New kid on the block with some ??'s

[Randal Whistler]

Greetings all. Please let me know if this should be somewhere else in the forum. Before I jump into this project, I thought I'd ask a few newbie questions before I shoot myself in the foot.

I'm looking at a '97 C2500 and there are some issues I wanted to look into. I should note that this is nowhere near my first project truck, nor first GM/Chevy either. I used to be MoPar/FoMoCO/VW but recently have acquired a 2000 Tahoe, so my GM knowledge has improved greatly! Here's the bucket list questions I've got:

Transmission is slipping - I believe IIRC this has the 4L60, but do not know for sure if it's the "e" or not. From what I've read, and what the seller has said, it sounds to me that it has a solenoid/valve issue. As I remember, he said it sometimes "slipped" or "shifted hard." I assume worst case is rebuild, but how lucky would I have to be for it to just be the valve body fix I've read about?

heater fan motor - it's a GM truck - of course there is a problem with the blower motor! Not an issue, already fixed the one in the Tahoe, this is simple and just listed for sport.

short on driver door window - switch, wiring or motor. Another non-issue, could fix that asleep.

driver door outer handle - same as the two above - get new handle, remove/replace. Sleeping again

power steering lines need o-rings - he says the PS leaks at the hose fittings. New hoses seem like the fix, so not a big deal again, but is this a common issue that might be an indicator of other things to consider, i.e. a bad PS pump, etc?

Overall, for this old a truck, I'm not scared just yet. The motor was supposedly replaced some miles back, but will have to see. The interior is in great shape, and the only rust is at the rear driver cab corner, so bodywise, pretty solid. He's also supposed to throw in the transmission that came out of it before the one that's in now, so a replacement/rebuild would be a fairly simple process.

So the big question is: are there any other "gotcha's" on this style/model of truck that I need to be aware of? Anything that, in your experiences, would say "run away screaming"? I know there will be issues along the way, there has to be with this old a truck, and I expect to find other problems if I do pick it up. However, the price is almost too good to pass up, I need a 3/4t truck to pull a trailer, and most everything seems like it's not overall a bad thing.

Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. FWIW, the Tahoe forum I'm on recommended the GMT400 group.

TIA

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[PlayingWithTBI]

Welcome! There's a lot of guys here that can help. FWIU - you have a 4L60E trans, if you do, you probably should upgrade to a 4L80E especially if you're gonna tow a trailer. With 6 lug wheels, I'm guessing it's a 2500 light duty but, as I said there's a lot of more knowledgeable folks here.

 

[Randal Whistler]

With 6 lug wheels, I'm guessing it's a 2500 light duty but, as I said there's a lot of more knowledgeable folks here.

Good to know, didn't know there was a light duty 3/4 ton truck. Thanks, I appreciate the info!

 

[skylark]

Welcome! We won't hold it against you that you have a MoPar/FoMoCO/VW background but we may give you crap about it. That truck appears to be a light duty 2500 or simply a 1500. The advantages over the 1500 are slightly heavier spring rates, 14 bolt semi float rear end with a 9.5" ring gear and slightly larger rear brakes.
The tranny would be an "E" for electronic shift. As you mentioned the door handle, blower motor issues and window issues (check out the wiring between the door and the cab) are easy. The power steering is nothing to worry about either.
Common issues are the weak tranny, leaking intake gaskets (ALWAYS use felpro MS98000T), poppet injectors (factory mpfi upgrade available) and vortec distributor caps.
It isn't a bad looking old truck. Either way, it beats the shame of Mopar ownership unless the Mopar is a Cummins donor vehicle...

 

[CarolinaContingency]

You pretty much hit the nail on the head. The power steering, heating issue, etc aren’t that bad to fix. Skylark got it right on the common issues. Especially those intake manifolds. The only other thing I’ve found to be common, but commonly misdiagnosed is the ignition wiring harnesses. I’ve repaired my own, and helped a couple others diagnose theirs. When they start to go it will definitely act up as a transmission issue and you’ll get codes for 1,2, and 3 solenoids as well as codes for the transfer case. The job takes a couple hours, but in the end your trans is back to performing normally and you’ve not replaced a whole freaking trans.

All in all they are excellent trucks, and the work load is relatively easy. And hell, if you have a question this forum seems to be a great resource and there’s always YT videos.

 

[Randal Whistler]

Thanks, guys, this has been extremely helpful!! I had been considering grabbing this truck and had wondered if it would be a good deal or not. I'm not afraid to tackle any of the issues, but the issue with the light/heavy duty thing may be a deal breaker. The trailer I wanted to pull with this truck is about 10,900, and I'm beginning to think maybe I should keep looking a little bit. It's not like I'd be using it as a commercial hauler or the like, but it's certainly something I need to consider before leaping.

And you're right, CC - so far, this forum has been a huge help with this. No one knows everything(though many think they do!), and I greatly appreciate everyone's input. Thanks!!

 

[sewlow]

Power steering leak could be the POS EVO system. Typical. Easy to eliminate via GM's 'fix-it-kit' (cheap) or wrecker parts. (really cheap!)

 

[v6cheyenne98]

That is a nice looking truck.
I don't believe that you said what engine it has.

Welcome to the forum, lots of great info here.
Don't let the anti ford dodge people get to you, there are some friendly people here.

 

[Eveready]

His own conscience will punish him enough for having owned a Ford. We don't have to give him any crap at all .The sleepless nights that come with Ford ownership are enough, not to mention the loss of respect in his neighborhood, women not noticing him etc etc.

If the price is really right and you won't be towing full time I would not write this jewel off too early. Besides you could easily fix the minor issues and flip it to a good home and maybe prevent some lost soul from buying a Ford. That is a public service.

 

[east302]

The trailer I wanted to pull with this truck is about 10,900, and I'm beginning to think maybe I should keep looking a little bit. It's not like I'd be using it as a commercial hauler or the like, but it's certainly something I need to consider before leaping.

Here is the towing info from a 97 owner manual...

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Even if it had the big block, it looks like you’d be at the top end of its rated capability.