Project "Mr. Ed"

[LEEVON]

I've been without a daily driver truck for about a year, and it was starting to wear on me so I began looking for something A) the whole family could fit in and B) relatively inexpensive. That's a tall order because right now the used market for trucks is insane. Well I don't want or need a new truck or an abused, over-priced second hand auction special either. After looking at 99+ crew cabs for a couple of months, and finding nothing but overpriced junk I found a clean one that I could afford. It was affordable for two reasons...it came with the almighty but un-loved 8.1L and its two wheel drive. I have seen it on a local used lot for awhile, and they got it on trade so I was able to own it for a very fair price. It has with 112,000 easy miles and lived most of its life in Central Florida. I imagine it was probably bought to haul an RV or a horse trailer, therefore the namesake "Mr. Ed".

The truck is very clean and drives great. I've been driving it for about two weeks without any problems and so far the 8.1L is very impressive, as is the Allison 1000 transmission. No rust, no dents, clean, non-smoker interior. There has been some maintenance done but it has a couple of issues, mainly leaks. I'll be addressing the leaks, doing some regular maintenance and making small improvements.

[LEEVON]

First order of business was a small lift, wheels and tires. I got some 3" keys, 2" rear blocks with front shock extenders from Ebay, and new front and rear Monroe shocks. 1.5 hours later she rolled out of the shop ready for wheels and tires and alignment. I scoured Craigslist until I found a set of used Hummer H2 wheels which are 17x8.5 with higher offset. After a rattle can re-do I matched them with a set of Cooper S/T Maxx 295/70r17's. The tires were a little bit of a splurge, and they were worth it. Very high quality. Each tire balanced with no more than 2 ounces total weight, road noise is very acceptable and they are just mean looking. Load Range E as well. The camber is maxed, but ok and caster is out of spec but overall the ride is pretty decent. Shout out to board member and ace tech Robert Huhges aka "Bobbo" for doing the alignment. He will also be helping with some of the leaks. He's easy to get help from since we work together LOL.

I also had the front two windows tinted, plus a strip on the windshield.

I am currently waiting for a set of chevrolet center caps pictured on the stock wheel below to arrive from the dealer.

[LEEVON]

I just booked an appointment for a live tune in Bentonville on March 21st with Justin Gadberry, Blackbear Performance. He's tuned a couple of trucks for me, and is very very good at what he does. The power gains with the 8.1L should be impressive. In preparation for the tuning session I cleaned the MAF and installed a new fuel filter and air filter. Next will be spark plugs, wires, fuel induction and fuel injector cleaning services. I am hoping to pick up some power and gas mileage and possibly up to 2mpg improvement with the tune.

http://www.blackbearperformance.com/

[lolife99]

Great looking crew cab!
I agree,... the used truck market is really lousy.
I'd like to find a clean '06-07 2wd single cab.

[LEEVON]

Originally Posted by lolife99

Great looking crew cab!
I agree,... the used truck market is really lousy.
I'd like to find a clean '06-07 2wd single cab.

Thanks! Sounds like you're looking for the truck we have both already had Seriously though I haven't seen a decent one since I sold mine 15 months ago. What I have seen is junk, trash priced like gold.

[LEEVON]

Got the center caps installed, look pretty good for some thrown together, scrounged-up stuff. I also checked off some maintenance, with help from Bobbo:

• New battery
• Replaced leaking oil cooler lines
• Cleaned MAF sensor
• Fuel filter
• Air filter
• Cabin air filter (no wonder the a/c wasn't blowing hard enough)
• Oil change with BG Products EPR, full synthetic 5w-30 Castrol Edge and a new drain plug

The "EPR" by BG products is a cleaner that we've had some success with. You run it hot with the old oil, then drain and fill like normal. It cleans very very well. We've had some major oil burners, likely with stuck rings and used this with before and after compression tests with good results. Since the 8.1L's have oil consumption issues, between fixing the leaks and getting the EPR done I'm trying to get a jump on the oil situation.

[Boog]

That's a nice find there. Low mileage from Florida, yeah it was probably a retiree. 6' bed. 5th wheel hitch in it? That's just the truck to pull with. You always seem to find the good ones. You are right, the used truck market is tough. High mile, hard driven trucks bring big money. I guess timing is everything. Wait until gas prices are up high again and truck prices tend to ease up just a bit.
I have a 2006 GMC crew cab Z71 and love everything about it except the front seats. It has cloth seats but they sit awful. 30 minutes into a drive and our butts going numb. I hope yours are better.
I see you discovered the cabin air filters. Amazing how much crud is caught by them isn't it?

[LEEVON]

Thanks! Surprisingly, no 5th wheel hitch and the bed is dent free. So maybe this particular old man had a bumper pull camper? I have to be the only guy dumb enough to drive an 8.1L to work and the hardware store on the weekends.

Surprising what you say about your 06 seats, they have been pretty comfortable for me in the past, and I'm a big dude. How's your seat foam? Might consider getting a new foam seat bottom?

[67ctener]

I like it looks great and has a good stance. I can't speak on the 8.1 but i have nothing bad to say about the Allison. I've put some serious power to them in the two dmaxs I've had and they just take it

[Boog]

Originally Posted by LEEVON

Thanks! Surprisingly, no 5th wheel hitch and the bed is dent free. So maybe this particular old man had a bumper pull camper? I have to be the only guy dumb enough to drive an 8.1L to work and the hardware store on the weekends.

Surprising what you say about your 06 seats, they have been pretty comfortable for me in the past, and I'm a big dude. How's your seat foam? Might consider getting a new foam seat bottom?

Well that is a heavy truck and the 8.1 will consume it's share of fuel for sure. I know a guy who bought a ford v10 4wd some years ago. He said it got 10 mpg loaded, empty, didn't make a &@$%!
He later returned to a GM diesel.

Do those Hummer wheels n tires stick out past the fender flares?

You know my 2000 GMC seats are more comfortable than these '06 seats. They aren't broken down. I am considering a visit to a local upholstery shop to see what he can do.

[LEEVON]

Originally Posted by 67ctener

I like it looks great and has a good stance. I can't speak on the 8.1 but i have nothing bad to say about the Allison. I've put some serious power to them in the two dmaxs I've had and they just take it

The Allison trans is a beast for sure. I really like the low 1st gear and it shifts really smoothly for a heavy duty truck transmission. There is no doubt it takes some power to operate but man it sure gives me confidence that it will handle abuse. One of my tech's dad has a 1 ton dually with 350k on the Allison with nothing more than fluid changes at 100k. The fluid on mine looked brand new and the filter has been changed so I'm good for awhile.

Originally Posted by Boog

Well that is a heavy truck and the 8.1 will consume it's share of fuel for sure. I know a guy who bought a ford v10 4wd some years ago. He said it got 10 mpg loaded, empty, didn't make a &@$%!
He later returned to a GM diesel.

Do those Hummer wheels n tires stick out past the fender flares?

You know my 2000 GMC seats are more comfortable than these '06 seats. They aren't broken down. I am considering a visit to a local upholstery shop to see what he can do.

Oh yeah, it's a gas guzzler for sure. I'm not sure where it's currently at because I'm only on my second tank but after all of the maintenance and the Blackbear tune I'm going to see where she is. I'm guessing 11-12 mpg. The H2 wheels have 5.5" backspacing and are 8.5" wide, so they are actually perfect for my taste, they don't stick out beyond the fender flares much if any.

[LEEVON]

AC Delco Plugs and wires are done. I wonder why it idles so smooth now!?

[Boog]

That's some gap! And typical ash buildup from a bit of oil consumption? They look a lot like what I pulled out of the 454 in our old wrecker back in the 70s. It ought to run a whole lot better now.

[LEEVON]

Definitely oil buildup, I guess that's the 8.1L life! I can't tell any seat of the pants difference but it has to be getting more complete combustion.

[LEEVON]

I just got this $300 sticker today and it turned Mr. Ed into a whole different beast! (For those that aren't familiar it was tuned by Justin Gadberry, Blackbear Performance). Big gains on the 8.1L...roasts tires at will, shifts oh so smooth and accelerates like a truck 1/2 the size.

[LEEVON]

Upgraded the stereo head unit.

[69gmcc10]

Looking awesome! I got a Black Bear tune on my 1500HD and what a difference! Cant wit to hear what your fuel consumption numbers are. Justin is the man!

[LEEVON]

Thanks! So far on the fuel mileage its night and day difference. Of course the tire size had to be corrected so my "before" numbers were off somewhat, but I was lucky to get 200 miles on a tank. I'm a 160 miles and still over 1/2 tank on the new tune! I will be happy at 12mpg. Justin said his 8.1L Suburban regularly pulls 13mpg on a similar tune.

[LEEVON]

I'm actually happy to report 10mpg on the first tank after the tune. This is because I've been driving it like a rental car. I'm willing to bet 12-13 with the easy foot.

[69gmcc10]

That is awesome! I have some friends and family members that have/had 8.1s in stock form and they all say 8-9 mpg.