Surburban as a beater-To buy or not to buy?

I eBay, amazon and use online discount codes for online orders for advance auto. I can usually always get between 20-40% from advance and way better sometimes on eBay. Starter I got for my Saturn was $50 shipped off eBay. Local was like $150 walking into advance!!!

 

Or a $45 belt for $15 on amazon or idler pulley for $10 that's $20 in store. Man last few years I have spent hundreds on replacement parts.

Range had timing belt, water pump, some new rubber hoses, 8 plugs, new exhaust, new manifold the year prior as the OE had 4 cracks in it one large enough to get my pinky in!!! And we don't salt roads here??? Out new radius arm bushings last year ....that was a job!! Brakes on all 4 the yr prior to the t belt work... man I don't even remember it all. It does have 297k on it though!!!

Thorough derail now!

 

Couple of quick things.. A pre-duramax 6.5 diesel option was available on the suburban between 1982 and 1999.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Suburban

Look hard enough and you can find them on craigslist. Been looking to pick one up myself. Heard they can have a problem with the fuel system and the fix costs about a grand. Don't remember exactly what it was.

http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/cto/4288365878.html
http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/cto/4280948546.html

I've done well getting parts from Rock Auto. I know there's other websites but these guys have taken care of me. Doesn't work unless you have back-up transportation or if you're ordering parts for pre-planned maintenance.

http://www.rockauto.com/

 

I use rock auto but have easily beat their prices through advance with coupons before. Rock auto gets crazy as they have at least 3 warehouses and unless u can find all parts in one warehouse the shipping kills you.

But you usually do good on brakes from their.

 

Ok. Ill clarify some things.

its a 6 lug.
I know what parts and repair cost on these things. I already have another one ( avalanche. ..sits on a burb frame) that drags landscape trailers and plows snow commercially and has for 9 years now since new. The camper is permanent. Not towing it anywhere. I really only need this to keep the miles and wear off the avalanche while getting me to and from the camper. It's 85 miles one way and I go 30 times a year minimum. I haul too much stuff to take my gas saver Ford escort.

Test drive done. Needs lower ball joints. Everything else works. Knock sounds more like a tick. Gonna call owner tomorrow and make an offer. If it dies i think I'll look for a junkyard motor.

Side note....how much wood can u fit in a burb? Lol

 

Depends on how much work it might need. 300+K I'd be thinking potential tranny problems, all sorts of suspension items, does the AC still work? I've got an Envoy pretty pampered with 105K on it, and it's already needed a new transmission and brakes/pads/calipers etc.. it goes through ball joints at least once every 50K or less.

...and sure, doing the work yourself does make it a lot cheaper, but it sounded like the engine work as going to get done by the mechanic that's got it. Not a DIY?

I was just making the point that one would somehow need to acknowledge and be prepared to POTENTIALLY sink some money into it.

 

I'd buy it. The tic could be lifter but proly not if mechanic says it's bearings? What are y'all doing to wear ball joints out? How do you wear out that many calipers??

 

All the stupid chain brake shops around here won't touch your brakes without hosing you for calipers too. just sayn.

 

Just another way to up sell I guess? They can say .....sticking caliper....burned brake rotor....leaves you stranded. "You don't want that do you?" Or " no warrenty without swapping them out."

 

5.3's were notorious for piston slap with the short piston skirts. Especially the early ones. My 2000 made noise from the day I got it with 68k until I traded it in at 289k. It was only when cold at first, but was more prominent at the end. Never caused an issue. It seems that the aluminum blocked ones weren't as bad.

The short piston allowed it to pivot back and forth on the wrist pin ever so slightly in the bore. Particularly when cold due to the temp differential between the Aluminum poison and cast iron bore.

Was never an issue.

Not saying that's what you have, but there's some more info on one possibility.

 

Dad used to get the same sound knock on his chevy that's being described here. The mechanic who we were friends with told him not to waste his money trying to fix it and told him it was fine. We drove that truck for years and never had a problem.

 

All the new trucks, at least Chevy and fords have a tick to me?

 

Probably the injectors you're hearing. My injectors tick like a mo' fo' on my 24V 4.6.

 

That's what I assume it is. But the new fords tick as loud as a bad lifter!!

 

That's probably the cam phaser (advances/retards engine timing). There's pretty damm noisy on some trucks. Mine is one of them. With a hot engine and 1300 RPM it makes some noise. At first it really pi$$ed me off, but I'm over it. It doesn't hurt anything...just makes noise.

 

Lots...oh wait you said in If you decide you want a 3/4 ton with engine noise, let me know