$250 Hoe

036.6turbo

Active member
Jan 17, 2014
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Co-worker tells me his Daughter's truck puked the transmission. Says it's been sitting in his driveway since February, she joined the Navy, no longer wants or needs the truck.

He wants it gone out of his driveway. Asks if I want it? I ask "how much do you want for it?", he says "nothing, I just want it gone!" I press the issue, he says just bring me a case of beer!

So I figured what the heck. I pick up a few cases of beer and go pick it up. Here are the particulars;
1. 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe.
2. 209,000 miles showing on the odometer.
3. The guy my friend bought it from had a dealer install a crate engine at 159,000 miles.
4. Fresh battery gets it to start, but you have to hold the accelerator pedal down to get it to start.
5. No reverse, second or fourth gears in the transmission.
6. No MILs on the dash, I have not plugged in to look for any other stored codes.

Plan is to get it running a driving, then park my LML during the winter, to try and limit its exposure to road salt.


So far I have $50 into a reman battery, $175 into a known good 4L60E transmission from a 98 Suburban. And the beer money, which all adds up to more than $250, but $250 Hoe just has a ring to it.

My question is the fact that I have to hold down the accelerator to get it to start. What do you guys think, FPR or fuel pump? Once it starts it purrs like a kitten.
 

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TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,610
1,866
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Mid Michigan
..and here I get a cab and frame for that price and think I did really well. :rolleyes: :hehe: Nice buy!


'98 drive by wire or cable? I forget.
Id think fuel pump off the bat, but hooking up a fuel pressure gauge will tell the tale.
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
21,667
5,813
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Phoenix Az
should be drive by cable, tom

Nice score! i almost thought it was a spam post till i looked who posted it and opened the thread! :roflmao::roflmao:
 

036.6turbo

Active member
Jan 17, 2014
714
61
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..and here I get a cab and frame for that price and think I did really well. :rolleyes: :hehe: Nice buy!


'98 drive by wire or cable? I forget.
Id think fuel pump off the bat, but hooking up a fuel pressure gauge will tell the tale.

It's a cable. I get a pressure gauge kit and check it out.

Yeah, it was an "out of the blue" kind of thing.

I mean scrap value is a couple hundred bucks, but for that, I wasn't interested. Two cases of beer? Sure.
 

Tyler_LBZ

Member
Feb 26, 2015
96
0
6
NC
Nice find! I sure miss that body style, had a 99 crew cab I regret selling.

Hope this treats you well for the winter!
 

036.6turbo

Active member
Jan 17, 2014
714
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Fuel pressure is 60 psi key on, engine off.

Engine on, it drops to 51psi, but jumps up to 60psi when the throttle is stabbed.

I think the fuel pump may be okay.


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2004LB7

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2010
6,964
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Norcal
My guess is flooded engine. Pressing the accelerator all the way down while cranking cut off the injectors allowing the excess fuel to clear. When its at the right A/F ratio it fires.

I suspect one or more leaking injectors. Maybe try a leak down test on the fuel pressure and look for wet spark plugs after cranking (without pressing the throttle)

Also, see what the ecm thinks the air temp is. If its too low (-40 for a bad sensor) it may be flooding it unintentionally
 

036.6turbo

Active member
Jan 17, 2014
714
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28
My guess is flooded engine. Pressing the accelerator all the way down while cranking cut off the injectors allowing the excess fuel to clear. When its at the right A/F ratio it fires.

I suspect one or more leaking injectors. Maybe try a leak down test on the fuel pressure and look for wet spark plugs after cranking (without pressing the throttle)

Also, see what the ecm thinks the air temp is. If its too low (-40 for a bad sensor) it may be flooding it unintentionally



I agree with your logic, I did leave the fuel pressure gauge attached to the test port yesterday, it held pressure for at least thirty minutes.

I’m still trying to learn how to get my MDI to emulate a tech II, using tech2win. Once again have that figured out, I should be able to do some more in depth diagnoses.


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036.6turbo

Active member
Jan 17, 2014
714
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Are any plugs wet?



Actually I think the problem is solved.

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I think it was a weak battery.

The one I installed when I picked it up from him was just one I had sitting in the shop, I didn’t verify it was fully charged.

I trickle charged it over night and now it starts fine. I think there was insufficient voltage to the fuel pump and it couldn’t generate 50psi, to fire the injectors.

But it does appear to have a parasitic draw back n the battery that I need to find and correct.


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1TRIKHD

Country boy Limo.
Sep 15, 2015
1,692
388
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P.N.W
Right!? LOL.

I guess there is a upgraded spider assembly that converts it to a multi port system?

Not sure what that’s all about.


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I had a 97 k1500 ext cab with the 5.7L vortex that had a CPIS and swapped to the upgraded spider MPIS and it ran great after that. Pretty easy fix.
 

036.6turbo

Active member
Jan 17, 2014
714
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Well, it begins. You planning to drop the 4L60E out today.

First I had to put it a small diet. Only one bolt gave a problem getting those off, this thing is filthy, but not a rust bucket.

Definitely not a Michigan truck, it’s whole life.

33a15b8b056ef9550b8e07760092c126.jpg



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