Grumpy Bears 2015 Silverado 2WD

Grumpy Bear · January 22, 2020

Kyra

The shop enforcer

Grumpy Bear · January 24, 2020

Transmission Fluid Temperature Study Update

1/24/2020

This study has no finite life. Early on the best speed for lowest ATF temperature was pinpointed. This is the combination of load and road air speed through the coolers. Studies have show for decades 25 meters per second (55.9 mph) to be optimal for fin fan exchangers. This curve will hold true at any air temperature. Just happened to be 30 F the few days over which the data was collected. This study was done two direction to negate prevailing wind direction and speeds influence and the average of both runs plotted. Worth mention is that, in example, a five mph head wind has the same effect as a five mph change in speed within reasonable statistical variation. This is reasonable as the added load of increased speed or a head wind of equal value presents about the same increase in 'road load'.

The chart below is now complete. There are several players that have an influence over the result. Speed, (load) which was held constant for all data points. Water temperature. Two were explored. Coolant composition. Two were explored. Air temperature which was the major lever being explored. Also learned was that without a thermostat the lowest air temperature that provides at least 104 F fluid temperature after 30 minutes was near 0 F. Note of worth is the convergence of fluid temperatures below mid 50's F temperatures.

Lastly a look at the effectiveness of the system by comparing the air temperature to the ATF temperature spread or Delta T.

Interesting that the spread is greater the lower the air temperature. Close to 100 F at 15 F. Closing to just over 60 F by 95 F air temperatures. A smaller delta difference was observed when water temperature was the lever pulled. Just as interesting is the result that below 50 F than water temperature has nearly no effect on the systems cooling ability (within the glycol concentration levels that were explored)

Absolutely none of this study entertained the loads of towing or hauling and was entirely open road conditions.

Two other items during this study worth mention.

1.) The gradual change over from the factory Group III fill to a better than 90% exchange to a Group IV/V fluid.

2.) A two quart increase in pan volume and change of materials from steel to alloy.

I offer these observations on these two. During the motor oil study it was observed that PAO/POE runs cooler than Mineral oils no matter how highly refined those mineral oils are. The impact however is less in the transmission as the heats generated are frictional. Larger system volume has no effect on the terminal temperatures observed. However the increased volume did slow the rate of heat build up and increased the rate of heat recovery by a measurable degree.

No work has been done with fan set points and as such in stop and go the thermostat delete is less effective if the stop part is prolonged. Trans temperatures will become a concern in an idling truck at in about 1 hours time. Rush hour grid lock is not our friend.

All earlier materials (charts) on this topic have been pulled.

Well this was fun!

Grumpy Bear · February 1, 2020

Through January 2020 Fuel Economy

Record shows two tanks although the majority of the miles on the first was during December year last. It's been an unusually warm period but wet. Speed is up now driving 60/62 mph as per plan on the Interstate. Temperatures about 20 to 35 F. So far this year the running average is....26.82 mpg at a cost of 12 cents a mile. Running 91 octane zero alcohol fuel. Low octane E-0 is a hard find in my area. To be clear, I don't do this for the octane. I don't want to use alcohol in a motor that gets used this little during the cold months. Just me being me.

Odd note. The Phillips 66 station I buy at has 91 E-0 and 93 E-10 at the same price this week. $3 a gallon. The Shell and BP right next door have 93 E-10 30 cents a gallon higher. In fact I can buy the 91 E-0 for a few cents less than these two stations 89 E-10. There's a head scratcher.

Part of the speed increase is to keep the oil in the 190/195 F range and the thermostat throttling. 55 mph is just too slow the keep it warm. Silly thing acts just like my Honda this time of year. Small motor huge radiator and I haven't covered the grill this year as in the past. I really need to get a FIA winter grill cover. This issue isn't going away. And people complain about active grill shutters.

Grumpy Bear · February 8, 2020

2/7/2020 General notes:

Last few days the truck has picked up a rhythmic 'clatter' first start up from dead cold that last five or six minutes. Put a stethoscope to it and can not find where it's coming from. Jason's going to stop by in A.M. for a listen. It's done this before after sitting for weeks or on really cold mornings but it isn't that cold and I've been driving her daily. Once warmed up the only sound you hear is the sewing machine sound of the high-pressure pump. Once up to heat for the day, it never makes the sound again until it sits 12 hours or more over night. Just weird. Stethoscope did find a bit of a bearing growl in the alternator. Something to look forward to.

Zeroed out the Scan Gauge fuel and mileage offsets. Starting over as I found a different way to calibrate it. The speedometer/odometer 1.5% off. I only have full mph adjustment with this tool so I chose to make the adjustment metric which is finer. Adding 1 KPH. It' is under recording. Within a tenth now over 200 miles.

The fuel meter is about 6.8 % off averaged over the last three fills. Also under recording. NONE of this has anything to do with the mpg results of record which were all hand calculated. This is just for my convenience. This fully accounts for the 8.3% error between the trucks DIC and the hand calculated numbers. Once I have this sorted the only error will be the delivery difference in pumps which I will then be able to ignore.

Grumpy Bear · February 17, 2020

2/15/2020 General Notes:

Plastic inspection cover for the bell housing was warped and contacting the flex plate. That was the metallic ticking noise.

Maybe a few days before I get her back. Parts counter was closed when the situation was diagnosed Saturday afternoon so I have no idea on the delivery of a replacement parts time frame as it can't be ordered until Monday. Whew! Sure sounded valve train related.

Grumpy Bear · February 20, 2020

2/20/2020

Back on the Road

This little piece was $10 and cost a $120 to install. Starter has to come out. It's suppose to be flat. That hole is about the size of a pop can. Noisy little critter when running against the flex plate. Tiny little starters.

CadillacLuke24 · February 24, 2020

It's nice when it's small fixes, not so much when the labor is stupid expensive.

Kinda like a internal speed sensor on a 96 Cadillac's transmission.

KARNUT · February 24, 2020

I can relate. My 92 Chevy has a whipple S/C. The throttle body is on the back over the distributor. You can’t get the cap off without out pulling the throttle body. After 7 years of worrying I finally took it to my down the road neighbor who as a hobby works on cars. I belly flopped over the engine to do it myself. Once there I realize I couldn’t see well enough to do the job, couldn’t breath either. Too fat. The rotor was almost worn through as I expected. So a simple rotor change cost me 1300$. I had him change the whole distributor, coil, plugs and wires.

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Grumpy Bear · February 25, 2020

Filtration and Degradation

2/25/2020

These are oil samples pulled and deposited on white paper towels.

Photographed under 5,000K daylight lighting, so true color.

3K miles. 4K miles.

Not very scientific but interesting anyway.

What it isn't is anything close to black.

Comments?

CadillacLuke24 · March 1, 2020

Looking good!

Grumpy Bear · March 1, 2020

February 2020:

...ends with an annual running average of 24.9 mpg down from 25.7 last month. I also put more miles on her this February than the last four February's combine pressed into daily service as the wife takes my Honda while her Terrain is in the shop. Pepper got her first salting of her life this month. :mad:

A normally cold windy month in Northern Illinois combine with allot of short hop and city driving killed the month. Well, and idling for 1.3 hours in the shop consuming .85 gallons of fuel sitting still. Still in the worst of it I can't drive it down under 20 mpg. How does an national average of 17 mpg exist for this combination?

KARNUT · March 1, 2020

February 2020:

...ends with an annual running average of 24.9 mpg down from 25.7 last month. I also put more miles on her this February than the last four February's combine pressed into daily service as the wife takes my Honda while her Terrain is in the shop. Pepper got her first salting of her life this month.

A normally cold windy month in Northern Illinois combine with allot of short hop and city driving killed the month. Well, and idling for 1.3 hours in the shop consuming .85 gallons of fuel sitting still. [emoji4] Still in the worst of it I can't drive it down under 20 mpg. How does an national average of 17 mpg exist for this combination? [emoji848]

I can picture the dilemma. Drive the Buick or Pepper? Now we know the real favorite.

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Grumpy Bear · March 1, 2020

1 minute ago, KARNUT said:

I can picture the dilemma. Drive the Buick or Pepper? Now we know the real favorite.

Caught me cold Stan. As much as I love this truck there will NEVER been another motor to come out of Detroit like the 3800 Series III. And in my estimation the last REAL Buick Lacrosse made. Okay, Buick period. Leather not pleather and so on.

BTB her name is Daisy.

Yes, as in driving Miss Daisy

Good catch!

:cheers:

Grumpy Bear · March 2, 2020

4,500 miles!

Pulled the stick and laid in on the trunk of the Honda on the same paper towels I've been using as a reference in the mid afternoon sun which was behind me (shadow). Shot detail: ISO 25. 1/2500 second. F/2.2. 4.15 mm Apple I5.

Red Line HP is a PAO/POE blend and as such the lowest oxidizing component is the PAO at 200 F.

This batch of 0W20 never exceeded 197 F peak in the pan with an observed average somewhere between 190 and 194 F. I am loving my thermostat choices.

That does not mean it isn't dirty. It can have an unhealthy particle distribution and not be dark. I am done with this batch and will be changing it on Wednesday. AMSOIL next up. Also a PAO/Ester blend. I can not confirm if the Ester is a Di-Ester or a Polyol Ester.