Project "Vanity Yukon" my first vortec 350

[Tinkerinmatt]

I went down to Virginia beach this weekend to help my grandparents move into their new house in my escape with my wife, daughter and dog and my little escape was stuffed with baby stuff. We got there and my grandparents had this beautiful marble double sink vanity (hence the build name) that they removed and were going to throw away since they had a wheelchair accessible sink put in. We had been shopping for vanitys like this and needed this exact one, but it wouldn't fit in the escape with all of our stuff, and they needed it gone now since they needed to put their van in the garage.

So I pull up Craigslist, find a 97 Yukon 4 door with 168k that says "needs fuel injector" for a good price. I grab my cousin and go see it. The guy shows me that if you put the key in and immediately start it without dilly dallying and don't let the fuel pump prime, it starts right away. Take it for a ride and it shifts fine through all gears but won't go into overdrive, and I knew from past research this was the 1-2 shift solenoid. We haggle a price and $1100 takes it home. I stopped at advance auto and grabbed a 1-2 shift solenoid, tranny fluid and filter and gasket, 2 bottles of the lethal fuel injector cleaner I used on the last truck, and a bottle of some other stuff they had on sale. I get back, change the 1-2 solenoid, and it still wouldn't go into 4th. I put both bottles of the lethal stuff in the tank at 1/2 full, so 4x more concentrated than recommended. We fit the vanity in and I put the front plate of my escape on it, put it on my insurance, and headed home Sunday. We stopped after 100 miles of 2800rpm 3rd gear cruising to eat and it was a pain to start, had to put be at WOT then it would fire. Left it running while I filled it with 93 and added the last bottle of injector cleaner. As I left the gas station and hit 40mph it hesitated really bad, threw an SES light, then finally went into 4th gear. From there on out it ran on OD fine and shifted through all gears but the SES light was on. I stopped a few times on the way on the side of the highway and did WOT runs to 75 to shift hard through all gears and run it hard and it didnt miss a beat.

It has GT4 3.73 gears, G80 locker which I tested and it works, and a tan leather torn driver seat with heaters and grey leather mint seats everywhere else.

For some reason the pictures loaded in the opposite order I wanted, the picture of my cousin taking off the plate is at the trailer park I got it from. The guy who I bought it from has some messed up priorities, he lives in a run down trailer with a wife and 2 kids yet when I got there was in the process of putting $1500 coil overs on his wife's TL and he said his new Tahoe was getting tvs put in te headrest. Notice the 2x4 holding up the AC unit.

 

[Tinkerinmatt]

So the truck has full leather interior but the driver seat is a tanish color and the rest is grey leather. The driver seat bottom is torn, and needs a new cover, but I want to get a grey seat to match. If I can't find one, ill just either get a $200 bottom cover from eBay or see if a local upholstery shop can do it.

The abs is over intrusive, so I need to pull and clean the wheel speed sensors. Anyone have experience with this issue? I read to only use GM approved cleaner, and you have to measure the distance and how flat the surface is.

The truck has an SES light now, so I need to get that read by auto zone, and continue battling the spider injection. I'm starting to think it could be a bad fuel pressure regulator, so I may replace that before doing an MPFI upgrade. I need to measure the fuel pressure and I may just clean the poppet valves instead of spending $338 on an MPFI kit..

The truck has a sunroof that I believe is aftermarket.

The driver seat has heated leather, was that factory? I don't think it works, so while the cover is off being replaced ill fix that.

I've test driven a few vortec 350 tahoes now, and the steering is so much lighter than the 95s I've driven, what changed? It also has a tighter turning radius than the 95 2 door I had.

The goal with this truck is to invest in only what it needs, and sell it for $3500-4000 to buy a 03-06 Tahoe before November 18th when we take our next big trip. My wife doesn't like the fold down tailgate as she can't reach groceries so I need a lift hatch so 00-06 is the way to go, but 00-02 leather is garbage. I really do like this truck, I may buy another later to keep. My wife was very pissed driving home because the baby cries whenever we hit traffic and she couldn't sit in the back to calm her, so she says she's done being involved in my Craigslist adventures, I need to buy a truck and a trailer to be able to do these myself from now on.

The story of the trailer is kinda funny. My grandparents had 2 4 wheelers that my grandmother used to drive down the mountain at their old house in winter to get medicine and supplies, at 85 years old, for my grandfather. The new house won't have that issue so I was getting one and my dad the other. We were supposed to meet there a month ago to get them so I didn't take my z71, instead took my wife's Tucson and my dad was supposed to come down in my brothers pickup with this trailer for me to tow 1 home with the Tucson and he take the other in the truck, but he bailed on me and I was in WV with no way to get the 4 wheeler home. I went on Craigslist and bought a 5x8 trailer in Kentucky for $460 and towed mine home, then sold the trailer for $550. My dad went this time to help them move in the Tahoe with this trailer, but the quad was too heavy for this trailer so he put the quad in my uncles trailer and my grandfathers bed on this trailer. While my brother was towing this trailer with the bed, a fender flew off on the highway. They left VA yesterday with the quad on my uncles trailer since he didnt trust his bouncing through NYC. I need a trailer to get my Camaro motor home November 18th, so I towed this one. Sure enough when I got 4th gear and was doing 75, the other fender broke off, went under the trailer tire, jumped the trailer up in the air, and I looked back to see the fender flying off through the air, luckily landing safely in the woods.

 

[Tinkerinmatt]

Now for the questions:

What years did GM put the heated leather seats in these trucks? Where is this supposed to be wired in? From the fact the sunroof wires had pins on the ends and jammed in fuses in the dash fuse box I am scared of how the heater is wired, but I want to keep that when I switch to a grey seat. I scored a dirty as hell grey leather seat from a pick n pull for $45, which leads to my next question.

How do you clean junkyard leather?

I ran the codes at autozone and got P0118 coolant temp sensor high voltage, and stupidly replaced the block sensor for the guage, but just bought the right one and will install that one by the t stat tonight. After I replaced the wrong sensor, I disconnected the battery for 15 minutes and the code was gone but came back on 5 seconds after it started, which is weird since it took so long to come up before. With the light on, it starts and runs fine, with it off, it hesitates off idle, and I can tell its rich from thinking its -40 degrees. When the P0118 light is on, does it not look at the sensor anymore? I got 3.5 MOhms instead of 3.5k ohms I should have, so it was definitely bad.

The steering on this vortec and others I test drove is SO MUCH DIFFERENT than the 4 other TBI trucks I've owned. What changed? It doesn't feel very assuring, yet there's no dead spot which is associated with the pitman and idlers being bad on a TBI. I'm thinking a tie rod but havnt had time to jack it up yet. Is there something more common on the vortec steering to wear or fail that is different than TBI?

When did GM go to a locker? My 95 2 door Tahoe had a posi, can't remember if it had g80 or not tho, my 95 light blue z71 had the f44 package with g80 with a 14 bolt and a locker, my 95 z71 silver and blue had a 10 bolt and g80 but I couldn't get it to lock or act as a posi, but I didn't really try, I know you need 100rpm more from 1 tire to the other to engage and I never tried it like I did with the yukon today. The yukon has a 10 bolt and g80.

The ABS was kicking in at very low speeds as braking so I pulled the fuse for the drive home. I know a wheel speed sensor is not reading right, is there a way to diagnose which one is bad, and a way to clean/repair it? Or just spend the $28 and replace it?

 

[Blue95]

Nice find!

You are on the right track, check fuel psi first should be 55-60 I think. replace fuel filter for sure.

if fuel pressure is low, do the FPR then go from there.

I think heated leather came in 96? not sure on those issues.

LExol makes good leather cleaner and conditioner.

Replace that CTS for sure, check the pigtail too for any issues, check all grounds as well.

96 was the first year of tge EVO setup on the steering box, that is the deadspot/numbness you feel, join the crowd of hate, search it on here

Grease the front end well

g80 has been an option since 87 as far as I know all the way up to current trucks, it is an Eaton unit. g80 is the same in current as it was in your '95, change that fluid too.

I would replace both of them, that is the safest and best bet.

Also a set of sparkplugs and wires and a full tune up is a good idea.

Good luck!

 

[someotherguy]

G80 is the RPO used for all kinds of traction-aid devices including posi, but in the fullsize trucks (at least in the entire GMT400 line-up) it has always referred to the Eaton Gov-Loc, never a posi unit.

EVO steering hit in '97, and yes, bad steering sensor is likely OP's issue.

Only top quality on the CTS and distributor cap please. Especially the cap - cheaper ones go bad internally quite frequently these days and will make you nuts. Be super careful installing the screws, in fact, best bet is to re-use the old cap's screws. Very easy to break the plastic distributor base where the screws go in, unlike the metal base on your old '95. Chances are the tabs are already cracked.

Richard

 

[Tinkerinmatt]

I replaced the CTS last night with a BWD one, it ohmed out at 3.5k ohms before I put it in, much better. I disconnected the battery before I started changing it and I guess I was too fast and too impatient because I didn't wait long enough to reconnect the battery to clear the code, because the light was still on when I fired it up, and it was too late to take a ride to see if it would clear itself. Hoping I can get time this weekend to button it up mechanically and focus on the cosmetics and get it up for sale next week. This is the first fall in the new house which has a TON of huge old oak trees, and my chainsaw is starting to look awfully friendly when looking at all the damn leaves on the ground.

When my dad bought the 95 2 door Tahoe in 95 he got every off road option he could, since Z71 wasn't a package yet. He needed a locker or posi for slippery boat ramps and the beaches of OBX, and he swears it had a posi, and not a locker, it had the NZZ skid plate package, GT4 gears, and a posi, but my brother blew up the 10 bolt before I got it and put in a 14 bolt that was also supposed to have a posi, but he said when he pulled a tree out only 1 rear tire was spinning. He may have not been spinning it fast enough for the locker to kick in if it had one, but are you sure there was no posi option?

 

[Tinkerinmatt]

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Here's a pic of that 95 Tahoe after my brother did the 3" lift and 14 bolt towing my dads Tournament 19 Grady white. I loved that truck, but years of OBX beaches and CT winters started taking its toll and its been sold. I love this picture tho.

 

[Blue95]

I replaced the CTS last night with a BWD one, it ohmed out at 3.5k ohms before I put it in, much better. I disconnected the battery before I started changing it and I guess I was too fast and too impatient because I didn't wait long enough to reconnect the battery to clear the code, because the light was still on when I fired it up, and it was too late to take a ride to see if it would clear itself. Hoping I can get time this weekend to button it up mechanically and focus on the cosmetics and get it up for sale next week. This is the first fall in the new house which has a TON of huge old oak trees, and my chainsaw is starting to look awfully friendly when looking at all the damn leaves on the ground.

When my dad bought the 95 2 door Tahoe in 95 he got every off road option he could, since Z71 wasn't a package yet. He needed a locker or posi for slippery boat ramps and the beaches of OBX, and he swears it had a posi, and not a locker, it had the NZZ skid plate package, GT4 gears, and a posi, but my brother blew up the 10 bolt before I got it and put in a 14 bolt that was also supposed to have a posi, but he said when he pulled a tree out only 1 rear tire was spinning. He may have not been spinning it fast enough for the locker to kick in if it had one, but are you sure there was no posi option?

G80 was the only option and it was not a locker or a posi, the Gov-Loc was its own wierd setup as they get older they have a tendancy to work correctly less and less, 14 bolt and 10 bolt had the same unit. Spinning it too fast would keep it from engaging too.

My '95 is a Z71, how would the Tahoe not have that option?

 

[Tinkerinmatt]

They didnt give the Tahoe the z71 option until they did the 99-00 leftovers including the limited.

 

[someotherguy]

This ^^^ and the easiest way to spot the Tahoe Z71 is the color-matched front bumper with the foglights (aka "diesel" bumper) and the 5 spoke Alcoa 16's

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Richard