Texas82GP's GMT900

[Texas82GP]

Two weeks later, I'm trying to keep making progress on the truck. I got the bad tire pressure sensor replaced on 8/17. When I put the current tires on the truck, one of the wheels was curbed. I replaced it but rather than discard that wheel and tire, I just threw it in the bed and tied it down with a ratcheting strap. That way, hopefully I never have to get the spare down from under the bed on the side of the road, again. In this case, that wheel/tire came in handy. I swapped it for the right rear, which had the bad tire sensor. Thank I took it to Discount Tire and had them swap the sensor for me on the loose wheel. It was a good experience. I find the less I give them to do, the happier I am. It's nice not having the TPMS light and error message on all the time.

Yesterday I put the rear up on stands and replaced the Vapor Canister Vent Valve. I've done it before, but it's probably been seven or eight years. It isn't a bad job. Just dirty. Thank you GM for changing the connector on the vent valve so now I need to spend $42 on an adapter harness. Thankfully the NAPA at the front of my neighborhood had it. It was worth the high price to have it now and be able to move on.....

Thank you GM for changing the port size for the vent hose from 5/8" to 7/8" so now the 5/8" heater hose that I have running all the way to the front of the transmission, per the prior TSB, won't fit. Delco gives you the rubber part in the picture below which adapts it from 7/8" to 3/4". It took some serious digging but I had a 5/8" to 3/4" hose adapter on hand......

This not fitting crap was starting to make me grumpy at this point. I hate it when they redesign the part and now it's one size fits most. Here it is on the truck since pics or it didn't happen....

I cleared the code. I'll know in a week or so if this fixed the EVAP code. I can say I made the mistake of putting the old vent valve in my mouth and blowing/sucking on it. I ended up with a mouth full of dirt. It seemed to be wide open, which can't be right so I'm hoping this was the problem.

Sean and I also took the new bumper cover over to the painter's house later that afternoon. I'll probably work on getting the powdercoat redone on my grill insert between now and when I get the painted bumper cover back. If I had it to do over again I wouldn't have bought the bumper cover and would have just lived with the one on the truck. But, I bought it and left the box at the dealership so I'll go with replacing the one on the truck.

Progressive paid out $586 on the claim. I thought about fighting for a few dollars more but I decided against it. Their estimate proved to me why I didn't want a shop to fix it. Aftermarket parts. Refinishing the bumper cover on the truck. Very cheap. He didn't have the bent up center bumper brackets on his estimate so he would have had to add those, but anyway, done deal.

I guess that's it for now friends. Thanks for following along.

 

[Texas82GP]

So I've been wanting to do some clay bar/machine polishing/waxing work on the truck. Especially the top and hood. The truck has always sat outside, the entire 13 years I've owned it. The hood wasn't looking that great.....
View attachment 176617

Sean helped me hang some plastic in the garage and plastic up the rest of the truck. We clay bared the hood and top. I got out my 6" DA polisher and assortment of foam waffle pads and tried to go to work with some Meguires #2 Fine cut cleaner. The hook and loop backing came right off. Ok, I'll use a slightly more aggressive pad. The backing came right off. These pads are probably five years old and were put up right, but I guess the glue went bad.

I started over with a red pad (medium cut) by hand. I went over the hood in sections twice. Then I went to a green pad (soft polishing) with Meguires #9 Swirl remover. Finally I went with a coat of the Meguires Hi-Tech Yellow Wax (Paste). This is no OldsCool but the hood really came back. To tell the truth, I'm relieved.....
View attachment 176618

While I was working on the hood, Sean went over the top with the fine cut cleaner with an orange pad (slightly less aggressive than the red pad I was using). He had a family commitment so when he pulled off I went over the top two more times with the fine cut cleaner and the red pad. Then the same process as the hood with the swirl remover and the wax. The top was worse off than the hood but it really came back....
View attachment 176619

I'm planning to clay bar and wax the rest of the truck over the next week or so. Not much else on the truck needs polishing like the hood and top did. I ordered some new supplies, including new foam polishing pads. I'm planning to help Sean do this on his truck.

I guess that's it for now friends.

16 months later the hood on the truck wasn't looking that great. This morning, after breakfast (Sean cooks breakfast every Sunday morning) I cleaned the truck up and then pulled it in the garage. I clay barred the hood and then hand applied Meguires fine cut cleaner, followed by their swirl remover and then finally a heavy coat of their yellow paste wax. I was probably at it a few hours and was soaked with sweat.

It brought it back. The top is not looking too good. 14.5 years of sitting outside is starting to catch up. I'm going to go over it in the near future. Here's a shot of the rejuvenated hood...

 

[joesregalproject]

Truck looks good as always. I've used Meguiars M105 and M205 for moderate to heavy paint correction. I'm kind of dumb with detailing stuff but even this idiot can make paint look pretty good with the Meguiars stuff. I use the M105 with a heavy or medium cut foam pad and then follow up with the M205 on a fine cut pad. Then you can use a finish pad with a wax or sealant.

 

[Texas82GP]

Truck looks good as always. I've used Meguiars M105 and M205 for moderate to heavy paint correction. I'm kind of dumb with detailing stuff but even this idiot can make paint look pretty good with the Meguiars stuff. I use the M105 with a heavy or medium cut foam pad and then follow up with the M205 on a fine cut pad. Then you can use a finish pad with a wax or sealant.

Thanks Joe. It sounds like we're much the same. I'm a long time Meguires man. I have a buffer and pads but I just did today's work with a microfiber applicator. I should have gotten the buffer out but didn't want to sling product everywhere. Our driveway more or less faces southeast. There's no shade until evening so wax/polish work is done in our garage. I didn't have hanging plastic in me today so I just went to rubbing.

 

[Texas82GP]

210,001 miles on the clock. That's 10,000 miles since February 20, 2022. Changed the oil and rotated the tires. Check engine light is still on for the same EVAP code (P0442) that I reported about 10 months ago. I bought a smoke machine to look for the leak. I think it is at the lock ring for the fuel pump/sender module. I smell a strong fuel smell when I fuel it up but if I get under it, nothing is wet. We'll see.

More urgently, the front suspension is shot. The lower ball joints are worn out. I have a control arm bushing on the passenger side (I think passenger lower control arm) squeaking. It's been doing it for probably two years now. The Viking Warrior double adjustable coilover shocks that I put on it in November of 2019 have about 36000 miles on them and they are shot. The steering wheel shakes from side to side at highway speed from the worn out balljoints and the front end dives from the worn out shocks. I have new Moog Upper and Lower Control arms on the bench for it. I also ordered a new pair of Viking Warrior double adjustable coilovers (ouch). I changed the shocks though from a 10" spring to a 12" spring. I also went from an 850 lb. spring rate to a 1,000 lb. spring rate. Hopefully that helps. I'm waiting on the shocks and springs to do the big project. I wanted to wait until we moved and we had a shop but this can't wait any longer. It's borderline unsafe in certain situations.

I guess that's it for now friends. I guess I'll report back with the results of the smoke test once I get around to doing it. I've got projects on my niece's car, my brother's truck, my dad's truck and my dad's Galaxie all in the que, so I'll be staying busy. Thanks for following along.

 

[Streetbu]

Aren't the Vikings rebuildable? I know the RideTech coilovers are actually Fox shocks, and can be rebuilt. Plus they have a 1 million mile warranty.

 

[Texas82GP]

Aren't the Vikings rebuildable? I know the RideTech coilovers are actually Fox shocks, and can be rebuilt. Plus they have a 1 million mile warranty.

I think they are but I can't lay the truck up while I wait for them to get to Viking, be rebuilt, and then be shipped back to me. Also, I went to a longer shock that will use a longer spring. The life of these Vikings was disappointing. Still, it's been the best setup since I lowered the front of the truck. Part of me regrets ever dropping it but the factory stance looked ridiculous to me. At the end of the day, I probably shouldn't have bought the truck since it wasn't what I wanted when it was new.

 

[joesregalproject]

Glad to see you are keeping after it instead of dumping it for a new one. The Moog ball joints and tie rods I put on my Dodge earlier this year seemed to be decent quality, they were still US-made. The life on those Vikings is definitely a bit disappointing, I would've hoped for closer to double that mileage before they began to degrade.

As far as stance, I like the way your truck sits. If my F150 was a 2WD I'd definitely lower it in a similar way.

 

[Texas82GP]

Glad to see you are keeping after it instead of dumping it for a new one. The Moog ball joints and tie rods I put on my Dodge earlier this year seemed to be decent quality, they were still US-made. The life on those Vikings is definitely a bit disappointing, I would've hoped for closer to double that mileage before they began to degrade.

As far as stance, I like the way your truck sits. If my F150 was a 2WD I'd definitely lower it in a similar way.

All four control arms are Moog, made in USA. Believe it or not, my brother and I changed the ball joints around 100k miles ago but they are shot again. The stock 275/55/20 tire/wheel combination is just too heavy for this front end.

No way I'll get rid of the truck anytime soon. Unlikely that I ever will but never is a long time. No way I'd buy a newer truck. I can't reconcile the price for what you get in return. I also don't want any nannygear. If we ever move and build a shop I want to build a 3/4 ton Suburban or Square Body Crew and swap in a Cummins 6BT for a towing rig and fun project.

On the stance, thanks. I like how it looks now but it is somewhere around 3" lower in the front and 8"-9" lower in the rear than when it was stock. The front end has been a problem (rubbing, or too soft or too harsh) ever since I lowered it.

Thanks for the encouragement on staying with it. I like having a paid for vehicle. I'll keep working on it as long as I can.

 

[joesregalproject]

My F150 has 275/55/20s on it and they are a heavy wheel. I noticed an MPG drop when I went from 18s to 20s despite them having the same outer tire diameter.

Hopefully the adjustable coilovers will address the rub issues.

I were in your position as far as living in an area where rust isn't a major problem, I'd keep dailying that truck as long as practical. It might have some miles on it, but it has aged well and doesn't look at all like a 15 year old vehicle.

There are a lot of beat up, rusted out GMT900s out there so it is really enjoyable to see a clean one that has been taken care of and tastefully modded.

I'd still recommend building a 6BT square body though. I really do love my Dodge and that is something I never imagined I would be saying.