Vagabond Warrior

Vagabond Warrior · February 15, 2018

Folks, I'm a Chevy man. Have been for many, many years, just like a lot of you. New to this thing though, message boards?

Never really owned many cars, or trucks in my life, mostly motorcycles. My very first had only two wheels.

Boughtmy first "truck" in 2002 for $1,500 a Black 1989 S10 Blazer 4.3 4X4 with 105k miles on it (blew it up on I-75 just three years and 65,000 miles later) Then this sweet, pristine '97 K1500 Blazer. Bought an '02 K2500HD 7.4 LT Ext Cab Long Bed beast, then a 1999 K1500 Suburban, loaded...

Butby far and away, my best baby, a 1987 V20 Suburban, 350TBI, 700-R4, NP205, Dana60 Font/14 Rear, immaculate, white, well-built, amazing... Just the way Chevy had conceived her I imagined, except for Rancho 6" lift, 32" BFG A/T's,

Stainless pipes, complete Accel Ignition system, the best KRACO Cassette player stereo and 6” speakers money could buy!

She took me everywhere our first two years together; work with me to every job site, every day, and to the beach on weekends. We drove downtown, and to nowhere late night cruises, and from Vegas to the Grand Canyon, Mexico, Death Valley, Sequoia, and King's Canyon for fun, Solvang for Split Pea Soup, and many other places just because...

We tore down through river bottoms and washes, up over sand dunes, rocky hills and scrub brush trails, flew over dirt roads, slid down two-lanes and burned up interstates, from the Bay to the Border, and back...

Stole her from a dude in Lake Havasu, Arizona in 2010 for $5,000 cash money. She was almost flawless. Only 83k on her clock, (CarFax) original miles. Never touched except by honest, respectful Goodwrench hands, and by (not quite as skilled or experienced, but very careful hands) yours truly.

Long story-short, took her for Smog Cert, "No-Touch" State Licensed strip mall joint, apparently operated by trained monkeys. Her Park idle speed was high, 800-850+/- which didn't worry me much, but I needed that Certificate to get her legal. Well, the Cro-Magnons were not able to get passed the idle speed issue, so just one tiny little "minor adjustment" and $49 later, we were down the road...

Just 6 weeks later broken, wore out, unbelievably frustrated, and absolutely desperate, I had to let her go..

A buddy of mine works at a movie studio, offered me $1500 for her (body) and I had to take it. She starred in a zombie feature film shortly thereafter, riding on a trailer.

Message boards probably could have helped me back then, because I knew nothing about EGR, TPS, ECT sensors, what a MAP sensor was, or how it worked, what a Smog Pump was, or a bad Oil Pressure Sensor will shut down a fuel pump, or that fuel line pressure from Sending Unit to Fuel Pressure Regulator must be 12psi at a flow rate of 29gph and 12v in order for the engine to run. Neither did several "auto repair" shops apparently.

They got me for a Fuel Pump, Sending Unit, and Filter, complete TBI Rebuild, a Valve Job, Intake System gasket kit replacement, new sensors, switches, modules, and relays totalling more than $1800 However, when pressed for an answer, not one "mechanic" (as with the parts desk kids at AutoZone, Discount, PepBoys, Advanced, and several other teenage parts stores) had ever even heard of a 1987 V20 Suburban, or that the Idle Speed Control adjustment screw is FACTORY SET, DO NOT ADJUST.

Turns out, initially, the IAC Valve was a bit carbon-fouled, all that was necessary was a $3 can of Carb/Choke Cleaner spray, and to re-set the pintle... That was it.

Smog Check refunded the $49.

Anyway, I'm sure there's lots more to know, and to learn, I registered mostly to resolve a few current issues affecting my 1999 Z71 right now, so I'm ready for some answers!

Thanks for reading, allowing me to vent. I can get long-winded, upset.