Vapor Canister Vent Solenoid: 2003 Sierra 4.8L SCSB Bed Tilt?

[7milesout]

I would have searched this, but I'm on my smartphone and my phone is not working right.  On my SCSB, the solenoid is on top of the tank at almost perfectly between the bed and cab.

 

I've seen some videos of guys with a solenoid in the same place tilting their beds up and accessing.

 

Has anyone done this, or seen this done, without tilting the bed?  I can release the wire harness, and can access the bracket fastener to pull the whole thing off.  2 problems, I don't know if I can release that hose (it does have the plastic fitting) and sure don't know if I can get the wire harness back on 1-handed.

 

Or if not, how can I jack up this bed?  I don't have or have access to a cherry picker to lift it up from inside the bed.

[richard wysong]

the beds not that heavy. 1 person can lift the side and have a helper stick a block on top of the frame

[7milesout]

Awesome.  Thanks!

[7milesout]

I wanted to go ahead and follow up here.  Lifting the bed was easy.  It took me no effort at all.  I let 2 of my sons do it!

 

Then I placed the jack stands under there.  Had to lift it way up because the bottom edge of the bed was cutting me in the back.  In the end, it got lifted higher than the picture below.  And the blankets I placed as shown stopped any scratching of one part to any other.

 

The stink of this whole effort was that, I think the connector wires had just broke off.  I don't think the solenoid failed.  But since I already bought a new solenoid, I replaced it.  Spliced in some new wiring, and put it back together.  

 

After I cranked it up, I got a bit miffed that it didn't immediately turn off the CEL.  I left it idling and went in got cleaned up and put on some non car work clothes.  When I came back I looked in the cab at the CEL before I opened the door.  Just as I was looking at it, the light went off and I swear I bleeve I heard a tiny solenoid sound right at the spot I just put the new solenoid in.

 

So all is well now.  I got happier when the light went off.

 

P.S. - I don't care that y'all can see my license plate, everybody on the road can too ... no big deal.

 

Edited June 22, 2022 by 7milesout

[7milesout]

Following up.  The truck bed is back up on TILT.  The check engine light is back on.  The code this time is an evap emission large leak.  I know it is the hose ... I broke the fitting when taking it off.  

 

And when putting it on, it had no slack and was tight to put on, so I likely didn't push it on far enough.  But, this time, I'm not taking any chances.  I want to put some permatex on the nipple and push on the hose.

 

QUESTION:  What type of permatex would work best in this case.  I want it to seal, but I'd like to be able to pull that hose off in the future if need be.  So, maybe some soft seal permatex?

[newdude]

I'd have a shop that has a plastic fuel line kit repair the hose or at least put a new fitting on.  Permatex won't hold compared to a proper fix.  

 

 

[7milesout]

Well ... this joint is not a high pressure joint.  I don't understand the GM numb-nuts who would use some weird-ass fitting that takes some weird-ass method to remove it.  A friggin hose clamp would have been a thousand times better.  I generally will do every single repair I can do without taking my vehicles to a mechanic.  And never take them back to the stealer once warranty is gone.

 

I figure that a) this fitting holds itself in place already, and does not / will not just come off.  And b) there's not much pressure in this joint.  I guess intake vacuum is all the "pressure" it would see.  Adding Permatex should complete the seal.  I even thought about using coca-cola.  Get the nipple wet with coke and shove the hose on.  That stickiness of the dried up coke / sugar would actually create enough seal (I think).  And later it should be easy enough to break that joint loose if necessary.  

 

This weird-ass fitting didn't seem to create pressure to form a seal, it just held the hose in place on the nipple (the best I can tell).  I should also mention that I think part of the sealing problem was that I didn't realize it, but I let the hose slide away from the solenoid and then had to pull it real hard to put it back in place.  My thinking at that time is that's the way it was.  However, before tilting the bed again, I could shine a light between the bed and cab and see the hose, and I noticed, there were marks offset of some hose holders.  Meaning, I had let the hose slide through those holders about 2 inches the wrong way and didn't know it, when I changed the solenoid.  So, that lack of slack created a torque at that nipple, and it looked like I didn't push it all the way back on.  That's the source of the "leak."

 

So, the combo of fixing the hose slack to get a tensionless hose attachment, and some Permatex #3 should do the trick.

[It's Tim]

1 hour ago, 7milesout said:

 The code this time is an evap emission large leak. 

Damaged the fuel filler hose when lifting the bed?

[7milesout]

When we went to lift the bed, I had forgot to remove the attachment of the fuel filler neck.  The ground strap got pulled apart, but the neck was OK, as we set it back down momentarily, I detached the neck and we lifted it again.

 

Yesterday I soldered the ground strap back together and the put Permatex #3, Aviation on the nipple and slid the hose fitting back on the solenoid nipple.  And called it a night as it was threatening to rain (never did).  Giving that Permatex 24 hours to cure.  If this works, I'm going to start slathering that Permatex on everything.

 

I'll set the bed back down tonight, then drive the truck tomorrow and over this weekend.  I've got a BT OBD-II reader so I'll be able to know quickly if that Permatex did the trick.

 

It's just a shame to have to deal with such issues.  The truck rides like a tank, it must be the Z85 (High Payload Firm Ride), but other than the tank ride, the truck is really nice.  The 4.8L is a better than decent engine, smooth, good low rpm performance.  And the truck is a completely clean cream puff, zero rust, drives straight, no vibration.  Once I get this straight, wow, what a nice truck.

[7milesout]

A follow up to this thread, for future use.  Maybe this will help others.

 

Even after all the above, I was still getting "Evap Large Leak."  Whatever that code is, I think it is posted previously.  Anywho, the code would come and go and it did pass the emissions check in October 2022.  I don't know how.

 

In any event, I knew I was going to have to tear into it and find the leak.  Fast forward to this Sunday 4/16.  I had worked my arse off pressure washing Saturday and Sunday, then I had to go to a friend's house.  I decided to drive the Sierra because my legs were aching and I didn't want to have to push a clutch.

 

During the drive there I noticed a bit of a film on the rear window.  While I had the pressure washer out on the driveway, I pressure washed the bed of this truck and my Ram's.  So I knew the rear window should be clean.  Upon cranking to come home, I got out and looked under the truck and it was spewing like a geyser and making a huge puddle on my friend's driveway.  I jumped back in to move it off his driveway and decided to head home.  It was spewing so much it was atomizing and blowing vertically up between the bed and cab.  That's when I knew what was on the rear window.  Gas.  At first it looked like smoke coming up between the cab and bed, but then I realized it's just gas vaporizing and airflow is blowing it up.  I just got it home as safely as I could and it's been parked.

 

Tuesday night I tilted the bed for the 3rd time.  Turned it to ON and it blew like a geyser.  It's the fuel feed line.  Last night I was looking it all over again, not knowing a lot about what I'm looking at.  It turns out I believe a huge section of the 3-way emissions line (the rear most over the tank) is just plain missing.  That accounts for the "Evap Large Leak."  

 

Tonight I got a couple buddies coming over and between those 2 guys and my son, we're going to set the bed off.  It's just too hard to get in there to the hoses to pull them off, and route new ones with the bed in place.  I'm just going to go ahead and replace all 3 lines.  Feed line (busted), emissions line (busted), and the return line.  The return line is OK.  But sure as the world, it will crack and bust a month after putting the bed back on.  That line is only ~$47, so while I have the bed off, I'm going to replace it as well.  I'll get some pictures, and try to remember to come back in here and post the results.

 

Is there anything else I should do while the bed is off?

 

 

7milesout

[7milesout]

I pulled the bed off.

[7milesout]

This is the source of the geyser.  The fuel feed line.

[7milesout]

This is the source of the Evap Large Leak.  A whole section of this 3-way line is missing.  I'm going to replace all the 3 lines, the bottom-out bumpers, and going to put 2 inch drop shackles on it while it's so easy to get to.

 

This picture is oversize.  I'll compress it later and add it in.

 

Edited April 24, 2023 by 7milesout

[7milesout]

How do I remove this?  This is the emissions nipple.  Meaning this is the nipple on the rear part of the tank from where the tank fumes are vacuumed.

[richard wysong]

Looks like rodent damage