Now that I have been here long enough to post pictures, this is what I bought this past summer:
The vendor's mechanic said it needed a lower ball joint, rear brake backing plates, parking brake shoes and both rear parking brake cables to pass a safety inspection. So I bought the vehicle and bought the parts. I installed the 2-piece Doorman backing plates without too much hassle. I found an upper ball joint also needed replacement. I installed the rear brake cables, and was trying to adjust them when things started going south, starting with the front brake cable breaking.
Ok, no problem, bought a new one. While installing that, I noticed a rust hole through the driver's footwell, pulled up the carpet and discovered this mess of lace:
I ordered a new DS floorpan. The next day, when heading off to pick it up, my brake foot went to what was left of the floor! Ok, blew a brake line somewhere above the frame under the driver's seat, let's get it up on the ramps and see what I'm dealing with. Put the ramps in place, go to start it and...
Starter motor died. Instead of a bus bar, there was a stranded cable between the starter and solenoid. It was nothing more than green corrosion at this point.
So, new starter and order an upgraded ACDelco brake line kit. (that I read about here). In the meantime, back to the floor:
In the process, I separated the shifter cable, and the poodle clip broke. I checked every parts source in the area to no avail. Not even the dealer could get them! The only source I could find was McMaster-Carr (https://www.mcmaster.com/#94751A754) and they won't ship to individuals in Canada. Ok, I set up a paper company and ordered a package of clips...
By now, the brake line kit was in.
A nice thick coating to protect the lines, pre-bent, with fittings already flared on. What's not to love?
Well, the fact that the lines are run between the frame and body, for one thing. As others here have attested, it is necessary to remove the DS body mounts and loosen the passenger side ones before jacking the DS body off the frame a few inches. This is more complicated on the Avalanche than a pickup truck since the Avy body is all one piece.
Lots of cribbing , hydraulic rams, wedges and some custom jack extensions came into play:
There were a couple of minor cracks to the rear bumper cladding. It obviously bumped into something in it's past life. So out came the plastic welding equipment:
I was getting a periodic SES light. Using my Tech2 and some helpful posts here I tracked it down to two problems: the EVAP purge solenoid and the rear knock sensor. Whichever epsilon-minus semi-moron engineer who decided the knock sensor should be located under the manifold needs to be taken out back and shot. Not wanting to go in there twice, I replaced both sensors and the harness and added the RTV recommended in the GM bulletin about this problem.
The DS seat was well worn and literally bursting at the seams. A friend of mine who has a side business making boat tops and upholstery volunteered to make up new covers, using the old ones as templates:
So now, just when I almost have things back up to spec, some dingus in the Home Depot parking lot, something hanging out the back of his or her vehicle, backed into my nice mint sheet metal!
ARRRGGGHHH!
New tail light and Z71 decal has been ordered, but it'll probably have to wait until spring now...
The vendor's mechanic said it needed a lower ball joint, rear brake backing plates, parking brake shoes and both rear parking brake cables to pass a safety inspection. So I bought the vehicle and bought the parts. I installed the 2-piece Doorman backing plates without too much hassle. I found an upper ball joint also needed replacement. I installed the rear brake cables, and was trying to adjust them when things started going south, starting with the front brake cable breaking.
Ok, no problem, bought a new one. While installing that, I noticed a rust hole through the driver's footwell, pulled up the carpet and discovered this mess of lace:
I ordered a new DS floorpan. The next day, when heading off to pick it up, my brake foot went to what was left of the floor! Ok, blew a brake line somewhere above the frame under the driver's seat, let's get it up on the ramps and see what I'm dealing with. Put the ramps in place, go to start it and...
Starter motor died. Instead of a bus bar, there was a stranded cable between the starter and solenoid. It was nothing more than green corrosion at this point.
So, new starter and order an upgraded ACDelco brake line kit. (that I read about here). In the meantime, back to the floor:
In the process, I separated the shifter cable, and the poodle clip broke. I checked every parts source in the area to no avail. Not even the dealer could get them! The only source I could find was McMaster-Carr (https://www.mcmaster.com/#94751A754) and they won't ship to individuals in Canada. Ok, I set up a paper company and ordered a package of clips...
By now, the brake line kit was in.
A nice thick coating to protect the lines, pre-bent, with fittings already flared on. What's not to love?
Well, the fact that the lines are run between the frame and body, for one thing. As others here have attested, it is necessary to remove the DS body mounts and loosen the passenger side ones before jacking the DS body off the frame a few inches. This is more complicated on the Avalanche than a pickup truck since the Avy body is all one piece.
Lots of cribbing , hydraulic rams, wedges and some custom jack extensions came into play:
There were a couple of minor cracks to the rear bumper cladding. It obviously bumped into something in it's past life. So out came the plastic welding equipment:
I was getting a periodic SES light. Using my Tech2 and some helpful posts here I tracked it down to two problems: the EVAP purge solenoid and the rear knock sensor. Whichever epsilon-minus semi-moron engineer who decided the knock sensor should be located under the manifold needs to be taken out back and shot. Not wanting to go in there twice, I replaced both sensors and the harness and added the RTV recommended in the GM bulletin about this problem.
The DS seat was well worn and literally bursting at the seams. A friend of mine who has a side business making boat tops and upholstery volunteered to make up new covers, using the old ones as templates:
So now, just when I almost have things back up to spec, some dingus in the Home Depot parking lot, something hanging out the back of his or her vehicle, backed into my nice mint sheet metal!
ARRRGGGHHH!
New tail light and Z71 decal has been ordered, but it'll probably have to wait until spring now...