97 1/2 Ton

[tgebes]

Hey guys, need your opinion...

I am looking for a truck to drive ths winter so the dmax isnt exposed to the salt here in Omaha... Found a 97 gmc half ton with a 350 runs great, 4wd, half ton, extended cab, short box. Bucket seats in the truck no tears, rust over the rear whels. The guy that owns it was actually going to send it to the body shop to fix the rust (and still will if I dont buy it). The downside.. 210,000 miles, I have him talked down to $2,900 cash. It could use a set of tires but I have a set for it. Is it worth it?

It packs good oil pressure and no show stopper leaks. It might have a rear main seal or a pan gasket leaking but it doesnt leave spots. It sounds like it could maybe use a u-joint but I drove it and is as good as it gets for age and miles. What happens to those old 350's, turn into oil burners?

 

[chevyburnout1]

If the intake hasn't been resealed already it can start leaking coolant, along with the heater hose quick connect fitting. Oil cooler lines like to leak as well. Some oil pans/rear mains leak, some don't. Seen a few stripped distributor gears and a lot of MAF sensor fail. Still decent trucks though, especially if the interior is still in good shape. Make sure the trans fluid doesn't smell destroyed.

 

[rgullett83]

dustin hit the nail on the head

 

[BIG PHIL]

The truck I had before my dmax was a 98 model with the 350. When I traded it in it had 270,000 on it. Just like chevyburnout said though, I had to reseal the intake. I also had to do the fuel pump and a transmission in it while I had it. It was a good truck, I wish I had held onto it. Those 350's will last forever if you maintain them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

 

[chevyburnout1]

Geezus how did I forget fuel pumps?? Very common as well haha.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Geezus how did I forget fuel pumps?? Very common as well haha.

If you buy a replacement pump now, it will be a new style GMT-800 pump with an adapter harness to hook it up. I have had good luck with them as well as I used to replace the stock style every year or so and the new style replacement pumps have been going for over 5 years now in the trucks I have done them in. The new style victor reinz intake gaskets now have a steel sleeve in them where the bolt goes through to keep them from crushing the plastic and I have yet to replace a failed set of them. I have seen a few of them spin rod bearings on low milage engines, but after about 125K miles if they are still going they seem to last forever(all of them that failed were the bi-metal bearings and they had seperation between the steel and aluminum). All and all good trucks, but they do also eat idler and pitman arms like no tommorrow if you live on a bumpy road or off road much. COGNITO does make a set of supports for them, and MOOG makes some heavier duty units for them as well. A/C compressors fail in them ALOT as well if your worried about that, but you can put on a new pinned style replacement or a SANDAN and stop that from happening. They really don't have alot of issues, and the ones that are common can be improved upon alot.

 

[chevyburnout1]

They really don't have alot of issues, and the ones that are common can be improved upon alot.

I've still had to replace the 'upgraded replacement' pumps before, however significantly less than the stock units. But I agree your not replacing these parts with the same junk parts that failed. Unlike these damn LB7 injectors haha.

 

[jacobdewey]

I have a 2000 3/4 wt with the 350. 224,000 easy farm miles.... One other thing, if you live on a dusty or dirt road make sure to cleanout your evap on the fuel tank every once in a while or you could collapse the tank. I had the intake problem, ac problem, fuel pump problem and idler/pitman problem. All of them are fairly simple. Also these go thru exhaust "doughnuts" (the gasket between the manifolds and the downpipes) like crazy. Also door hinges.... The truck I have has had as hard of a life as you can expect a truck to have and still have it going. Good trucks.

 

[tgebes]

Right on thanks guys, I went ahead and bought the truck. Its clean and drives real nice so I feel pretty good about it. Its nothing special but it'll work.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

It's not as good of a truck as the newer style trucks for ride and comfort, but it is still a good truck. If you don't think so, go out and look and see how many you still see driving around today. I know by me there is still ALOT of the GMT-400 body style running around. I mean I was crazy enough to swap a DURAMAX/ALLISON into my 95 BURB.