Help me prepare for my motor swap.

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tRidiot

tRidiot

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The fluid was low on the power steering - I think he drained it, then refilled it, but it sucked it all down into the system when he was driving it back to me. Probably with the Hydroboost he didn't realize it would take that much fluid? He said he filled it to full, but that was before driving it, it started the noise and problems while driving. The big problem is just that my triple alternators block the power steering pump.

About the CEL, I don't know, I haven't scanned it yet. I have an OBD scanner around here somewhere that I have never used... lol.
 

mattt

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Inquiring minds want to know.....what is the purpose of the triple alternators?
 
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tRidiot

tRidiot

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Aaaaannnnd more trouble with the triple alts. Spun a pulley off the bearing on the bracket last night - so now it's parked at a friend's house until I can figure out how to get that replaced. After messing with it in the dark for an hour last night I finally realized what had happened. I couldn't figure out why I threw the belt and why when I put it back on it wasn't tight...

20210523_224225-X2.jpg



<sigh> It's always somethin'.

That's a new bearing - we replaced the bearings on both of those pulleys. The top one was just squeaking a little and felt a little grinding, so I thought I'd replace the lower one prophylactically at the same time. Looks like I shoulda just left that alone. :(
 
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tRidiot

tRidiot

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So last night I pulled that bearing - had to do some additional stuff to shift the #2 alt out of the way, but really wasn't too hard. Remove one bolt, loosen another, tilt the alt and then pull the bolt holding that bearing.

Interestingly, I found my other pulley in the grass about 10 feet from my truck. So apparently the pulley came off the bearing when I pulled into the driveway, which explains why I didn't get any failure lights from throwing the belt prior to that. I don't know what would have caused it to come off the bearing right there.

But anyways, since it had failed once, instead of pressing the bearing back into the pulley, I went to O'Reilly's and just bought another complete pulley assembly. Another $68, but what's that when you're already this far into things, eh???

So I got back, put it all back together and it fired right up, belt is tight, alternator(s) charging, no squeaking or squealing, everything is good. For now (crossing my fingers!). My friend is driving it to his job today, since this was all done in his driveway and I had 2 vehicles there. It was a bit late and I didn't want to drive home and then have my wife drive me back across town to pick it up, I was exhausted after a long day in the office, then physical therapy at lunch, then more office, then climbing in and out of the engine bay - a couple of Maker's Mark probably helped relax me to the point I wanted to do nothing but crash, also.

If everything continues to hold together well, the plan is to replace both passenger window regulators and motors this week, get a good detail job done if I can find someone to do it, and change out the 'break in' oil maybe Friday and leave for San Antonio to my grandmother's 95th birthday party. Wow. An 1100 mile break-in trip. I'm glad I threw the pulley at my friend's house 4 miles from home rather than in Dallas or somewhere along the way. Ugh, that woulda been baaaaaad.

We'll see how she does.
 
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tRidiot

tRidiot

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Ahhh sadly, the trip didn't. Cooling fans quit literally ON THE WAY OUT OF TOWN for our NM trip. Messed with fuses and such for a while, after 2 hours gave up and ended up renting a 2021 Tahoe for the trip.

Another $1800 down the drain.

Since, I've fixed my cooling fans - it was 2 out of 3 relays went out (one had probably been out before but went unnoticed).

So... now it is all running and doing ok. I wish I knew how to disable the stupid traction control though. My button doesn't work, and if I lose traction on some loose road debris going around a corner, or get on the gas and break traction, or even hit a curb making a right turn, I lose all power for 3-4 seconds before it picks back up. That's annoying.
 

S33k3r

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I wish I knew how to disable the stupid traction control though. My button doesn't work, and if I lose traction on some loose road debris going around a corner, or get on the gas and break traction, or even hit a curb making a right turn, I lose all power for 3-4 seconds before it picks back up. That's annoying.
You need to find out how that button works. If it is constantly on once pushed, then, theoretically, you could just short the wires going to it. But I'd ask people who know and look at the manuals before trying anything.
 

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