I have a few questions about my truck..

[GMCjunkie]

As some of you know, my Burb had been sitting for almost 3 years in the body shop, it was started semi often and ran, but not driven. That being said, I havent really "worked" on my truck in that 3 years. ~first Q.~ Can the seals rot or dry from just sitting? Ive got leaks that werent leaking before.

I know this was an issue before too, ~second Q~ Why does my truck over heat so easily? I have the big beefy radiator, and 2 electric fans, also, I suppose I should change out the thermostat, "just because"? Im afraid to take it anywhere for getting stuck in traffic for even 5 minits, it get so hot so fast.

~Third Q.~ My windshield wipers, they move SO SOOOO slow, theres no way they would be useful even in light rain, I know they were never like a highspeed new truck, but sheesh... What can I do?

~4th Q.~ How the heck do I make my windows leak proof? If it rains, water gets inside, I find it on the inside of my doors. What can I do?

Also, what other tips can yall give me to change, do , fix , replace etc... just BECAUSE my truck has been sitting so long?

Sorry for the long winded post, thanks for your time!!

junk

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by GMCjunkie

~second Q~ Why does my truck over heat so easily? I have the big beefy radiator, and 2 electric fans, also, I suppose I should change out the thermostat, "just because"? Im afraid to take it anywhere for getting stuck in traffic for even 5 minits, it get so hot so fast.

Do you have a fan shroud?

[Sublvr72]

seals can dry and crack from lack of use and lubrication which could cause your leaks. You can try replacing your wiper motor, that might help with the speed issue, and your seal problem can be solved with a new set of window channel seals and glass rubbers.

[71 super]

Check the ground on the wiper as well, a poor ground can make the motor run slowly. Why do you have electric fans? Are they large enough? How many cfm do they move? I personally would look for a stock clutch fan, put on a new clutch and remove the electrics. The thermostat is a quick cheap part that may help. I would get a 180* and install it just to see if it helps. Do you know someone with a infrared heat sensor? Get them to check the temp vs. the guage. Your guage may be lying to you. As far as your leaks, you can get a steamer (think lil shark or similar) and have someone go around the weatherstrips, use a water based pen to mark everywhere you see leaks, following this check the window seals etc. around your marks and replace as ness.

[71swb4x4]

Leaks -
seals can definitely dry up. Start chasing the leaks down and replacing seals where necessary.

Overheating -
Is your gauge accurate?
Do you have an air pocket? You might have an air pocket that isn't allowing you8r coolant to flow. Start the truck with the radiator cap off and watch the coolant. Once the thermostat opens you should see the coolant begin to circulate.
Are your fans working? Are they set up on a thermostat so that they only turn on once the engine hits a certain temperature? Is that thermostat working correctly?
Is your water pump OK?

Wipers-
These old motors are notorious for going out. You probably just need a new wiper motor. The motor is kind of a pain to get to so I would check the wiring first and make sure it's getting the voltage it needs. It would stink to pull the motor only to find out the switch was bad.

Windows-
You likely need to reseal them, if the body shop didn't install new seals.
When you do get water, is it draining? There are drains at the bottom of the doors that let all of that water out. Make certain they are open.

[GMCjunkie]

Here is the set up I have for my fans, one is on the outside one on the inside. I do not have a fan shroud. I do not know what the wire in my hand in the last pic is for, there appears to be a fuse in it. At the time they were put in, I was told it was the better than the stock fan, I never truly agreed with it. I dont know anything thing about cfm . And at the moment dont know anyone with a heat sensor. My gauge could be fubared, as I have probs with the fuel and speedo at the moment.

Will check the flow of water, and replace thermostat.

Fans come on as soon as you turn on the key.

Will check the ground for the wiper motor,

Will start changing seals too, have one more week before school starts again, gonna be busy. lol

thanks so much for your info, Id have never been able to keep my truck as long as I have if it hadnt been for yall!

from my heart, THANKS!
junk

[Sammy]

Get a custom fan shroud for the electric fans it will make them move air much better and fix your heating problem as long as everything else W/P, thermo, and rad are working right. GMC Pauls has some decent shrouds. Or go to any custom rad shop can make you one to fit your fans. Just have a talk with a rad shop agree on a charge remove your fans and rad take it to him to make a shroud for you. Should charge you some where around $100--$140.

[Sammy]

here are pics of mine. Also using a ADJ fan switch that screws as a replacement into the drain cock. 170-220. I still read from my temp gage from a sensor in the head and adjust this thermo switch to run my fans.

[beautimus]

Jody,
first off don't forget the "don't remove the cap when the radiator is hot "
thing. i know your not a dummy but sometimes the pros forget.
on the heating problem try the simple stuff first.
first off, your truck has been in limited run mode for three years. So do a complete cooling system flush, and refill. Antifreeze/coolant can loose its anti corosive qualities after its been sitting in a car like that. so its likely to be junked up inside. a bottle of cooling system flush will get it cleaned up . then drain , flush and put new coolant and water. if you werent overheating before it sat for so long, that should take care of it. replacing the thermostat aint a bad idea either. another note if you do the" flush the cooling system" thing. put a bottle of water pump lube in with the anti freeze, your seals in the pump may be in need of a little love too. the lube should keep them happy.
always try the easy and cheap stuff first. (my opinion).

since the fuse in your pic is close to the fans, and is a later type of fuse that these trucks came with i suspect that is the fuse to youre fans.
Tony

[71 super]

The fans a big, but I would think that you are not getting the benefit as one is acting as a pusher and one is acting as a puller. I think you would do better to get a stock type fan, and a shroud, sell the electric units to offset the cost of the replacement parts and flush the system to get max benefit of your cooling system.

[Hubscrub]

i agree i don't see them fans being effective with one working against the other have you tried unhooking the pusher one and just useing the puller it might help until you can do better

[vectorit]

The leaking windows are what I am still dealing with. New rubber that doesn't seal the way it should, been through 3 sets on some windows to get them to seal. Burbs have tight corners in the rubber, and the seal just butts up to the corner. I have seen those corners being a source of a leak, and have solved the problems with black RTV silicone. Dab some in the corner, then use your finger to smooth it down flush. Later when it dries, you won't even notice it unless I point out what was done. Also, make sure the shop sealed your roof gutter. If they didn't, then you will have leaks galore.

Seals... Wow, am I am dealing with dried seals. Mainly in the transmission/transfer case, and the rear axle gaskets and seals.
I built all my mechanical stuff first, then stored them while everything else was getting done. Over the years, well everything must have dried up. So, yea plan on some follow up work on those seals.

[GMCjunkie]

If I go back to stock set up for my fan, what all do I need. the fan itself and the shroud I know.

[evilways]

As far as the running hot issue, I would not take out the electrics just yet, Change that thermostat and the water pump, run the engine to make sure you don’t have any air in the system, and see what happens.

Why I say this is, I am running stock 4 blade fan, NO shroud, and a stock radiator that I am sure is not flowing like it should. I will say that I have a brand new thermostat and water pump, and heater core nothing fancy just auto junk stuff. I can drive in stop and go traffic all day long and never see 190 or over on my gauge. We have been having darn near 100 degree days the past few weeks here and she still ran cool. I admit I am not running the air conditioner that I wish I had.

Check your wires at the fans to see if they are getting a full 12v from a source, low voltage and they won’t run like they should as you know.

Check to see if indeed you’re are pushing and pulling like it should be, you defiantly don’t want to be pulling/pulling. And if one is not working as good as the other that’s not good either, so you can try disconnecting the pusher like Hubscrub said and see what happens.

If you want to keep the electrics, check those things before you go back to stock, fresh cooling parts are good anyway you look at it.

[71swb4x4]

A fan shroud will go a long way, but I prefer the orignal setup myself. KISS right? If you do a shroud and keep the electric do it like Sammy's where you mount the fan to the shroud. I honestly think that would really help. It makes it so you pull air through the whole radiator, whereas now you are only pulling air through the center of the radiator.

[Jacfourteen]

It sounds like a fan issue to me, because you said that it happens when you are in stop and go traffic. If it were the thermostat or the water pump then it would happen all the time. Right now I have an electric fan setup but the switch to turn them on/off isn't working right so I pulled the fuse out, so I basically have no fan and mine will stay cool as long as I don't sit still for more than 10 minutes and it has been 105+ here lately. If this is how yours is then more than likely it is a fan prob., but like said before the coolant is supposed to be changed/flushed every 2 years so I would to this regardless, and if you are doing that the you should go ahead and do the thermostat as well. As a tip, if you decide to do the thermostat before you put it in the truck put it in a pan of water with a meat thermometer and boil it to make sure it is working right because alot of them are junk.

[GMCjunkie]

Thanks for the help yall,. checking more stuff tomorrow, will change out the fluid and the thermo. the water pump is newish, hoping that isnt the issue.

[72lb4x4]

I think I'd wonder why its been in the shop for 3 years more than any of the other stuff. Just out of curiosity, why?

Are the drains in the bottom of the doors cloggerd?