Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Nice Suburban and nice to see you sticking with the 6.2 so far. I have a couple of rigs equipped with the 6.2 and although I don't drive them often they make me smile when I do.
I have a few tilts to tighten also....

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Which one is it?

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I would keep the 6.2 forever if it lasts.

No sure if I will keep it when it goes for real.

Then again, I am too cheap to buy a 12v conversion.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Sorry, I thought I posted a pic. I am not sure if this helps.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

That is a crap shot. I will try again. I was literally watching paint dry a few moments ago.
I really don't hate doing balljoints. It just seems like every truck or front axle I have bought, has needed them replaced.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Great thread. Thanks for keeping it updated.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Here is a better pic.


Who can brake this list down for me?

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Thank you, much appreciated.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

So I work the counter at a small mom and pop auto parts store that has been around since the 60's that also has a in house machine shop. So it's nice to be able to press balljoints and turn rotors when I need them. We also have a hot tank, parts washer, and blast cabinet, hydro press, surfacer, head plainer, boring machince, small lathe,and we do in house battery cables, and offer steel, and aluminum welding. It sure simplifies my life sometimes.




I got a chance to reassemble the pass side. I will get to the other side tomorow.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

For some reason I have always felt as if my Burb had a mean rake to it since the 14bff swap, but this pic makes it look pretty level.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Good link to RPO Codes

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Sweet....


Just spent a hr going going back and forth looking them up. I think I'll make a list of them to keep handy.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Well the ball joints got done. I tossed some new pads in, greased everything up ,and reassembled. The following morning I headed out to grass valley Ca for a friend's wedding.
It was a long drive. A 4hr drive turned into almost 7. It was the Saturday before the eclipse, so everyone was heading north, or east to see past the overcast. The temps outside were in the 90s and got up to 102 at some point. My truck was running hot between the outside temps and all the hils. I have done all I can with the stock cooling system, the 6.2 struggles with the temps in these conditions. In the past 2 yrs, the complete system has been gone through. New water pump, fan clutch, oem t stat, New 4row brass rad, engine has been flushed, additional cooling vents are in the hood and I added a 16" electric fan behind the grill. I am not running anything special for coolant. Green stuff with the Wixcool and Redline Diesel Watter wetter. Even with this, I often run in the 205 to 235 water temps and 220-260 oil temps on hot days and pulling hills. I got a cooling fan to add for the external oil cooler I still need to mount up.

I often wonder if I have cracked heads but it runs well and doesn't consume or push coolant out the overflow. I add a cup or two, to keep It topped of once every 8-10 months. I just drive it carefully and monitor temps all the time. I added a radiator water temp right by the inlet from the motor. The highest temp I have seen there is 170(235 on the stock gauge).. The stock temp sensor is in the side of the head, near the exhaust port. I wonder if a higher flow serpentine belt setup could be beneficial. Maybe the stock gauge lies. New temp sensor is going in next week. I got to head to Mountain Home Id at the end of the month.




May I add that a good functioning air conditioning system is great. It is tough to keep these burbs cool inside with no shade and 100+ outside temps. I better get that original r12 system checked out too.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I got to the wedding and had to make sure I was in the right spot. Something didn't feel right.



Luckily, the sign only pertained to the parking lot.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I was surprised that I was the only square at the wedding. My bud that got hitched, is the founder of the Chevy Militia. There were plenty of Gm trucks sporting the CM stickers. Even a mini van....

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I have been developing this sound in my front end and narrowed it down to the sway bar. I had a spare laying around, so I took it down to my work and pressed out the old ones and ended up putting in Energy Suspension poly frame&end bushings. Long story short. The stock ones wouldn't fit my bar. No more clunk there. Now I found another. The driver side t.r.e. is pretty shot.


Here is my boy, James. He always wants to see what I am up to and help out.


Why is my pic sideways? I tried to flip it. Can adim fix?

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I almost always clean, and paint parts. I treated the knuckles and sway bar to three coats of Dupli color Engine paint in cast iron color. I like it. We will see how "chemical resistant" it is.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

We I finally found some free time to swap out the tre's. Both of them at the wheels were shot. I had a whole spare setup off a similar yr truck that was still nice and tight. My Burb is a 3.73 ratio so it was equipt with the steering setup the has two shorter tre's with a center link. I had the 4.10 style as a spare, but had no problem swapping over.

Yes, yes. I had to paint it.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

So I don't remember what brand t-stat I put in the 6.2 but after reading up, it would apear that a balanced t-stat(Robert Shaw style) is best due to the constant fluid temp variants. I am hoping to solve a running hot sit. I have replaced everything in the cooling system and it still wants to run at 205. New water pump, fan clutch, 4row brass rad, flushed the motor and heater core, added a pusher 16" electric fan, cleaned the fins on the condensor, external oil cooler, and I run green coolant with wx-cool, diesel watter and distilled water to cut the ratio.
I am hoping the inconsistent temps have to do with the T-stat

So here is what I brought in to take a look at.
A Mr Gasket, Mopar Stat.
Stant 190
Acdelco Oem replacement.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Mine runs warmish too, on any long uphill pull in hot weather it'll get up around 210 and stay there until you can let out of it. It nags at me but I'm told it's normal for the 6.2. Hope you find the cure though.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Just got back from a trip to Mountain Home ID. About 1800 miles later. All is well. I bypassed the stock water gauge and went to Glowshift gauges. Rad temps never went over 167 and motor never got above 210 going up past Donner lake, fully loaded and pushing it. I am so stocked that everything is working well.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Great thread!

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Have I ever mentioned that I am the #Burbslut! Haha. I refuse to wreck a square but I have no problem with the newer gen stuff.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Not much to update. Been busy with various things. The major project at the moment is the building of a couple np205 cases.
The first is a round pattern off a th400, that is getting billet retainers, 32 spline front upgrade, adjustable detents, twin stick rails and flanges front/rear. A coat of fresh paint and new gaskets and seals.


The second, is a factory 10spline input unit off a sm465 that is getting a full rebuild. Bearings, seals, machined case for the bigger input bearing. 32 spline input, 32spline front, flanges front&rear, twin rails, gear oil sight tube, northwest fab figure 8 to round pattern adapter. I am puffing this one in my truck behind a 400 that originally had a 208 behind it, using the 400/208 adapter and modding it to clear the shift rail. I choose to go this route because eventually I am going to add a planetary box in front of the 205 and the racetrack pattern is preferred with a titan box.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

So the Orange unit is not a direct bolt on with the racetrack adapter and 208 adapter. The standard short input gear only allows about 1/2" off spline engagement. The long input is about 1.25" too long. So now I have to either cut the input gear or trim down the output shaft. The variable will be how deep the long input gear will accept the output. I might have to trim a bit of both.


Another thing I have come across. Is that the figure 8 adapter eliminates the bearing retainer and takes place of it. It is important to measure bearing and snap ring clearances to insure proper fit. The improper clearance can bust a retainer! I never use rtv here, always a gasket.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Short input

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Stock 30 spline front vs 32

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I got the round pattern all built and delivered. A day later the owner called me up a day later and said he needed the short 32 input for his nv4500. Easey swap.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

And the latest update had me replacing the water pump that I replaced about 20k ago. A few days after getting back from Idaho the timing cover started to drip coolant. After a few days the slow leak got worse so I tore it all down.

It looked to just be a cracked gasket, but the water pump plate has seen better days. I will be looking to replace it next time I am in here.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

So I had a acdelco pump in it and the impeller shaft had a bit of side play to it. I couldn't justify putting it back in, so I got a replacement Delco pump. And then my mind started telling me to find a high flow pump. The next day, I took a 4hr round trip drive to Paso Robbles to check out FlowKooler. They had a pump in stock and I came home with it. They claim a %30 increase in flow with their pump. They take a new casting, New pump and tear it down. They put their own bearings/seals/hub/ and machined impeller in. It's a good looking unit.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Sweet. Which t-stat did you end up running?

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

That's a nice looking pump impeller! Wow.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I am running the stant unit. It has been the most consistent. But, I have not tried the OEM replacement since I swapped gauges and W.P.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I was quite impressed with the quality and cost.

$129 before tax was not bad.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

If it isn't one thing it's another. I was on my way home from work when my alt belt started squealing. I got home to find the adjustment bolt had snapped off and the alt rocked out of adjustment. The bolt was the one that came with the tuff stuff 140 amp alt. I was able to spin out the busted peice by hand and replaced it with a grade 8.


While I was there I replaced my fan with a derale/us motorworks 20" clutch fan replacement. Mine was slightly bent and had sharp edges from grinding on something at some point in it's lifetime.
The replacement I think was a 17120. It would has shallower profile but the fan blades are longer and it sits in the shroud nicely. 30 min later the bur b was back up running.
So the idle is a bit smoother and I suspect my water pump will last longer too. After a few hrs of driving in the mountains while my daughter naps in the back and I am very happy with it. The rad water temps are lower and I never cracked over 190 in the cylinder head gauge. It is a bit louder than the stock one but I got no complaints with it's functionality.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Nice burb, and nice upgrades you have done to it. That water pump looks pretty trick.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Everything was going well until I was warming up my Burb the other morning. Radiator sprung a leak. It was a brand new brass unit less than 3 yrs old. I only ever ran distilled water and green coolant at a 60/40 ratio, with Wixcool and diesel water wetter. It looks as the top of the core by the tank is bulging.

This is the second new brass unit failure. Last one failed in a similar way. Thanks were separating from the core.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I went through a phase. When the first one failed, I came across a few used units. They were cheap, but shot. They lasted a few months. I eventually ended up going through the entire cooling system. A new brass rad was put in.

A few months later, it sprung a leak on the way to Las Vegas for Monster Jam, and I had a replacement shipped to my friends house in Vegas. I literally changed it out in the desert. It had bulged tanks and when layed flat on the ground. It was not flat anymore.
I run 13lb rad caps. New rad support bushings. The rad is not pinched in the mounts when installed either.


I am taking a pile of rads to the radiator shop Monday morning.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

I wonder if I have too much chassis flex. I drive this thing on backcountry roads in various conditions. Vibration?
Am I over analyizing the whole thing? Maybe I should replace all the body mounts.

Re: 87 V20 D/D and Road trip Burb
 

Amongst my search for a rad, I finally scored a sweet vintage 14bff Hickey diff cover. I got a killer deal from a bud.
I had been bugging him to part with it for the past 2yrs. He was using it on his blazer with a 3/4 ton swap. He was going to ruin it on a rock or something so he parted it for $80, a gallon of 80/90,tube of rtv and a stock diff cover.
Score.
I am going to just clean it up and run it.

Did they ever make a Dana 60 Hickey cover?