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As far as checking the hoses, the easiest way is to take any aerosol can (or source of pressurized air) and spraying under the hood at various hoses. If the engine suddenly surges or dies, then you’ve found your vacuum leak (because vacuum connects throughout, and engine RPM is based on vacuum pressure, you can use this to find your leaks).
Other possibilities include checking the throttle body – just buy a gasket kit (maybe $10, not gonna look it up, but it’s cheap), remove the TB, clean with TB cleaner, install new gaskets, reinstall. I’m sure Eric has some video on how to do this, not gonna go into much more detail, but for someone familiar with working on cars, it shouldn’t take more than half a day over the weekend or something. If nothing else, that’ll clean up the engine and get you some more power and a cleaner operating engine.
Trying to think of anything else, but I’m sorry, been working WAY too many hours lately, and I’m just plain tuckered.
As far as checking the hoses, the easiest way is to take any aerosol can (or source of pressurized air) and spraying under the hood at various hoses. If the engine suddenly surges or dies, then you’ve found your vacuum leak (because vacuum connects throughout, and engine RPM is based on vacuum pressure, you can use this to find your leaks).
Other possibilities include checking the throttle body – just buy a gasket kit (maybe $10, not gonna look it up, but it’s cheap), remove the TB, clean with TB cleaner, install new gaskets, reinstall. I’m sure Eric has some video on how to do this, not gonna go into much more detail, but for someone familiar with working on cars, it shouldn’t take more than half a day over the weekend or something. If nothing else, that’ll clean up the engine and get you some more power and a cleaner operating engine.
Trying to think of anything else, but I’m sorry, been working WAY too many hours lately, and I’m just plain tuckered.
Okay, found the instructions me and my friend used (or, rather, the same person, instructions on the 3.8 vs. ours, which was the 3.4). It includes video, step-by-step, what to do if you have this or that additional problem, etc. etc.
http://www.autorepairinstructions.com/?p=37
All torque specs included, make sure you have the proper tools.
Okay, found the instructions me and my friend used (or, rather, the same person, instructions on the 3.8 vs. ours, which was the 3.4). It includes video, step-by-step, what to do if you have this or that additional problem, etc. etc.
http://www.autorepairinstructions.com/?p=37
All torque specs included, make sure you have the proper tools.
I just dislike all newer cars … my ’11 cruze isn’t AS bad as some of the newer cars, but some are just way too hard/expensive to work on. I can’t remember what year/model (this guy is a lawyer, goes through new cars like I … go through beaters, about 1 a year) but he called me (long time friend) and told me he took the car into jiffylube, and they said they can’t do an oil change on it, asked me to try. I said “sure, nothing I can’t change the oil on” … then he drove it in. I think it was a BMW of some sort, either way, no dipstick. I searched and searched for the darn thing, finally, I just shut the hood, told him he’ll probably have to go to the dealer on this one. PITA either way, idk what you’re supposed to do if you develop a slow oil leak from one of the gaskets, maybe just bring it into the dealer and either buy a new car (over leaking $2 of oil every 3000mi. it sounds a little silly to me) or pay for an oil change so you know precisely how much oil is in there. Although, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Ford and Chevy are already doing the same thing on their higher-end cars. It’s called “designed obsolescence”, where you build/design a car so it will last until x point, at which time everything will simultaneously fail, and at the same time, you design it so the designed failure parts will be too expensive to fix/repair, so instead of repairing it, you scrap the car and go buy another (new or used) car to drive. The way of the future … usually a 100,000mi. warranty car will be designed to fail in 150-200k so that they won’t fail during warranty (forcing the manuf. to pay for expensive repairs) but at the same time, they will fail once you run out of warranty, and then the dealer will tell you it’s too expensive to be worth fixing, but our car salesman is here to help you buy another vehicle. Not saying it’s a conspiracy, it’s just good business practice really … they could, for a little more money, build cars that would last much longer, but most people who buy new cars plan to replace them within 4-6 years, 10 years for about 90% or more, so why build a car that will last 20 if the buyer doesn’t want/need that?
I just dislike all newer cars … my ’11 cruze isn’t AS bad as some of the newer cars, but some are just way too hard/expensive to work on. I can’t remember what year/model (this guy is a lawyer, goes through new cars like I … go through beaters, about 1 a year) but he called me (long time friend) and told me he took the car into jiffylube, and they said they can’t do an oil change on it, asked me to try. I said “sure, nothing I can’t change the oil on” … then he drove it in. I think it was a BMW of some sort, either way, no dipstick. I searched and searched for the darn thing, finally, I just shut the hood, told him he’ll probably have to go to the dealer on this one. PITA either way, idk what you’re supposed to do if you develop a slow oil leak from one of the gaskets, maybe just bring it into the dealer and either buy a new car (over leaking $2 of oil every 3000mi. it sounds a little silly to me) or pay for an oil change so you know precisely how much oil is in there. Although, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Ford and Chevy are already doing the same thing on their higher-end cars. It’s called “designed obsolescence”, where you build/design a car so it will last until x point, at which time everything will simultaneously fail, and at the same time, you design it so the designed failure parts will be too expensive to fix/repair, so instead of repairing it, you scrap the car and go buy another (new or used) car to drive. The way of the future … usually a 100,000mi. warranty car will be designed to fail in 150-200k so that they won’t fail during warranty (forcing the manuf. to pay for expensive repairs) but at the same time, they will fail once you run out of warranty, and then the dealer will tell you it’s too expensive to be worth fixing, but our car salesman is here to help you buy another vehicle. Not saying it’s a conspiracy, it’s just good business practice really … they could, for a little more money, build cars that would last much longer, but most people who buy new cars plan to replace them within 4-6 years, 10 years for about 90% or more, so why build a car that will last 20 if the buyer doesn’t want/need that?
Does it only happen when the engine is cool, or also when warm? Have you tried letting the truck warm up first before driving? (just trying to get some info here). My first instinct would be to replace the belts, I don’t think those 5.4’s had timing belts (I think, like any good engine, they have chains instead). I’d go for the accessory belt first – cheap, easy fix. Also, when you replace it (if you do it yourself – if you take it to a shop, don’t go to jiffylube, find a place that has a half-decent mechanic, even midas, NTB, and other exhaust shops usually do a decent check of the vehicle and hire better mechanics generally) check your pulleys for any signs of damage.
By the way – this isn’t the SVT, right? Right?
Does it only happen when the engine is cool, or also when warm? Have you tried letting the truck warm up first before driving? (just trying to get some info here). My first instinct would be to replace the belts, I don’t think those 5.4’s had timing belts (I think, like any good engine, they have chains instead). I’d go for the accessory belt first – cheap, easy fix. Also, when you replace it (if you do it yourself – if you take it to a shop, don’t go to jiffylube, find a place that has a half-decent mechanic, even midas, NTB, and other exhaust shops usually do a decent check of the vehicle and hire better mechanics generally) check your pulleys for any signs of damage.
By the way – this isn’t the SVT, right? Right?
I bought a Kobalt, I think it covers 10ft-lb (120in-lb) to about 120ft-lb or so. I think it all falls around the 10-100ft-lb range, could be wrong, been a while since I’ve done one of those, but that should do it if memory serves.
I bought a Kobalt, I think it covers 10ft-lb (120in-lb) to about 120ft-lb or so. I think it all falls around the 10-100ft-lb range, could be wrong, been a while since I’ve done one of those, but that should do it if memory serves.
I always follow the German Engineering torque spec of Gutentite (pronounced good-and-tight) for those. Basically, torque it on until you think it seals, crawl out, add oil, run engine, check oil level, then rev the engine several times and crawl under to make sure nothing’s leaking. You really don’t want to overtorque it (see: don’t damage those threads). Should be tight enough to seal while being loose enough to remove after 3k, 5k, 15k, or however often you change the oil. Good luck!
– Jake R.
EDIT> btw – maybe check after a couple drives, park someplace you know the ground is devoid of oil, then come back and check to make sure oil isn’t leaking. I find it’s about 50% torque spec, and 50% experience. i.e. with my Cruze, I torque with my 1/4″ craftsman until I have to start putting a little muscle into it (a year on an oil rig will do that to you… lol). The old diesel truck I had? I’d torque until I had to put the same amount of muscle on a 3/8″ craftsman (it ran much higher oil pressures, and just seemed to like to leak around that oil filter anyways). I couldn’t really tell you a torque spec, just that those seem to keep oil loss to less than 1/16 of a quart per 3k miles on those vehicles.