by "VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated." (vonbootwilly)
Published 08/19/2017 at 17:57
by "VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated." (vonbootwilly)
Published 08/19/2017 at 17:57
No Tags
STARS: 0
Almost completely forgot the joy of picking parts. Today I picked up an Uplander master cylinder, an interior trim piece for it, and grabbed two IS300 front ABS sensors for a grand total of $51. Much happiness. Thought I would have to drop $450 on Amazon for this stuff before coming to the conclusion that a trip to a yard would take care of it all.
"RacinBob" (racinbob)
08/19/2017 at 18:09, STARS: 0
Did s0meone say say Uplander?
"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
08/19/2017 at 18:33, STARS: 0
I really wish there was a pick and pull near me...the closest one is an hour and a half away :(
"VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated." (vonbootwilly)
08/19/2017 at 19:51, STARS: 0
Haha yeah, the great self destructing U-body. Mine crapped it’s front master cylinder seal AND the heater core at the same time last week. Drove home on just rear brakes and clamped the heater core hoses. It attacks like Kato.
"VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated." (vonbootwilly)
08/19/2017 at 19:53, STARS: 1
The one I checked out today was about a 40 min. drive, but I’ll be going back often if I keep this Uplander. They had about 16 of them.
"RacinBob" (racinbob)
08/20/2017 at 12:56, STARS: 0
Mine is a ‘07 with 90,000 miles. Other than a tranmission pressure regulator, and an antifreeze intake leak cured by stopleak, mine has been pretty good.
What year and miles is your? Towing about 600 miles in a couple of weeks. I will put a couple of vice grips in the tool bag for the heater core. What was the mode of failure for the master cyl? Hopefully not sudden loss of braking.....
"VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated." (vonbootwilly)
08/20/2017 at 20:41, STARS: 0
Just total loss of front brakes. Had rear brakes at the bottom of travel and no leak, so I continued driving back home carefully.
I bought an 09 longbody LS from a Canadian gov’t surplus with basically 45,000 miles and no hitch, but it’s a Mexican production virtual flex fuel 3.9. Blew water pump right away, a front wheel bearing, a few belt idlers, AC pressure sensor. Then an injector started leaking which created a high ethanol determination by the virtual flex fuel. Basically didn’t know that so changed plugs, wires, o2, maf, map, and a set of injectors before learning it needed a dealer Tech2 fuel reset.
It drives fine and I like tooling around in it, tows utility trailer just fine for me, but most junk fits inside that 4x8 footprint. Just most of the time the engine light has been on which is a pain when you need to have it tested.
"RacinBob" (racinbob)
08/22/2017 at 16:43, STARS: 0
Ugh, don’t like the idea of losing front brakes with a 4000 pound trailer on back..... Any indication before the brakes went?
"VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated." (vonbootwilly)
08/22/2017 at 18:52, STARS: 0
None actually. Blew my mind. I have had masters fail before, but never on a vehicle 9 years old and 60,000miles. Abs, trac, and “low brake fluid” lit up the info panel.
"RacinBob" (racinbob)
08/23/2017 at 08:09, STARS: 0
Ugh Ugh Hopefully it was a fluke as the consequences would be nasty. Makes me rethink my whole braking strategy...
The good thing is that I searched “Chevy Master Cylinder Failure” and got nothing which is a good sign. Compare that to “Chrysler transmission failure”
"VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated." (vonbootwilly)
08/24/2017 at 04:40, STARS: 0
Yeah, I had just been braking on some pretty serious hills with my family in the van just weeks before. It just pays to take it easy and not rely on brakes for last minute braking like so many do.
I only tow a fully loaded 10 foot utility trailer full of yard waste or reno scrap, but I’m not a fan of stressing this van too much.
Unfortunately the trans in these vans does rarely suffer from the 2nd gear band snapping, but it should not seize the trans. Mine, and another person I know also have the slip engagement occasionally at stop light where it jolts forward, theirs did it from new, dealer told them it was “normal with all these vans” lol typical dealer brush off.
"RacinBob" (racinbob)
08/25/2017 at 08:09, STARS: 0
The 3.9 motor is known to have intake manifold leak issues. Keep an eye on the coolant tank, if you note it nearly empty, you probably have one.
Back about 4 years ago I noted it was down, and in the winter, I would smell glycol on the exhaust. I used a good quality stop leak and it went away. I have heard the GM stopleak is good. I believe I used Bars leak and it hasn’t consumed antifreeze since.
One other thing is those transmissions have a pressure regulating solenoid that commonly fails, its purpose it to hold up oil pressure to hold in the first gear band at idle. Without it, low oil pressure at idle will let the band disengage and when you step on the gas to go, it will slap the band in as pressure build. And/or slip.
If it just clunks, I would drive around it. If you notice it slipping/chattering when pulling away in 1st with load, you need to change it.
Here is an article, the guy makes it sound easy to change but he is wrong. To get to it you need to remove the passenger side axle, pull the subframe and drop the engine far enough to allow you to get the side cover off the tranmission, Once you have done that it is easy,,,,,,
http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chevrolet-uplander/TN3RTTO0GJVRIAEFO/p8
"VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated." (vonbootwilly)
08/25/2017 at 09:53, STARS: 0
So there is a coolant passage in the lower intake? I’ve had the upper off when changing injectors, no coolant passages there like the 3.4
Not surprised about that trans solenoid. Yay.
I managed to finally tow about 4000lbs of utility trail yesterday, van really didn’t feel like it was happy handling it haha. And the guys at the dump wouldn’t let me go in, too muddy. Makes me want to get an old 4x4 Toyota like a 4runner to replace this van, but I’ll probably just keep driving it.