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What did you do to your Avalanche today?

Today I replaced the water pump on my 05 Z71. Was text book…Yay!

Then I installed a Pioneer Nex radio..also text book install.

It’s so nice when there aren’t any issues causing unneeded frustrations
When AREN'T there any issues causing frustration? lol :LOL:
Seems like every time I lay a finger on my Avalanche to maintain or repair something, there'll be something else going sideways.
 
Today, I received the two rear Bilstein shocks for my truck from Amazon.
It was early enough so figured let's get 'em on there.

Who doesn't like boxes of stuff arriving at the door?!?

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Dragged out the tools and got to it.
Things actually went smoothly today (a pleasant surprise!!)

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Here are the old shocks.
They are pretty crusty!
The bushings are in horrible condition so changing them out was what the Dr. ordered...

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Here they are, bolted in place.
You can see that my spare tire hoist is missing.
Last time I tried to raise my spare back up, it would not raise.
Heck with it. Why leave your wheel under there where it can collect dirt and moisture?

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What job would be complete without the Bilstein sticker in the back window?? :D

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Maybe I'll install a new spare hoist....maybe I won't.
I dunno yet.
Anyway, another thing off the list.
The truck now basically needs brakes all the way around (due to the amount of rust on the rotors).
I don't drive long distances much anymore and have no reason to - as my workplace is about a mile away from home.
Which I imagine has contributed heavily to the problem - as I just don't get enough heat in the brakes to drive off moisture.
Will get to it eventually.

'Til next time...

Happy Easter friends!

CarMech1969
 
CarMech I'm a mile from work too lol. Think its about time to start riding the Mountain Bike now its a little warmer in the am. Lately its been near freezing.
Nice job on the shocks Dude.
Had a big weekend planned replacing front axles and hubs. Didn't go so well. Just had the caliper off then the bracket. One of the bolts needed heat so I torched it, Grabbed a breaker bar on it quickly and whacked it with a hammer.
Whack whack Smack! I hit my hand! I'm cursing in pain! "You didn't..." blood starts to run "Ohh, you did!" It was a bit of an angle so it tore me open pretty good. Enough for 5 stitches at the ER.
So with my hand in a bandage I sadly had to put it back together and do these repairs next weekend.
 
Today, I received the two rear Bilstein shocks for my truck from Amazon.
It was early enough so figured let's get 'em on there.

Who doesn't like boxes of stuff arriving at the door?!?

View attachment 234264

Dragged out the tools and got to it.
Things actually went smoothly today (a pleasant surprise!!)

View attachment 234265

Here are the old shocks.
They are pretty crusty!
The bushings are in horrible condition so changing them out was what the Dr. ordered...

View attachment 234266

View attachment 234267View attachment 234268

Here they are, bolted in place.
You can see that my spare tire hoist is missing.
Last time I tried to raise my spare back up, it would not raise.
Heck with it. Why leave your wheel under there where it can collect dirt and moisture?

View attachment 234269

What job would be complete without the Bilstein sticker in the back window?? :D

View attachment 234270

Maybe I'll install a new spare hoist....maybe I won't.
I dunno yet.
Anyway, another thing off the list.
The truck now basically needs brakes all the way around (due to the amount of rust on the rotors).
I don't drive long distances much anymore and have no reason to - as my workplace is about a mile away from home.
Which I imagine has contributed heavily to the problem - as I just don't get enough heat in the brakes to drive off moisture.
Will get to it eventually.

'Til next time...

Happy Easter friends!

CarMech1969
I was looking at getting shocks for my truck on amazon, wasnt sure on quality of them since I bought 4 new oxygen sensors, installed them and they F*cked up my truck and the O2 sensors dont work like they are supposed to, (they are at 100 to 200 most of time, they are supposed to be at 800 to 1000) you can find this with a scanner and with the engine running. how do those shocks ride? are they any good?
 
I was looking at getting shocks for my truck on amazon, wasnt sure on quality of them since I bought 4 new oxygen sensors, installed them and they F*cked up my truck and the O2 sensors dont work like they are supposed to, (they are at 100 to 200 most of time, they are supposed to be at 800 to 1000) you can find this with a scanner and with the engine running. how do those shocks ride? are they any good?
Bilstein shocks are stock on these trucks (at least it was on mine anyway, the old ones appeared to be bone stock).
I had Gabriel shocks on the front end of my Av a few years ago, and they rode rough.
I'm done with cheap shocks.
Bilsteins are the way to go. I have 'em on all 4 corners now, and I am happy with them. Much smoother ride.
 
CarMech I'm a mile from work too lol. Think its about time to start riding the Mountain Bike now its a little warmer in the am. Lately its been near freezing.
Nice job on the shocks Dude.
Had a big weekend planned replacing front axles and hubs. Didn't go so well. Just had the caliper off then the bracket. One of the bolts needed heat so I torched it, Grabbed a breaker bar on it quickly and whacked it with a hammer.
Whack whack Smack! I hit my hand! I'm cursing in pain! "You didn't..." blood starts to run "Ohh, you did!" It was a bit of an angle so it tore me open pretty good. Enough for 5 stitches at the ER.
So with my hand in a bandage I sadly had to put it back together and do these repairs next weekend.
Reminds me of a time when I replaced the timing belt on a Toyota Camry.
At some point during the reinstall procedure, my hand slipped and dragged along a sharp edge of the cylinder head.
Next thing I know, my knuckle is hanging from my left index finger...and then the blood (geez!)
Broke out a piece of paper towel, and flipped my knuckle back on.
Banded up with electrical tape.
Finished up the job, as I really had no other choice.
Fun times.
 
Also, since I had the infamous crack at the edge of the passenger airbag and the whole dashboard was always kinda shaking and not very sturdy I took the part with the vent opening and also the center speaker out to "investigate".
No wonder it cracked in that area - along the airbag it is solid under the dashboard plastic, whereas from the airbag on across the dash there is very little support for the plastic dash.
Below the dash is the plastic ductwork for the front and windshield vents, pretty solid plastic. So I used some foam pipe insulation, cut sections of it off and kinda filled the gap between the plastic ductwork and the dashboard until it felt sturdier from the top.
Reassembled everything again and it feels and behaves much better now, no more shaking and rattling while driving. When you press on it now, it is almost as solid as around the airbag. And the crack is as good as level now and closer together.
Here is hoping that a sturdier dashboard might prevent more cracks down the road (pun intended)...

Fritz
 

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Well, bad news. After driving it around the block for the first time I noticed it kept dying. When I tried to start it some white smoke came from the exhaust. Shut it down immediately and towed it home to prevent damage if anything was wrong.

I get home, check the oil, and it's foamy and white. Wonderful.

The build is brand new and I was meticulous about doing everything to spec, so I know I didn't do anything to cause it, so I was thinking "misfit head gasket?"

Pull the heads off, and the gaskets look fine. Then I looked at the heads I got from TSP. Sure enough, the #3 cylinder was absolutely clean like it had never had spark. Checking closer, I noticed a Crack next to the intake valve. Looks like a manufacturer defect.

But because of this project getting put on the back burner for so long due to undorseen circumstances, I'm sure it's been probably over a year since I bought them. Even though they ran for a total of less than 5 minutes.

Fortunately the engine looks good. No cylinder wear, and all the pistons measure out at TDC.

But sadly, because of how long it took to finish this build, I might not be able to have TSP warranty it out.

Looks like I'll have to drop an extra $1,200 on a new head.

I emailed them, to see what they can do. I've heard they can be pretty good about standing behind their products, so we'll see.

Bellow are the images of the head, showing the crack, the clean combustion chamber on the #3 cylinder, and the perfectly clean exhaust port showing that this thing never made spark in that cylinder.View attachment 234217View attachment 234218View attachment 234219
Good News! Even 2 years after the purchase, TSP not only waranteed it no problem, but they sent me a label to cover shipping!

According to their warranty only manufacturer defects are covered, only for a year after purchase, and the buyer pays for shipping.

It was a manufacturer defect, but it's been well over a year, they gave me no hassle at all, were very courtious, and swift with their response, and they didn't make me pay to ship it back.

Solid dudes. I can't recommend them highly enough.
 
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When we bought the 2013 BDLTZ a few weeks ago it had the DEEZEE tailgate assist installed already, and I found it really helpful and working good in not letting the gate slam down.
Today I put in an Go Gear EASYLIFT Tailgate Easylift (around $23 on amazon) - we had a similar one on our 2003 and it made closing the tailgate soooo much easier.
I did not follow the instruction that came with it, but rather followed the description of measurements and drilling points BLUE_03 put in a thread way back in 2007.
It was pretty easy to get the torsion bar inside the hole I drilled on the left side of the tailgate and also then into the hole on the bottom of the tailgate - I did not have/need a second person for help.
I was standing inside the bed, lifted the tailgate up and just had it slide down onto the torsion bar. After that I just put the tailgate on the left hinge, then on the right one.
I took some weight of the tailgate by removing the black cover on the inside of it, just a few screw to take out.
It works great closing the gate and also opens a little slower/softer now - very satisfied with it.

Fritz
 
After 4 months of ownership, I finally put the front end on jack stands, removed the front tires and took a look at what's REALLY going on under it.
I knew I had an oil leak on the left side of the block. Small oval blocking plate near the oil filter. Not sure what it's for, but the truck came with a new seal for it. 2 Screws, easy fix. Leak gone. Well....THAT leak is gone. After 2 cans of brake cleaner to remove old, built up oil and sludge, I found another on the right side. Back of the engine where it mounts to the transmission. That one is gonna have to be done at a shop. Also, the truck came with a brand new set of driving fog lights that get installed in the lower plastic bumper. I found the wiring connections for the right side, but the left side have been stripped out, just a couple of bare wires, way short, and no connections. Another project for another time.
 
That blocking plate is for the optional engine oil cooling lines that go from that point up to the ports in the left radiator coolant tank.

My EXT has this, my Avalanche does not.

I imagine most do not.

There are two gaskets for this port.

The gasket with the single oval opening is for the blocking adapter.

The gasket with the two round holes is for the oil cooler line adapter.

Always be mindful that the two mounting bolts at this location have a very low torque spec.

If you try to smash them down to get a better seal, the holes tapped into the oil pan will strip out easily.

I have a new oil pan after techs over the years tried to smash out an oil leak instead of fixing it correctly.

That rear main seal oil leak is also common as these engine age.

If you are suffering from those two oil leaks, you probably should also consider replacing the old valve cover gaskets with a new Fel-Pro gasket set.

There are other common spots for oil leaks, but the three mentioned already are the most common.
 
Th
That blocking plate is for the optional engine oil cooling lines that go from that point up to the ports in the left radiator coolant tank.

My EXT has this, my Avalanche does not.

I imagine most do not.

There are two gaskets for this port.

The gasket with the single oval opening is for the blocking adapter.

The gasket with the two round holes is for the oil cooler line adapter.

Always be mindful that the two mounting bolts at this location have a very low torque spec.

If you try to smash them down to get a better seal, the holes tapped into the oil pan will strip out easily.

I have a new oil pan after techs over the years tried to smash out an oil leak instead of fixing it correctly.

That rear main seal oil leak is also common as these engine age.

If you are suffering from those two oil leaks, you probably should also consider replacing the old valve cover gaskets with a new Fel-Pro gasket set.

There are other common spots for oil leaks, but the three mentioned already are the most common.
Thanks! I have the correct seal. Large oval. I never "smoke" down any hardware unless there's an actual torque required. Aviation maintenance background. So far, no leak. Valve covers look good. Bone dry!.
 
Performed the 265K oil change on the 2003 Avalanche Z-66.

Should be good for another 6 months or so.

:) (y)
 
Yesterday, one of the locking handles on the bed panel came off. It had been difficult to move. I found a lot of corrosion on both locking handles. And, in fact, both were glued on, as they had previously come off before. The screws that hold them on had rusted off. After digging out the old glue (epoxy) I noted the two potting receptacles on one side had water in them. They also had the remaining screw studs in them which I could not remove. I drilled drain holes on the short end of the panel and stood it up on its side. After 2 hours it looks as if all the water is gone. The receptacles no longer have water in them. I mixed up a batch of JB weld, and "glued" the handles back on. This morning, I'll fill the new drain holes with an appropriate filler and reinstall the panel. I'll also check the other panels for the same.
 
More like what did I finally complete today! Installed some Amp Research Power Steps. Wanted a different look than the factory running boards. Since there aren't a lot of choices for tube/nerf steps for these trucks and none I really liked, I went with these. They tuck up retracted so nice under the rockers it gives the truck the appearance of a little body lift seeing more air under the doors, which is what I also was hoping for. They extend out and sit lower than the stock running boards, so now I don't have to grab the steering wheel and pull myself in. The mechanical part was super easy, that beautiful wiring harness was the time consuming part. From under the hood, down behind the wheel wells, along the frame, into the front doors for one connection and searching in the factory wire harness in the rocker panels for the "trigger" wire for each door. Since these steps can be problematic, I wanted the wiring to be secure, protected and not get snagged on something in or outside the truck and end up with a hard to troubleshoot ground some day. I'm pretty fussy about the details (understatement). I think it almost looks like it would if these had come from the factory installed. After four partial days on this I was relieved when I put the fuse in and each door deployed the steps with LED lights below each door! Very happy with the results.
After a day or two to rest I'll get to the rear shocks that came the other day!
 
More like what did I finally complete today! Installed some Amp Research Power Steps. Wanted a different look than the factory running boards. Since there aren't a lot of choices for tube/nerf steps for these trucks and none I really liked, I went with these. They tuck up retracted so nice under the rockers it gives the truck the appearance of a little body lift seeing more air under the doors, which is what I also was hoping for. They extend out and sit lower than the stock running boards, so now I don't have to grab the steering wheel and pull myself in. The mechanical part was super easy, that beautiful wiring harness was the time consuming part. From under the hood, down behind the wheel wells, along the frame, into the front doors for one connection and searching in the factory wire harness in the rocker panels for the "trigger" wire for each door. Since these steps can be problematic, I wanted the wiring to be secure, protected and not get snagged on something in or outside the truck and end up with a hard to troubleshoot ground some day. I'm pretty fussy about the details (understatement). I think it almost looks like it would if these had come from the factory installed. After four partial days on this I was relieved when I put the fuse in and each door deployed the steps with LED lights below each door! Very happy with the results.
After a day or two to rest I'll get to the rear shocks that came the other day!
:nopics:
 
Ha Ha old skool! Didn't think I could yet but you made me notice I am now a Full Member! I agree, I'll work on that for sure and future posts!!

Look on the tool bar for the "Insert Image" button.

:) (y)
 
More like what did I finally complete today! Installed some Amp Research Power Steps. Wanted a different look than the factory running boards. Since there aren't a lot of choices for tube/nerf steps for these trucks and none I really liked, I went with these. They tuck up retracted so nice under the rockers it gives the truck the appearance of a little body lift seeing more air under the doors, which is what I also was hoping for. They extend out and sit lower than the stock running boards, so now I don't have to grab the steering wheel and pull myself in. The mechanical part was super easy, that beautiful wiring harness was the time consuming part. From under the hood, down behind the wheel wells, along the frame, into the front doors for one connection and searching in the factory wire harness in the rocker panels for the "trigger" wire for each door. Since these steps can be problematic, I wanted the wiring to be secure, protected and not get snagged on something in or outside the truck and end up with a hard to troubleshoot ground some day. I'm pretty fussy about the details (understatement). I think it almost looks like it would if these had come from the factory installed. After four partial days on this I was relieved when I put the fuse in and each door deployed the steps with LED lights below each door! Very happy with the results.
After a day or two to rest I'll get to the rear shocks that came the other day!
Hey, I did it!
I have a 10 second video of them operating but I can't get it short enough for it to take it.
Shocks are next.
 

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Finally did the Cerakote treatment to the faded trim. Took two boxes, man there's a lot of plastics on these fully cladded beasts. The hard box covers were really bad, think they could use another coat, but I'm fresh out of wipes and am done for the day.
 
More like what did I finally complete today! Installed some Amp Research Power Steps. Wanted a different look than the factory running boards. Since there aren't a lot of choices for tube/nerf steps for these trucks and none I really liked, I went with these. They tuck up retracted so nice under the rockers it gives the truck the appearance of a little body lift seeing more air under the doors, which is what I also was hoping for. They extend out and sit lower than the stock running boards, so now I don't have to grab the steering wheel and pull myself in. The mechanical part was super easy, that beautiful wiring harness was the time consuming part. From under the hood, down behind the wheel wells, along the frame, into the front doors for one connection and searching in the factory wire harness in the rocker panels for the "trigger" wire for each door. Since these steps can be problematic, I wanted the wiring to be secure, protected and not get snagged on something in or outside the truck and end up with a hard to troubleshoot ground some day. I'm pretty fussy about the details (understatement). I think it almost looks like it would if these had come from the factory installed. After four partial days on this I was relieved when I put the fuse in and each door deployed the steps with LED lights below each door! Very happy with the results.
After a day or two to rest I'll get to the rear shocks that came the other day!
Glad you like the boards and had a good install. FYI several years of the second gen LTZ AV had the option of retractable boards and they were made by AMP research......
 
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