94 Suburban help

Hi all! Ok, I have a 94 burb, 1500 5.7 and I need some help ( if you need more info please ask, not sure what to give).

First problem I'm having is a bizarre oil leak. It's coming down the right bank under the front fender. Seems to be coming down the frame. I have looked around and can't seem to see where it may be coming from. I've done some research and it seems GM's are notorious for oil cooler lines leaking or cracking. From what I've read it can cause the engine to seize? and now I'm afrain to drive her! I can't seem to find a specific answer as to whether or not MY burb has cooler lines??? could it be a cracked block?

In correcting the oil leak, I was going to replace the valve cover and oil pan gaskets to see if this helps. Hubby had an Explorer which he couldn't lower the pan enough to replace it ( had to take it to the dealer to have the motor jacked up). Can it be replaced easily? without having to do all that?

Second, slamming in the rear end. I thought maybe this could be linked to my emergency brake, but I towed a trailer from VA to FL a few months ago and it dramatically worsened the slamming. Hubby thought it might be universals? How crucial is this problem? Any suggestions as to something else it could be?

Third, I mentioned the emergency brake earlier. I noticed a grinding when I let off the brake to roll (no accelaration) like the brakes are sticking. Any suggestions? It has rear ABS. Also, braking hard causes slam in rear when it comes to rest.

Lastly, in addition to all this, it hesitates (misses), sometimes worse than others, along with a horrible exhaust small like it's running too rich. I have tried resetting the ECM and it will not miss at all for a day or so then goes back to the same. Check eng. light is not on and has never come on since I've owned it. Is there any way to check the codes without a code reader, simply by using the ignition? ( had a Dodge that 3 key turns would give you codes, just wondering if there's a way to do the same)

Thanks for reading my book :p

Any help is appreciated!

Stephanie

Thats' a big list. Even bigger than my Christmas list. Frame/Oil leak. Is it leaking on the drivers side?Where?Up front? Near the rear of engine? Have you looked for a cooler? Do you know where to look? Slamming in the rear? When does it "SLAM"? Can you define the SLAM better? Does it SLAM when cold only or all the time? I think I will ask 1 more question and this is not a slam,Do you ever service this truck at a shop that is willing to service it and CAN service it the PROPER WAY?

Honestly, I don't service any of my vehicles at a shop unless it's something I can't do myself. (lol) I just moved here and don't really know of any reputable shops, and the last few times I used a shop, I spent lots of money that didn't fix what I took the vehicle in for. :banghead:

So....the frame leak is on the passenger side at the rear of the engine. If you look directly down inside the engine compartment you can see the part of the frame it's leaking on. however it doesn't appear to be dripping down from the valve covers or anything else on that side of the motor. I have looked under the vehicle to try to figure out where it's coming from (I guess you can call that looking for a cooler :rolleyes:), however I can't find an illustration specific to my vehicle that I can look for. That being said I guess I need to know where to look also..:frown: I just looked in the general area I saw the oil on the frame. Maybe someone can point me in that direction?

The "slam" in the rear is like the back end has too much play for movement. It slams ALL the time, and I find that I have to go very slow over speed bumps, uneven pavement or the dip entering/exiting my driveway. Roads in general cause it to slam from lack of engineering!

HTH

I'll chime in on the oil pan first. It's a BREEZE!!!. I am assuming you have a 2WD.. Just align the mark on the balancer pointing to the ground, and the oil pan slides off without any jacking of the motor. You can move the Torque Converter shroud as far back as it will go and all will clear.

The oil cooler lines run down the driver side of the oil pan. I can't see how that makes it to the frame like you are mentioning. I got my oil cooler lines rebuilt at a local hydraulic shop. They are expensive new, but the hardest part is how hard they are to make sure you get the right ones. (I had total hell on my 94 pickup, GM said they didn't even make oil cooler lines for it!!!)

Hope that helps.. Patrick

Here's my guess on your frame oil leak. I'd bet that you are actually leaking transmission fluid (or possibly transfer case fluid; if your truck is 4wd) and its getting mixed with dirt and crud making it look more oil like. The hard lines from the tranny to the cooler inside the radiator run in that general area and I'd suggest a careful examination of them as you might have a pinhole or a loose fitting. Have you noticed the tranny fluid level changing?

If you have an oil cooler it will probably be mounted on the drivers side of the engine up front of the radiator. You can take a look underneath the oil filter for a spacer/plate that has two hoses coming out of it. If you find one follow the hoses to the cooler. If you don't find one you probably don't have an oil cooler.

As for the slamming, from your description I'd go along with the u-joint possibility but I wouldn't rule out shock mounts either. Take your truck to a local tranny shop for a free evaluation and ask them to show you exactly what they found (they should have a lift and can walk you under the truck to point out/demonstrate things) then you can determine how you might want to proceed. Use the "My spouse doesn't know a darn thing about this stuff" line so I need to understand this. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Another suggestion would be to take a trip to your local u-pull wrecking yard and have a look at similar vehicles there. You will get a chance to see various engine configurations in random states of disassembly and you don't have to mess with your truck to do it. Talk up the folks up front (they almost always love to talk and will be virtually guaranteed to adopt any woman willing to do her own work). Besides everyone likes to thnik themselves an expert; so let them..... Want to really freak them out? Bring them a plate of cookies, some doughnuts or a cold coke as most people only stop in to complain, if you turn the tables they will do their best to help you out and it will cost you almost nothing.