[SidViscous]

So the 2005 Yukon has been having regular knock sensor errors, and it saw a movie about the Exxon Valdez spill and was inspired.

So I wanted to do valve cover seals and change the valve seals. Figured at this point I should pull the intake and do the knock sensors too.

Valve seals actually went better than i thought. I only dropped two valve retainer clips. One landed on the exhaust flange and just sit there. The other fell behind the exhaust manifold. After trying to pull the front driveshaft out to find it, while grabbing a tool I looked and saw it lying on the ground.

Then I only had to re-do the Captain side once because I figured where the intake valves are backwards.

But got it done, didn't drop a valve, didn't take too long.

Before I did that I pulled the intake. If you look at a Chebbie 5.3 pulling the intake looks intimidating. Turns out it's really easy. I pulled the injectors too, redid the o-rings and filters (That took two shipments). So then I got into the knock sensors. Should be easy right. They just screw down into the lifter valley. A harness bada boom bada bing.

Well I'm looking at them. One wire coming out, wonder how they do that. Now I know electronics. been around 35 years. More importantly sensors. I know sensors. I didn't think about it at all, but obviously the body is the ground, and so the threads obviously are the ground. But me looking to do it right, of course put loctite on the threads. That killed the electrical connection.

Fucked around for awhile till I realized what an idiot I was. Bought another set of sensors. Tried cleaning out the threads, installed them (Taking the intake off again). Still no joy.

So then the following week I tried to go with GM parts. Went to the GM dealer. Of course they don't have any. Bought another set of AC delco, and another harness. And an M10 tap to clean the threads. Trying to clean the threads apparently made it worse. Culdn't unscrew them. So I had to knock the sensor off of one and use an easy out. Managed to drive a screw through the other and get them out. Put the new sensors and a new harness in.

What I haven't mentioned is each time I'm sealing up the bung covers with silli-con-carne. So every time I have to take them out I have to dig them out and clean out the old sili-con-carne.

Okay get them in. Run the harness. Put the intake back on. Go run a test. Each time I test I drive about 35 miles up to Manchester with 25 miles or so of highway. Get up there and back, no error codes. Woo Hoo. So go to the carwash to clean off the bird crap.

Throws a code.

FUCK

Get home, check it out, sensors are showing a short to ground. Fuck.

Bought new sensors, and a new harness. Pulled the intake off again. Good news I have it down to 20 minutes getting the intake off. Then I see what I did. Caught the harness under the corner of the intake. Squoze the harness down, heat eventually got to it melted through the insulation and shorted them out.

So I decided to splice in new wire and just do it that way. ran the wires out the front instead of the back, so not a pain the ass to work with. Luckily I got all the crap to do it, and protect the wires. Ran out, no codes, finally.

So just on the knock sensors.
3 different sets of knock sensors and harnesses.
Pulled the intake at least 4 times, honestly I think 5.

So better than usual for me. I think it only cost like twice what it would cost to have someone else to do it.

That's progress.

Reality is I did it because I couldn't find anyone to do the valve seals without pulling the heads. And now I can pull the intake in my sleep.

[NSXguy]

I just love jobs where you really hope the newfound skills you just learned never need to be used again

[amdavid]

Good stuff Sid....it got done...

[fpena944]

I just love jobs where you really hope the newfound skills you just learned never need to be used again

Not only skills but often times tools that end up collecting dust until you have that ONE specific needs for it.

[mussberger]

I always remind myself I'm an idiot before I start. One less thing to remember.

[SidViscous]

Couldn't find the more recent of my travails of older vehicles.

Was running around tonight. On my second to last stop, or was it third, anyways, became the last stop. Pulled into Autozone to return some tools. See I've spent the last couple of weeks "Winterizing" the Yukons. To me this means mainly coating the undercarriage with cosmoline. But I expanded it to replacing body mounts, and transmission mount. Got the White 2005 done. Then Pulled up Big Red. The Nevada truck. Lot easier to work on. Little to no rust. But then I decided to do the lower ball joints. Have a shake at speed, and it turns out they are original. Should be easier than the white one since no rust and all. Nope. Absolute bear.

See wanted to get it done last night, so I could take that truck to work and a customers. because going to work meant going to Mass, and I still had about 5000 rounds of ammo in the back and didn't want to unload them yet. Well after lots of banging and tool rental, gave up last night. So had to unload the ammo and take the white one.

Then had to do the aforementioned errands. So here I am at autozone. Returned the tools. Got in the truck, started to crank it, but remembered I wanted to check my bank balance. Turned off before it started. Checked balance. Then went to start truck again. absolute silence. Not a struggling starter. Not a clicking solenoid. Absolutely nothing.

Get out, confirm starter relay is working. Unplug battery and then plug it back in. Still silence. Turns out the solenoid just crapped out right then even though it had worked 5 minutes previously.

Well. I was at Autozone. Got a reman starter. spent 2 1/2 hours under the truck in the autozone parking lot. Could have been easy. Two bolts and the starter was disconnected, but I couldn't get it out because some wires were too short, and other wires were in the way. Rotated it around 14 dimensions and got it out. Getting in just couldn't. Had to unplug a connector above the starter, then it went right in. But then I couldn't see the connector because the starter was in the way. Anyways. Running again.

And before you guys bitch I talk about my truck troubles too much. I didn't even mention when i was 4 hours from home, touched a heater hose connector when trying to diagnose a horn problem (that turned out to be just a fuse that I of course didn't check until I had the steering wheel off etc.)

Anyways. Heater hose connection snapped with the lightest of touches. Had to walk two miles to get parts, then still couldn't fix it. Had to bypass the hoses until I got home.

Ahhhhh Good times, Good times.

[SidViscous]

Oh yeah. Almost forgot. Knock sensors are acting up again.

[ny991]