CadillacLuke24

The inner wheel well gaps were collecting rocks so I followed the TSB and BURIED both cavities with frame wax. No wheel well rust through and no more rocks. Box is doing well and Line-X liner is holding up well. Color match is wearing well. I finally installed my tonneau cover at 304k and should have put it on in 17 when I got it. So nice to have the bed contents out of the weather, not as involved with removing it as I had thought, and I got a nice fuel economy bump from it. Interior is mostly stock, RF door panel (crack), RR door panel (scratches), RR and LR C pillar trim (gouges) have been replaced following body shop trips but otherwise no issues. Driver seat foam was replaced at 215K. Infotainment, interior lighting, and dash lights all function as designed. No issues with the cooling system, radiator was replaced at 252K with the engine and cooler lines for concerns of metal in the oil. Alternator and belt drive were replaced at 256k for noise concerns but otherwise make it about 90k. Brakes were last touched at 150k. No issues whatsoever. Fluid flushes continue at 45k intervals. Waxing the wheels after stripwashing, claybar treating them, and polishing works very well. Now on Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 tires. They are amazing and work very well. Battery was replaced with the engine as I discharged it limping to the dealer. Replaced for free under warranty. U joints were serviced on the main driveshaft when I did the pinion seal. Front shaft looked, felt, and operates fine so I have new parts but continue to monitor. Excellent all around vehicle. Great on long drives, great for bombing around town, great for work (usually save that for the work car), and great for hauling. 15/10, would buy again.

The catalytic converter started failing at about 290k, with a P0420 code recurring. Cataclean did nothing so I opted for a new assembly to maintain full functionality. Problem solved and fuel economy slightly improved. Transmission is behaving well. No concerns at fluid changes and the trans cooler line (factory part) was replaced at 293 due to a persistent weep at the rubber/metal junction in front of the right frame rail. Following my thermostat delete I opted to take the guts from a revised 6 speed tstat (opens fully at 158) and install them into a body for the 8 speed at 221k. Following that mod I have consistent temps from about 140-158, and temps have gotten only as high as 185 with spirited mountain driving. Four Wheel Drive is operating flawlessly. Front hubs were replaced at 242 for suspected sound, though there were no other wear indicators. I suspect I was being far too cautious. Struts and shocks in the rear were serviced at 306k. The Pinion seal for the rear differential was serviced at 312k and I did it right because no more leaks and no new vibrations or sounds. Followed the shop manual for the most part. Frame is good. Surface rust that responds well to frame wax sprays and/or Amsoil MP HD. Right Rocker was replaced due to incompetent prior shop, as well as the RF fender. No more Prazma work present anymore. Some rust on the LR wheel well outer surface above the tire and the right inner rocker was removed and the area repainted. No issues since. Both inner rockers were bombarded with cavity wax.

Jun 13th, 2024 brought 300k miles. Clyde is still trucking, though there have been some developments. Currently north of 326,000. Drivetrain: at 252,064 miles in August of 22 I developed a substantial misfire that significantly affected drivability. Made it home and attempted to diagnose the issue. New plugs and wires didn't solve the issue, and a new MAP sensor (was throwing a MAP sensor code and Cylinder 2 misfire). Injectors did not solve the issue either. Compression testing on Cylinder 2 suggested a massive issue as there was none, so I limped to the dealer. A teardown found likely the intake valve failed and eventually took the exhaust valve with it. The cylinder head took a beating, as the valve seats were damaged severely in a couple spots, and the piston was cracked all the way through. Due to costs related at the least to a removal and replacement, I decided on an engine replacement. I found a brand new engine out of Michigan Motorz for truck applications at $8,000, and the dealer installed it for another $6,000. I had initially suspected the original engine was toast, but I didn't have to turn it in for a core so I stuck it in storage. After a brief inspection the cylinder 2 wall appears to have survived. Unscathed. Further inspection is naturally merited, but I believe I have a rebuildable block on my hands. The new engine runs like a top, burns no oil, runs at temp, and gets slightly better fuel economy. Break in was textbook as I followed a 55mph speed limit with a rev limit of 3,000, no racing starts, no lugging, and generally gentle driving for the first 500 miles. Oil analysis shows the engine wearing in well. Interestingly the oil analysis showed no signs of failure prior to the valve drop. A couple hours prior to the valve drop I completely drained the tank and coasted to a stop at a pull off on the side of the interstate. I did 2 cranks at 10 second intervals, so that may have have something to do with it. I've been much more vigilant about gambling with fuel economy, and ran out once since then with immediate shutdown and no restarts. I leave myself a buffer of about 10 miles to empty before I stop to refuel.

I pulled and scrapped the vacuum pump cause they revised the design. The oil in the vacuum pump was clean. No sign of metal whatsoever. You can see in previous pictures the head and piston carnage. Those are toast. I will have to get some pictures but the Cylinder 2 wall is smooth to touch, no gouges, and showing factory crosshatch. I cannot believe it. Block and everything else will be inspected but I anticipate a rebuild. I appreciate the dealer's abundance of caution, but everything is looking quite promising. When the new engine was installed the radiator and the oil cooler lines were replaced, so the abundance of caution was continued. Will proceed with caution but I am over the moon. My factory engine will ride again!

New engine has 16k miles and is doing well. Recent fuel economy is right around 20 a tank. Quite pleased. I was able to do a much more proper break, with a 55 mph speed limit and 3000 rpm redline, as well as an oil change immediately following completion. That is the one bright spot, I have been able to get a much more detailed break in completed. That's good question Karnut, I did not see this coming, though now that it has happened, and I may have a spare, I may make a spare. Rest of the truck is in exceptional condition for the age, and resale is not a concern. If this happens again, I may wash, rinse, and repeat. Sure, things wear out, but with proper care I can slow the aging to a crawl.

Definitely going to do a full teardown and inspection, that's half the fun. Yeah I'm not optimistic about cylinder 2...this may be a spare parts source more than anything. Engine first developed symptoms at 252,030 miles (persistent misfire, related code, MAP sensor code, and inability to run relatively smoothly at idle). Engine gave up the ghost at 252,062 miles (stalled and would not refire) and was removed at 252,064 miles (got tugged to the dealer).

2015 Silverado LTZ Z71 6.2L L86 V8. Last fall my cylinder 2 valves decided they have enough and did a little tap dance on the top of the piston. The most cost effective option was replace the engine. GM did not have a reman unit available, so I found a new GM engine at Michigan Motorz, a marine engine shop in some state that starts with an M. Seeing as there was no core charge for my new engine, my old one is under wraps in my storage unit. Seeing as spring is finally here, the weather is suitable for long periods of activity in an unlit storage unit with no power. At the best I have a rebuild project, at the worst (and most likely) I have a new coffee table base. The Cylinder 2 piston is cracked, the valves are clearly shot (not that they would be reused in a rebuild), and there's obviously concern for metal in the oil. In the spirit of not ruining a rebuild, what should I toss? I've heard the intake is contaminated, and others have suggested the cylinder 2 injector is a no go. I'm thinking the VLOM is toast, likely the even bank cylinder head, and the vacuum pump (though that's the old design and would get scrapped anyway). Suggestions? Thank you for your time.

I do have an update It was not the plugs. Nor the ignition wires. Nor the Ignition coils. Nor the injectors. After the Injectors didn't cure the issue I used my boroscope to inspect all 8 cylinders. Likely an omen, cylinder 2 showed an orange liquid in droplet form on the top of the cylinder wall. Rotating the engine didn't show any apparent damage to the piston, but the cylinder did not hold compression upon further testing. After limping to the dealership further inspection revealed the valves let go in cylinder 2. I would venture a guess that the intake valve went first. Will provide pictures. Beat the heck out of the piston, cracking it, carved up the head something fierce, and scored the cylinder wall. GM listed a remanufactured engine as the option but they were on an indefinitely unavailable timetable. By the grace of God I found a marine engine shop in Michigan with, of all things, a brand new 0 miles crate GM L86 6.2L V8. Got that shipped to me, the dealer installed it, and all was well. 16,000 miles later Clyde is still going strong. They did a great job on the install. They recently swapped my wheels and did an amazing job. The guy who works on my Silverado there is the Corvette dude so it seems my reputation preceded me hahaha. Out of morbid curiosity I asked if they thought repair was a viable option ( I already knew I was going to say yes) and they also said, based on the condition of the entire truck, definitely.

I haven't found bushings myself. My 15 has forged steel LCAs, and at 200K I replaced the entire assemblies as a precaution for the ball joints, though now it seems unnecessary. I still have the originals and was going to service the ball joints and maybe powdercoat them. Now maybe just swap in new ball joints and go from there.

For what it's worth, the GM Helm Factory Service Manual recommends whenever injectors are removed they should be rebuilt. Glad I'm going the route I did. Managed to source both intermediate pipes despite catastrophic supply. Gaskets are here and ready to go, and once I pull the fuel rails injectors will be sourced. SO glad I kept my brother's 97 Camaro. Just a V6, but it has T Tops, leather, and the alloys that were stock back then. Just over 101k, but it runs like a top and it's in great shape. It's my work car, but he's earned his keep this month.

Plan is all 8 injectors, intermediate pipe #1 and 2, and manifold and TB gaskets. Got crows foot wrenches, torque wrenches, and flare nut wrenches for days! Hopefully I can find intermediate pipe #1 soon....everywhere shows discontinued.

See watching the first bit you tagged is exactly what Clyde is showing. Hard starts, seems like he's flooded out, last night there was a nice fog coming from the exhaust when he first fired off, and the garage had a distinct odor of unburned fuel. I think Cylinder 2 injector is stuck open. Changed the oil once already during this, should do that again once I replace the injectors. Got tools to remove the fuel rails coming, will get the intake off and see if I can read part numbers on injectors. Can they rebuild injectors cost effectively? If so it would be worthwhile to rebuild the set and keep them for spares.

2015 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Z71 L86 6.2L V8. 252,062 miles. Coming home last week the SES light tripped, and it was flashing. Engine was running rough. Pull over, I happened to have a code reader on hand. P0106 (MAP sensor) and P0302 (Cylinder 2 misfire). I was able to limp home. Ran rough between 1000 and 2000, clear 2000 and it would smooth out considerably. Stopping was a questionable decision as there was a high chance of stalling. Stopping, shutting off the truck, and attempting to restart would result in a hard or no start condition. Once home I pulled a P0106, P0302, and P015C (Bank 2 Rich to Lean - O2 Sensor delayed response). Hard starts that get increasingly difficult the longer the truck is running. I changed the MAP sensor with marginal improvement in performance. I suspected spark may be an issue, so I pulled the plugs. They were carbon coated, though throttle body cleaner and a wire brush made it disappear. I changed the plugs and wires. That helped more but did not resolve the underlying issue. Hoping the issue was still relatively simple, I replaced the Ignition Coils. That helped substantially more, to where I think the truck could be drivable, though there still is an issue present. The first time I restarted after coil replacement, idle was rough and I got the same trio of codes that I did before replacing parts. I cleared them, let the truck sit for a second, and then started again. Starting was somewhat easier (though still had to turn over for about 10 seconds before it caught) and idle was somewhat smoother though still uneven. This time I got a P0300 (random multiple misfire) as opposed to Cylinder 2. The P0106 and P015C persisted. I know I'm kinda breaking the first rule of diagnostics by throwing parts at it, but at a quarter million miles it can't hurt. Though I'm not particularly excited about this prospect, I think the fuel injectors are suspect. I am aware of others' issues with injectors and have seen threads on this forum and videos chronicling the replacement of said injectors. Should I replace my injectors? Thank you for your time.

With the Northstar V8 (yes I know the can of worms we could open with this. I love the Northstar but am well aware of its flaws), it was known to consume oil and or stick the rings from plodding around town One recommended 'cleaning' procedure for the engine was the WOT procedure. Ideally, with a 4spd trans, stick it in second, spool it up to damn near redline, and coast down from there. The concept is the engine braking was creating a vacuum, and that would forcibly remove carbon from the combustion chambers and the cylinder rings, properly seating the rings and allowing them to function as intended. Several members on the Cadillac forums noted it helped oil consumption, I noticed my DeVille runs better after, it works well with the Camaro, and it works well with the Silverado. Of note, engine braking down Casper mountain for several minutes at a time at a sustained 4000 RPM also does the trick. May not be your cup of tea, but a possible remedy to your current malady.

The original 192 Trans thermostat on my 8L90E did no favors to the internal electronics, so I did the pill flip. It worked very well, in colder temps (less than 30F) the trans wouldn't get past 120. Maybe a slight fuel economy drop, but nothing major if longevity was the payoff. When I saw the 6L90E thermostat I figured it was time for experimentation. The guts for the 6L90E and the 8L90E are the same size, so I just swapped internals across. Very happy with the results, trans warms up to 145 and tends to hang there unless I'm in town, at that point the warmest I've seen is 163. The nice thing is the cooler is 'stepped', so that when you reach the mid 140s it opens a little bit, and it will open a little bit more as it warms, until it hits 158 where it's full open. At least it seems like that, cause the temp increase noticeably slows when it reaches the 140s. Possibly a slight fuel economy increase, if the weather cooperates I could tell better. Shifting is more responsive for sure (think quicker, not harsher) and as a result more fun to drive. I think GM should promote this on the 8L90E too.

Cassette Tapes What do suicide bombers and real estate agents share an interest in? Location location location

Where does the harness for the tailgate lock plug into?

Drove to the gas station and back yesterday. End of the month...cheap gas galore.

Funny you mention that, that is exactly what I did. Trans temp is consistently 130s-150s now. All the time.

Not to be a kiss butt sap, but Thank you guys so very much. This forum is a goldmine of information. From Transmission thermostat deletes to suspension overhaul to what kind of differential oil and many other topics, I can count on GM-Trucks.com and you fine folks to have 14 different ways to do things and valid and helpful thoughts on topics as well. I like to think I'm a decent DIY guy but I could not do it without you guys. Any given day I can log on and I learn new stuff, like the upgraded trans thermostat, or new TSBs for fluid specifications, or tips and tricks to make life just a little easier. It's great to know such a great resource is just a click away, and it's because of the cool dudes (and some dudettes) that frequent this site. New project coming up? Check GM-Trucks. What's the scoop on a common K2 problem? GM-Trucks. What's the best way to tackle a tricky part replacement? GM-Trucks. After the good experience I have had with my Cadillac forums, I started looking for one when I first got Clyde. I'm so glad I found this site. Thank you guys.

Food for thought Some members have observed that the pill flip may lead to unusually cool temperatures for us folk in the butt numbing belt of the country I'm out of Casper, WY. Last week on my way to Cheyenne (YAY Lowe's and Craftsman), the outside temp was 17 degrees Fahrenheit. Posted transmission fluid temperature as I barreled down I-25 at 80? 90 degrees The pill flip works! And HOW hahahaha I like Grumpy's train of thought. I think I will get a new 6spd thermostat and swap the guts with my factory trans thermostat I have as a spare. When I did the pill flip I got a new thermostat. I'm not sure why. I could do a little thermodynamic research and see if they changed the 8spd thermostat too. There's a new part number, though it's close to the old 6spd thermostat, so I doubt it.

I know this is late to the game, but I'm happy to provide some confirmation bias for you After my 275 55R20 Goodyear SRAs became drag slicks at 35k I put Michelin Defender LTXs on in the same size. Great tire, great traction, great treadwear, no noise, they handle hooligan driving well (think leadfoot launches and taking corners a little hot hahaha). I believe all Defenders are rated to 70k, I got 81k out of my first set with religious rotation and relatively close tire monitoring. I had a bad habit of running the pressures a tad high so the centers were at 1 or 2/32nds when I replaced them. My second set I got 67k out of them. Again, had a bad habit of running the pressures a tick high so the centers were wearing faster. The second set I replaced a bit earlier, i think at about 3/32nds just cause I had the tires on hand and I had a fairly long trip coming up (went from Casper WY to Las Vegas 7/4 to 7/9/21). Third set I'm rotating every 5k miles like I always do and am monitoring tire pressures much closer. Happy to report after 15k miles they are down to 11/32nds (from 12 new) and are even across the board. Michelin makes the best tires money can buy. Dad has run them on his Suburban, Escalade ESV, DeVille, first DTS, and his current DTS. They ride great, handle great, are quiet, and do great in inclement weather. I've run them on my DeVille and my Silverado and have equally high praise. Tried Goodyears once on my DeVille and they just are not as good of a tire. Same experience with my Silverado. The stock SRA Wranglers were ok but performance plummeted after 35k. Dad had Goodyears as OEM tires on his Escalade and had a tread separation at about 50K. Yours may be different cause of the different size but I think you will be very happy. Excellent choice!

I don't think so. You could take a 10 mm wrench and release the tension at the cable equalizer, about halfway down the cab.