Shop talk

[markopolo]

My van had been parked for a few days after the last atf drain and fill when I checked it today. The level was right on the scratch mark I made on the stick. I measured that scratch mark today and it is 1 1/8" above the top hot line. I drove for about 40 minutes then parked and ran through the gears. My Scangauge reported 127F transmission temperature. I checked the level with the engine idling and it was covering the "H" of the word hot on the dipstick. So about 1/3 into the crosshatched area.

I'll check again after an overnight to see if the fluid returns to the scratch mark.

[booster]

Originally Posted by markopolo

My van had been parked for a few days after the last atf drain and fill when I checked it today. The level was right on the scratch mark I made on the stick. I measured that scratch mark today and it is 1 1/8" above the top hot line. I drove for about 40 minutes then parked and ran through the gears. My Scangauge reported 127F transmission temperature. I checked the level with the engine idling and it was covering the "H" of the word hot on the dipstick. So about 1/3 into the crosshatched area.

I'll check again after an overnight to see if the fluid returns to the scratch mark.

I think you are definitely zeroing in on a level checking procedure that actual works, and doesn't take forever! What did you use to plug the dipstick tube before the testing? Any trouble with it blowing out?

[WJones]

I would think that if you use the "morning after" level check that you wouldn't have to either:
1- remove the dipstick, wipe it off, reinsert it and remove it again, or better
2- insert a clean dipstick in an empty tube.
I would be willing to bet that the level you see by just pulling the dipstick once and reading it would be the same as method 2. The fluid should have washed off both the tube and the dipstick overnight. They wouldn't have been contaminated by driving the vehicle.

Just my guess.

William

[booster]

Originally Posted by WJones

I would think that if you use the "morning after" level check that you wouldn't have to either:
1- remove the dipstick, wipe it off, reinsert it and remove it again, or better
2- insert a clean dipstick in an empty tube.
I would be willing to bet that the level you see by just pulling the dipstick once and reading it would be the same as method 2. The fluid should have washed off both the tube and the dipstick overnight. They wouldn't have been contaminated by driving the vehicle.

Just my guess.

William

I am sure you are correct about just pulling the stick, if it has been sitting not running for a day or two. That is what I have been doing, and it works fine. I think Marko used the plug method when he went on he confirmation hot check ride, though.

[markopolo]

I agree, just the pulling the indicator stick for the "morning after" level check would work fine.

I'm not exactly zeroed in yet because I just did a drain & fill prior to the first "morning after" level check this time around.. When I checked this morning, after driving yesterday, the level was 3/8" below my scratch mark. I think that was because I hadn't driven the van before the first "morning after" level check (which was right on the scratch mark).

However, it is close enough to be useful. I think the cold (not started) level should be within 1/4" of my scratch mark to be an acceptable level. It doesn't need to be any higher than the scratch mark. I'm going to add just a bit more fluid - maybe as little as 4 oz.

As for the plug I just made up a plug out of some bits and pieces I had. I want to make sure it couldn't fall into the tube and that I could grab it. My plug is a bit loose so a small folded rag around it wedges it in tight. I've probably driven 100 miles with the plug and it doesn't move at all. I don't advise using a rag because of the fan and belts etc. under the hood.

[markopolo]

I have a few shop projects coming up

4 new Bilstein shocks - any tips? (I have shop manual instructions).
Sway bar - looks pretty straightforward.
New alternator - I have the exact same model # so I think it is a straightforward replacement - is there anything I should know?
New wheel bearings - I have shop manual instructions so hopefully that's enough - not sure if any special tools are needed to remove the races.
Check one of the vacuum lines on the dash air flow selector - the face one sort of quit working. I say sort of because if I move the selector just past the position it works.

I'll drain the coolant again as I have enough coolant on hand to do the job.

These jobs are somewhat linked:
The van gets put on stands for the shocks & sway bar.
Front wheels come off for shocks and wheel bearings.
Coolant reservoir gets removed to access the alternator.

[booster]

Originally Posted by markopolo

I have a few shop projects coming up

4 new Bilstein shocks - any tips? (I have shop manual instructions).

The only issues I had were that the rears had so much gas pressure I couldn't compress them with one hand as I put in the lower bolt with the other hand. I wound up wiring it partway closed while holding it in the bench vise, then cutting the wire once the bolt was in. The other problem may be year specific, but the upper front shock mounting hardware from Bilstein was woefully inadequate and got beaten out of place in 200 miles. I put the the very beefy original Chevy parts back in and all has been good since.

Sway bar - looks pretty straightforward.
New alternator - I have the exact same model # so I think it is a straightforward replacement - is there anything I should know?

New wheel bearings - I have shop manual instructions so hopefully that's enough - not sure if any special tools are needed to remove the races.

There will usually be some recesses in the housing casting to use a drift to push out the old races, so that is usually pretty easy. To put the new ones back in, I take one of the old races and grind a little bit off the OD so it changes from a press fit to a slip fit. You can then use the old race to drive the new one in, without the old one getting stuck.

Check one of the vacuum lines on the dash air flow selector - the face one sort of quit working. I say sort of because if I move the selector just past the position it works.

I'll drain the coolant again as I have enough coolant on hand to do the job.

These jobs are somewhat linked:
The van gets put on stands for the shocks & sway bar.
Front wheels come off for shocks and wheel bearings.
Coolant reservoir gets removed to access the alternator.

[markopolo]

Thanks booster. I'm not looking forward to the wheel bearing job but at the very least I should inspect, clean and grease the current bearings if they are in good shape.

I hope the Bilsteins come with packing straps that can be cut off later. I figured the rears would be the harder job. The fronts look pretty straightforward. I have a bottle jack that I'll put under the control arm to raise or lower it as needed.

I now have 8 axle stands in my collection. 2 pairs of 3 ton (ANSI 2009 rated), 1 pair of 2 ton (ANSI 2005 rated), and 1 pair not rated 3 ton. The last time I had the van up on the stands I used the 3 ton pairs to support the van's frame. The stands were on notch 8 and the front wheels were just off the ground but the rear wheels still touched the ground so I lifted the rear axle just enough to get the wheels off the ground and supported the rear axle with the 2 ton pair of axle stands. It seemed very stable, very solid to me. For the current jobs I figured I'd do the same and for winter storage I'd also use the unrated 3 ton pair under the front control arms to keep some "weight" on the front suspension.

My "shop" is lacking in the jack department. I have a 2 1/2 ton floor jack and an 8 ton bottle jack. That combo works for me but I think two 3 ton floor jacks would be better. I find that getting the van off the stands is harder that getting it up on the stands.

More info on ANSI Standards here: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...=15081&#p15081 for anyone interested.

[markopolo]

Finally got the Bilstein shocks and Hellwig sway bar from Summit yesterday afternoon. Everything is installed and I can't wait to take a test drive tomorrow or Thursday. I took some photos and will post them.

Front shocks - 6 out of 10 on my difficulty scale, you have to lift the van etc........
Rear shocks - 8 out of 10 on my difficulty scale
Sway bar - 10 out of 10 on my difficulty scale

I'm so happy those jobs are behind me

[booster]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Finally got the Bilstein shocks and Hellwig sway bar from Summit yesterday afternoon. Everything is installed and I can't wait to take a test drive tomorrow or Thursday. I took some photos and will post them.

Front shocks - 6 out of 10 on my difficulty scale, you have to lift the van etc........
Rear shocks - 8 out of 10 on my difficulty scale
Sway bar - 10 out of 10 on my difficulty scale

I'm so happy those jobs are behind me

What kind of things did you run in to that caused issues?

Did the Bilsteins come with decent upper mounts for the front?

[markopolo]

No issues installing the shocks. The rears were very hard to compress but luckily I only had to compress them about two inches and slip the bolt in.
I really looked at the front upper mounts because of the info you posted and compared them to what was on the van and they looked very similar. The two washer things were almost identical, The top bushing was identical and the bottom bushing was close. I'll post a photo. The rubber density felt the same too.

The old OEM shocks were quite soft compared to the Bilsteins when compressing them by hand.

The sway bar was a difficult job for me. First off, it's heavy - like 50lbs. Second the supplied bolts for the U-plates that mount behind the shock mounts were too short. I fiddled with them for a long time and managed to catch a few threads. That was step 1 so I had to at least temporarily use them. (supplied bolts were 1" and I replaced them with 1 1/4" inch bolts today). Third was that I had to drill to mount the end link frame brackets (two holes each side). I had downloaded the 7635 installation instructions which indicated it was a "no drill" kit but my 7635 kit required drilling. Maybe it was old stock. (I think drilling might actually be stronger than the no drill u-bolt mounting - no chance of slipping). Fourth would be that it was a lot of fiddling to get everything lined up as best as I could (triple checking everything) so I could mark the drill points. Fifth would be time consumed fishing the backing plates in the hollow van frame to line them up with the drilled holes. You have to use lock-tite and thread headless bolts through the drilled holes and into the backing plates. Then it was tightening all the fasteners ............... Glad it is done

I'm really looking forward to taking a test drive tomorrow or Thursday.

[markopolo]

I've got an appt for the wheel alignment next week. $80 or $70 if only the front wheels need alignment.

[markopolo]

We had some nice weather and that got me thinking about some items on my to do list. I still haven't replaced the front wheel bearings. And the alternator. I have all the parts. Neither job is urgent but I want to replace them - sort of preventative maintenance items. I should flush and replace brake fluid and power steering fluid too.

Someone kindly sent me a drawing of GM part # 10244209 - the bracket for a second alternator. He couldn't find one either so he made his own. I have to figure out how to get it made. I plan to keep looking for the OEM part in the meantime. If I ever get around to installing my new alternator I think I'll buy a rebuild kit for the old one and change it to a one wire setup at the same time.

[booster]

Originally Posted by markopolo

We had some nice weather and that got me thinking about some items on my to do list. I still haven't replaced the front wheel bearings. And the alternator. I have all the parts. Neither job is urgent but I want to replace them - sort of preventative maintenance items. I should flush and replace brake fluid and power steering fluid too.

Someone kindly sent me a drawing of GM part # 10244209 - the bracket for a second alternator. He couldn't find one either so he made his own. I have to figure out how to get it made. I plan to keep looking for the OEM part in the meantime. If I ever get around to installing my new alternator I think I'll buy a rebuild kit for the old one and change it to a one wire setup at the same time.

Could you post a pic of the drawing? The design would dictate the best place to get it made, in most cases. Did you search for suprerseded part numbers, or have the GM dealer check. They do that stuff a lot, and the old part number could have disappeared from the information stream. I have had some of the same issues with the 96 Roadmaster parts. I do also seem to recall seeing second alternator brackets on some of the aftermarket alternator sites. I was looking in case I needed more power for the bigger inverter I am working on, but then realized I can get a single alternator plenty big enough and replace the original with it.

[markopolo]

I did check with a GM dealer and phoned one online shop that showed it in stock (in error). I probably searched a dozen online shops.

This image is from a forum I think - I'd like to credit the source but I don't remember where I saved it from.
(edit, source is: http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/63-gm- ... acket.html )



It is the black bracket in the photo, approx 11 inches long.

I circled it in red in this image:



All of the other parts are obtainable. I don't think the bracket is critical for the second alternator positioning as that is determined by bracket #1 in the image. That mount (#1) is already on the van. I'd have to get the position of the pulley correct though.

There's a very large salvage yard not far from me that I'll stop by next week.

It's an idea I should really give up on as I don't need to do it. For some reason the idea is stuck in my head I might let the idea go if the $$$ involved get too high.

[booster]

That bracket looks to be aftermarket, I think, based on the welds and how it is put together. Looks to be made out of 1/4" or so thick steel with some steel spacers. I agree with you that all it does is position the idler, so really only the height of the spacers is anywhere near critical.

That is really not a bad piece to make at home, even if you don't have much equipment. The plate could be cut out on a band saw, or even with a good hand jigsaw with a bimetal blade and a touch of oil (that is what I would do if I did it here). The spacers don't appear to be used for anything but spacing (duh), with the ID's not a bearing or pivot surface, so nuts and washers could be used there. The idler mount is probably threaded, so a nut would even be preferred there,I would think.

If you find the steel at a scrap yard, it will only be a couple of bucks. More if you get it from McMaster. Once you figure out the dimensions, you could probably build it in less than an hour. You would have to take it in to get welded, which would probably be in the $10-20 range at a shop like a trailer hitch place. If you have enough hands to put it together, it wouldn't even need to be welded, as long as there is room for a nut on the back side of the plate for the idler.

If you can get accurate dimensions, I could pick up the steel the next time I go to Discount Steel and make it here, if you would like, as it is not all that big a job.

[markopolo]

Thanks booster - that's a very generous offer of your time. I printed a template from an emailed tracing which is accurate to within 1mm I believe. It took several attempts at scaling it on my PC to get it to print the size I wanted. I have the measurement between the two farthest holes.

I'll continue to try to source an original OEM part for a while longer. It would be ideal to find the pulley and bolts along with the bracket at a salvage yard.

[markopolo]

Anyone have any suggestions as to the "best" way to utilize a second alternator?

I was thinking:

A. Alt #1 gets installed as it is in most campervans with isolator and Alt #2 directly feeds the house batteries
or
B. Alt #2 joins Alt #1 and shares the work, if one fails the other will do the job, they both go through an isolator or one could bypass the isolator
or
C. remove the isolator, Alt #1 feeds the chassis battery(ies) and Alt #2 feeds the house batteries
or
D. any better idea

[WJones]

Marko,

On 1996 to 2002 Express/Savana vans the voltage regulator in the alternator is controled by the Powertrain Control Module. The first question you have to answer is whether you can simply connect two alternators together. I would think the second alternator would need its own control circuit. If this has already been discussed ... just ignore me!

William
2000 RT200 Popular
Sherbrooke, Quebec

[markopolo]

Thank you - that gave me something to search for.

I found two schematics (one direct from GM) that shows the first alternator installed normally (for diesel engine). The second alternator battery cable goes to the same battery as the first alternator or a common junction. Only one wire from the 4 small wire pigtail is used on the second alternator. It is the brown wire that indicates the battery voltage. It gets spliced to the same brown wire on the first alternator. This wire provides (initial) excitation to both alternators.

My guess is that one alternator will inevitably work a little harder / more often than the other. Together they should be able maintain the voltage under a substantial load.

My understanding is that the CS series alternators are "self-regulating" based on this article http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Wiring/Part2/

'96 to '02 Chevys share a lot of parts but the alternator changed to the AD series at some point.