damn truck... need to vent

[oilspot]

so about two weeks ago I finished replacing the clutch slave cylinder in my 97'. I'd like to thank GM for the internal design of the slave cylinder. Managed to make a quick,simple job just a little more involved.

Happily drove the truck for a week..... BAM. She needs head gaskets. (deep breaths, try not to light the truck on fire and watch it burn to the ground).

Heartbeat of America my ass. 99% of the hardware on this truck is metric. Except for no good reason, the valve cover bolts and one small bracket on the passenger side of the truck run SAE hardware.

What moron thought this was okay??? If you're gonna run metric then stick to that!!!!



Like the title says, I just needed to vent. Heads are at the machine shop getting a quick flycut. I'll bring em home, lap the valves, reassemble and call it good. Once I'm driving the truck again I'll fall back in love with her, but at the moment, she's on shakey ground!!!!

 

[Blanco_obs]

Lol we all have that moment.


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[TacosnBeer]

HA, know exactly how you are feeling right now! I often complained about the metric/SAE issue with GM trucks. It's lame. But, at least it's not a Ford or Dodge.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I'm fairly brand agnostic, but the mixing of standard and metric on our trucks is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen.

On the other side of it, what if you were buying parts and had to be on the lookout for a standard 350 vs a metric 350?

 

[1997]

the metric stuff in it, you can thank us CDN'rs. Sorry aout that.
Government converted us to metric then got voted out, then back in again.

I can relate to the match and lighter fix, my 97 had the dreaded p0300 code a few months back haha.

Did you use LUK clutch parts?

 

[Schurkey]

All new engineering is done in metric. All "heritage" engineering was done as SAE.

So if a part is substantially the same as one from 1970, it'll probably be SAE threaded. If a part was recently designed, it'll likely be metric.

As the old designs reach the end of their production, so does the use of SAE hardware.

Thousands of years ago, GM made a point of putting a powder-blue coating on Metric hardware. If the bolt had a blue head, you grabbed a metric wrench or socket to turn it. That probably cost an extra 25 cents per vehicle, so it didn't last long. And the captive imports--the LUV and some of the penalty-boxes didn't follow that system. I remember it from Downsized Impalas and Downsized Malibus, though.

 

[1997]

good to hear us CDNr's weren't the issue, haha.
thanks for the info.

speaking of GM cost savings, 2018+ trucks (probably other models too) lost the gas cap and glove box sticker with all the option codes.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

So that's why the rental Cruzes we had last summer just had a flapper in the fuel inlet pipe. It looked weird, and just "not right"

 

[CrustyJunker]

Maaan, after my '96 Tahoe was nothing but spoiled and taken care of...It was the most unreliable pile I've ever owned! Liked the Vortec power, even my 4L60E treated me unbelievably well. Occasional inferior replacement parts, their side effects, and poor engineering stranded me often.

However, still always had a GMT400 around. Thought I'd never go back to TBI either...Here I am soaking a bunch more than it's worth into one.

Anyway, this is the place to vent. Hopefully your repair goes smooth! I spent extra on Cometic MLS head gaskets last time around. Even reused them after a disassembly/reassembly troubleshooting adventure. Still good with zero issues. Definitely beats the composite paper-scraping mess around all of your precision moving parts.

 

[97K1500Silverado]

How many miles on your 97?

I hear ya on needing to vent. Seems like [emoji90] breaks at the worst times.

My 97 has been great truck!

210k only things replaced:
- 2 fuel pumps PITA 1st time drop tank, 2nd time pull bed bolts and lift bed up enough to swap pump.
- intake to heater hose coupler made out of pot metal major PITA as it breaks off when you try and remove it.
- vortec intake manifold gasket - took it to a shop
- radiator
- water pump
- belt tensioner
- 2 alternators (belt tensioner prob had something to do with it)
- idiler and pitman arm
- steering box
- oversized TCC lockup valve in 4l60e
- engine oil cooler lines
- oil filter adapter gasket
- driver side window regulator