, i spend so much of my life fixing things. I buy new vehicles with a warranty and let it be someone else's headache.
David Gummo
2018-09-16 22:56:14 +0000 UTCGMC - got mechanic coming! My service truck is a 2018 Chevy van new in 12/17. What a POS! Battery, starter, control modules and ignition switch have been replaced already. When it feels like it the battery will be completely drained in the mourning.
John R. Dorn
2018-09-16 12:27:15 +0000 UTCKnow nothing of US produced car model qualities, but I have owned a number of Toyotas, and it took a bit of effort to kill every one of them. BTW, ~50% of the cost for my recent t shirt purchase was shipping. I'm cool with that; if you getting your wheels sorted makes things easier for you, Mr Beardy, I just consider that my patronage at work.
Minion
2018-09-16 10:20:23 +0000 UTCThat's rough. Although the upside to GM's of that vintage is that most parts are cheap and plentiful. Though apparently those EVO solenoids were so bad that GM actually had a TSB for replacing them. Unfortunately that means that in the future if it fails again, a reman'd pump may be the only option. Upside though it completely eliminates that part as per GM. But if you're ever looking for a different vehicle, don't discount Toyota. If you need a larger SUV, Land Cruisers are never a bad option they had solid front axles for years and the Sequoia is a full sized based off of the Tundra. They're not the most fuel efficient but for reliability it's hard to go wrong.
ThatManitobaGuy
2018-09-16 09:53:49 +0000 UTCAm mechanic, can confirm. All it takes to turn a 2 hour job into an 8 hour job is one broken bolt.
ThatManitobaGuy
2018-09-16 09:40:06 +0000 UTCSometimes I'm glad I don't drive. Not very often, but sometimes.
Chris Crowther
2018-09-16 09:02:20 +0000 UTCBuy a 1998 Volvo V70 and you are the man for years to come, they do need some maintenance but they never seriously fail on you.
2018-09-16 05:59:03 +0000 UTCSome lifetime observations: 1. Cars suck. 2. Car payments suck. 3. Being free of car payments is AWESOME. BUT. . .1 . Lack of reliable transportation is NOT an option. 2. ESPECIALLY when you're hauling guns around. 3. ESPECIALLY when it's part of your business. 4. The peace of mind that comes with KNOWING it's going to start and run is huge. 5. Paying the dealer what they ask to fix the damn thing while you're handling the stuff that makes your life go is usually a worthwhile investment. 6. The time working lost and hospital bill from the ulcer a POS car causes is probably more expensive. I think you're at the point where you have a fairly good idea of what the channel can support and call it a business expense. A new Toyota typically takes about a quarter million miles to kill with spotty maintenance in my experience - still not sure how long it takes now that I no longer go under the hood myself or defer things. Even if cars are your hobby, the '65 Mustang shouldn't be what you rely on when you've got an expectant wife or a demanding YouTube channel to look after.
Erik
2018-09-16 02:37:43 +0000 UTCThe price difference is insane!
C&Rsenal
2018-09-16 01:07:51 +0000 UTCYou know, I had not put them on my list but I'll keep an eye out now.
C&Rsenal
2018-09-16 01:07:30 +0000 UTCI don't just feel your pain, I live it. I too have spent a lifetime of: buy a $600 junker, drive till it dies or breaks a part I can't afford. take it to the junk yard, buy another junker, mix and repeat. It is THE most economical way. and I admire those who still live this way.. Be safe folks!
2018-09-16 01:03:12 +0000 UTCBeen there more times than I'd like to admit. Beast bet for an upgrade: mid-2000's Toyota Sequoia. They run forever. That is what we replaced the 1994 Tahoe with
2018-09-16 00:58:55 +0000 UTCMy father is a car mechanic, Sodom's Touch comes about around once a week.
Lucas Hagg
2018-09-16 00:58:47 +0000 UTCI can sincerely say firearms are the one area where I excel at bringing them back to life. If I had more time I'd go into machine tool education and take on Mark's job.
C&Rsenal
2018-09-16 00:58:25 +0000 UTC
