Hi everyone. I am going to be bringing the truck home for the Fall Break from college next weekend and I am going to be doing some work on the truck while I have it parked for a couple days. I have ramps, some tools, drain pan, waste oil jug and a grease gun here at my college apartment and I am going to bring all that home to do this. I do have some questions about certain stuff on this list. Not sure whether I should start a new thread for each one, so I will put it all here.

-Oil change (Royal Purple Oil + filter since I can probably find it at a discount again at Pep Boys. Works very well, especially for everything from frequent startups/short trips and long trip/high speed driving)

Done this before a dozen times. No real questions there except:
The oil plug gasket: What material should I be getting? The last time I got a rubber gasket and the excess part of it started to break off and I think it might be leaking again. Should I get a synthetic gasket (~$1-2 more per pack)?
Is it normal for RP to have a 5-10 psi oil pressure reduction at idle when the engine is at operating temp? I get around 30 when I used to get 40 with Mobil1 HM with Lucas or Rislone.


-Transmission Fluid change

I had a deep pan with a drain plug installed last Christmas break about 12k ago (filter was changed at that time). I normally have the trans fluid changed every 15k (used to do flushes a couple years ago every 15k and have the pan dropped every 30k. No more flushes.) and the filter every 30k, but this time I would like to do it myself via the drain plug also since my class schedule doesn't allow me to do it at the 15k mark. What is the procedure for changing the fluid in this way? Just drain and refill? Is it 7.5 quarts with the deep pan? Should I be doing it twice to try to get all the fluid this time? In that case, I would need 7 qts MAXLIFE and .5 quarts Lucas (helps with shifting, especially with a trans cooler)(or if I do it twice 14 qts and 1 bottle of Lucas)? Is there a trick to adding the fluid down that narrow dipstick tube? What are the consequences to overfilling it if I just add the same amount as what comes out of the pan?

-Repair crack in front bumper cover near license plate

1. How do I remove the bumper cover on this truck? It is a 98 Jimmy.
2. Would epoxy putty do it? I am going to paint it with bedliner paint afterward like I did with the rear bumper. I will be painting the whole truck soon with bedliner or similar paint, so I am not really concerned about how good it looks as long as it works.

-Undercoating repair

A couple weeks ago, I had a bit of an accident when parking the truck. It went off the end of the driveway, down a 14" drop and went into tall grass. The undercoat I put on the frame rails was scraped down to the bare metal at the mid point of the wheelbase of the car. Should I be priming it first and then use the rubberized stuff again? In case anyone is wondering, I was rolling the truck the last 40 feet since my space is parallel to the windows of 2 apartments and it was 1am. There was nothing behind the truck (no danger), so I decided to shut the engine down and roll it the last 40 feet due to the acoustics with the engine noise bouncing off the wall and making it sound louder than it actually is. I used up the vacuum reserve in the brake booster too early and the truck lost brakes. Even with both feet on the pedal, it rolled off the end and the mud stopped it 25 feet beyond that. I managed to get it into 4x4 and get it unstuck from the mud and then to the car wash to get the mud off. Also had tall grass wrapped around the axle. I don't do this anymore, in case anyone is wondering.

-Throttle body spacer (re)install (as long as I can find all the old parts!)
I had a throttle body spacer on this truck a couple years ago, but I took it off to put a CAI in since the CAI wouldn't bolt down. Now I found a way to have both of them by using the OEM flexible plenum and keep the CAI part with the filter.
1. One of the studs that screws into the intake manifold is stripped at the very top (will accept the big CAI hex spacers, but not a bolt at the very top of it) of it and I don't think I can bolt the throttle body down at that corner. How do I get it out of there? I don't know if the person who installed it used Loctite or not since he habitually uses it on every bolt.
2. I know I can get threaded rods that I can have cut down to make a new stud, but should I have it made 1/2" longer and what material should I have it made?
3. Or could I simply reverse the stud so the part that was on the bottom is now on the top and the remainder of what is now the top will hold it in?

-Front Axle Fluid

Would synthetic 75W-90 make it easier to lock the axle in with the Posi-Lok? With winter coming up, I can't afford a non-engagement situation. Especially with all the weird weather patterns (earthquake, hurricane (flooding), tropical depression (more flooding), tornadoes) over the past month here since I believe the next one is snow.

-Transfer case

I disconnected the vacuum lines to it at the firewall since it is no longer used (Posi-Lok) while trying to find a leak and the hoses are rotted somewhat. Right call or are they actually needed? Should I go a step further and disconnect/plug the ports at the vacuum switch and hoses to prevent problems in the future?

Since it is drain/refill, I might also change the fluid since I will already have leftover tranny fluid anyway (NP233 uses DEX III ATF, right?)


Sorry for the long post. Thanks.

 

I would add all filters to your work and possibly a good tune up using quality AC delco parts. Also have the battery checked. How is the belt? Brakes? tires? Coolant? All lights working? Tire tread and pressure? Winter wipers? Clean the windows (MAkes if feel like a new truck!) Throw in the junper cables, sleeping bag, snack food and flash light. Do you have a fire extinguisher? First aid kit?

Im sure ive missed a few things, Good luck and be safe!

 

I would add all filters to your work and possibly a good tune up using quality AC delco parts.

*Tuneup was done last Christmas with AC Delco cap/rotor/Rapidfire 12 plugs and Bosch wires. Cap/rotor failed 3 months ago due to corrosion and it wouldn't start until I kept cranking it. I replaced it with a Napa Echlin part in an emergency. Parts guy said AC Delco had problems with it. Obviously I am going to do the oil filter when I do the oil as I do every oil change. Trans filter should last a total of 30k? Longest time I ever ran a trans filter. I don't even think it needs new fluid right now, but with winter coming up, it could use it. New fluid refreshes it.


Also have the battery checked.
*Battery failed in June and I replaced it. It was a Bosch Premium Plus that was only 3 months old. New Advance Autocraft Gold installed and working great.

How is the belt?
*New. Just squeaks after a rainstorm as the past 3 belts did. Tensioner and idler pulley are new. All pulleys have no play in them.

Brakes?
*ALMOST EVERYTHING was replaced last year (pads, calipers, rotors, hoses, some metal lines, master cylinder and fluid (3 times) and the last time I had them checked was about a month ago and everything was fine.

tires?
*Replaced May 2010. Plenty of tread left. Pressures are 34PSI on each (tire limit is 35PSI)

Coolant?
*Changed in July like I do every year and a half. Prestone Green. No leaks that I can find (I checked hoses and the weep hole).

All lights working?
*Yup

Tire tread and pressure?
*See above


Winter wipers?
*Bosch wipers that don't have the traditional frame are installed. Just did so this summer.


Clean the windows (MAkes if feel like a new truck!)
*Will do once it stops raining



Throw in the junper cables, sleeping bag, snack food and flash light. Do you have a fire extinguisher? First aid kit?
*All of the above and more. Also got spare fluids for everything, emergency kit, jumper pack, funnels to add fluids, basic tools, etc.


Im sure ive missed a few things, Good luck and be safe!

*I don't think you did. Thanks so much!