Growing up doesn't have to suck

[89Suburban]

Cancelled a date yesterday to play with my Hoe.

I've been apprehensive to install the filter retrofit because (1) It's a difficult location to work in and (2) I was afraid of what I might find and the subsequent snowball. Well, "it ain't gonna install itself" so I decided to just get it over with.


The target:

View attachment 410242


I used my EDC utility knife with a fresh blade to score the four straight parts until I could press the blade through and drag it to cut straight lines. Then, pushed up on the center a few times until the rectangle piece cracked loose on one end. I worked it up and down until the other end cracked loose then let it fall out:

View attachment 410243


Seeing the flakes of dirt fall out confirmed my suspicions of what I was getting in to. Flipping the removed piece over, the dried "mud" indicated that someone had used an evaporator coil cleaner at one time, which is what that port with the valve stem cap just above the screw boss is for:

View attachment 410244


Either the cleaner didn't really work or it was done long ago. I was worried that adding the filter would reduce the air flow. After seeing this, I doubt the filter would reduce the flow any more than what this build-up is doing. It was late so I stopped at this point to formulate a plan to clean it out without pushing anything deeper into the fins. I'm thinking a strong initial vacuuming followed by a gentle brushing with vacuum, then spray cleaner, more vacuuming, etc. would be best. If I knew how thick the coil was and what was on the other side, I wouldn't be above cutting an access slot on the other side to back-blow it with compressed air:

View attachment 410245



Until then, I'm just gonna install the lid from the filter retrofit kit so it's operable. I'll leave the HVAC cover in the second row floorboard as a nagging reminder to finish this project.

Don't be afraid to carve into the turkey. fkit. Good job brother.

 

[iamdub]

Don't be afraid to carve into the turkey. fkit. Good job brother.

Thank you.
No risk, no reward, eh? You already know I ain't afraid to carve into this heap.

 

[89Suburban]

Thank you.
No risk, no reward, eh? You already know I ain't afraid to carve into this heap. View attachment 410291

It's good to see you back at it. Always appreciate the education you expel in your tinkering.

 

[iamdub]

It's good to see you back at it. Always appreciate the education you expel in your tinkering.

Work has owned me the past few weeks. I had plans for other small tasks but shit always pops up.

 

[89Suburban]

Work has owned me the past few weeks. I had plans for other small tasks but shit always pops up.

I feel you for sure.

 

[pwtr02ss]

Cancelled a date yesterday to play with my Hoe.

I've been apprehensive to install the filter retrofit because (1) It's a difficult location to work in and (2) I was afraid of what I might find and the subsequent snowball. Well, "it ain't gonna install itself" so I decided to just get it over with.


The target:

View attachment 410242


I used my EDC utility knife with a fresh blade to score the four straight parts until I could press the blade through and drag it to cut straight lines. Then, pushed up on the center a few times until the rectangle piece cracked loose on one end. I worked it up and down until the other end cracked loose then let it fall out:

View attachment 410243


Seeing the flakes of dirt fall out confirmed my suspicions of what I was getting in to. Flipping the removed piece over, the dried "mud" indicated that someone had used an evaporator coil cleaner at one time, which is what that port with the valve stem cap just above the screw boss is for:

View attachment 410244


Either the cleaner didn't really work or it was done long ago. I was worried that adding the filter would reduce the air flow. After seeing this, I doubt the filter would reduce the flow any more than what this build-up is doing. It was late so I stopped at this point to formulate a plan to clean it out without pushing anything deeper into the fins. I'm thinking a strong initial vacuuming followed by a gentle brushing with vacuum, then spray cleaner, more vacuuming, etc. would be best. If I knew how thick the coil was and what was on the other side, I wouldn't be above cutting an access slot on the other side to back-blow it with compressed air:

View attachment 410245



Until then, I'm just gonna install the lid from the filter retrofit kit so it's operable. I'll leave the HVAC cover in the second row floorboard as a nagging reminder to finish this project.

I did this years ago. After seeing the crud that the filter catches, it's worth it.

 

[KidWgn]

Cancelled a date yesterday to play with my Hoe.

I've been apprehensive to install the filter retrofit because (1) It's a difficult location to work in and (2) I was afraid of what I might find and the subsequent snowball. Well, "it ain't gonna install itself" so I decided to just get it over with.


The target:

View attachment 410242


I used my EDC utility knife with a fresh blade to score the four straight parts until I could press the blade through and drag it to cut straight lines. Then, pushed up on the center a few times until the rectangle piece cracked loose on one end. I worked it up and down until the other end cracked loose then let it fall out:

View attachment 410243


Seeing the flakes of dirt fall out confirmed my suspicions of what I was getting in to. Flipping the removed piece over, the dried "mud" indicated that someone had used an evaporator coil cleaner at one time, which is what that port with the valve stem cap just above the screw boss is for:

View attachment 410244


Either the cleaner didn't really work or it was done long ago. I was worried that adding the filter would reduce the air flow. After seeing this, I doubt the filter would reduce the flow any more than what this build-up is doing. It was late so I stopped at this point to formulate a plan to clean it out without pushing anything deeper into the fins. I'm thinking a strong initial vacuuming followed by a gentle brushing with vacuum, then spray cleaner, more vacuuming, etc. would be best. If I knew how thick the coil was and what was on the other side, I wouldn't be above cutting an access slot on the other side to back-blow it with compressed air:

View attachment 410245



Until then, I'm just gonna install the lid from the filter retrofit kit so it's operable. I'll leave the HVAC cover in the second row floorboard as a nagging reminder to finish this project.

Just had to go back to make sure I didn't miss a page. I'm HVAC dumb, so forgive me...what the hell are we looking at here?

You said evaporator coil, so that makes me think AC system?

 

[iamdub]

Just had to go back to make sure I didn't miss a page. I'm HVAC dumb, so forgive me...what the hell are we looking at here?

You said evaporator coil, so that makes me think AC system?

Hi, you must be new here!


So, GM deleted the cabin air filter for the GMT900. It might have been optional in the GMT800. Anyway, the slot for the filter is still there and, instead of an access door, the slot is just sealed off. You can cut out the rectangular portion sealing it off and install the filter. A retrofit kit will have a closure piece (the "access door") that is essentially identical to the factory piece. The boss for the screw to secure the closure is even still there in the HVAC housing.

Take a couple Advils and/or Ativans and slide up under the passenger floorboard. The HVAC cover is secured by three screws (7mm, IIRC). The rightmost and center are easy to remove. There's a third tucked up under the dash, in front of the center console- "good luck", you'll figure it out. Remove that cover and you'll see everything I pictured. I bought the cheapest filter retrofit kit Amazon had. No complaints at all with what I received. I don't see any functional difference in this $13 kit versus the $40 Dorman kit. Cutting out the door is a hassle. But the real chore is cleaning the crud out of the fins of the evaporator without shoving it deeper into the fins. You can only access on side of it and you're working through a ~1" x 8" slot, in the footwell up near the firewall. Ideally, you can find something the same height as the floorboard (bucket, ice chest, etc.) to place next to the door sill, sit on it and lean backwards into the floorboard to work. I've been tempted to remove the passenger seat. But I gotta suffer the hard way first.

 

[iamdub]

Was a year ago as of last night:











Fixed and improved 13 days later. Then, just hours after that...

 

[randeez]

Was a year ago as of last night:

View attachment 411140


View attachment 411141

View attachment 411139

View attachment 411142


Fixed and improved 13 days later. Then, just hours after that...

atleast it had all that carbon to protect the piston