Dean's '11 Crew Cab Budget Build

Got to test fit the catchan the other day. I like it, but it sits pretty close to the power steering fluid cap. I can get the drain plug out but don't have enough room to put something under to catch it. I may remove the bottom clamp or flip them around so it sits closer to the valve cover.

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I also have these on the way to replace my current leveling components so I'll have clearance to add in a differential drop later on.


http://m.ebay.com/itm/Alloy-Front-2...0-2007-2015-/131243550174?txnId=1200027489003
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Finally have enough info for an update.

Based on the consumption tests at the dealer, the truck is averaging about 1qt every 2k miles. I also pulled the valve cover and found that it does have the updated version. This means it most likely has the updated oil pan shield as well.

I talked with the main tech for a while when I was in for the last check. His opinion was with the amount of oil it is using, it wasn't worth tearing into it to try to track down the issue. He said that it could be rings or pistons, but that it's hard to tell even with them out of the block.

Based on all of that info, I've decided to just monitor it for now. I will go on and add the catch can and I'm highly considering a tune from bbp.

Moving forward, I have brand new LCA's that I hope to have on this weekend along with swapping out the leveling components. After this is done, the truck will be put on the back burner for a while. I've been in my house for about 2.5 years now and I'm wanting to start working on doing some remodeling, so it will be taking priority for a while.

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That's moar oil than mi GTI goes through and it leaks horrendously. I'm actually interested to see how much of that the catch can gets because if it's not getting eaten by the intake, and it's not leaking... I'd bet it's the previous owner out to get you Dean
 
That's moar oil than mi GTI goes through and it leaks horrendously. I'm actually interested to see how much of that the catch can gets because if it's not getting eaten by the intake, and it's not leaking... I'd bet it's the previous owner out to get you Dean
The sad part is that 1qt every 2k miles is barely within GM specs. I'm curious to see how much the catch can grabs too. If it's all coming through the pcv system, I'll have to check it every time I fill up with gas.

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The sad part is that 1qt every 2k miles is barely within GM specs. I'm curious to see how much the catch can grabs too. If it's all coming through the pcv system, I'll have to check it every time I fill up with gas.

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you work at a machine shop, make an extension for it so it can hold 6 quarts, would def check oil at every fill up though
you could reuse some of that oil though :dnw:
 
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you work at a machine shop, make an extension for it so it can hold 6 quarts, would def check oil at every fill up though
you could reuse some of that oil though :dnw:
I plan on checking oil level once a week at home in the garage. Can't ever get a good read at the gas station. If it really is all coming through the pcv I could run a hose from the can to a large catch tank that I drain when I change the oil.

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I plan on checking oil level once a week at home in the garage. Can't ever get a good read at the gas station. If it really is all coming through the pcv I could run a hose from the can to a large catch tank that I drain when I change the oil.

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for me gas station would be more often then once a week but really i guess you would be fine every 1k
you need to make sure you keep everything sealed up nice then or put a valve on the drain so its not open with engine running
 
for me gas station would be more often then once a week but really i guess you would be fine every 1k
you need to make sure you keep everything sealed up nice then or put a valve on the drain so its not open with engine running
I only do 300-500 a week, so once a week should be fine. Sending you a pm in a min.

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Giving this a Monday bump. I was able to work on the truck a little bit this weekend and it ended up being more eventful than I was expecting.

Fair warning, it's a fairly lengthy post, so jump to the bottom for a TL/DR if you want.

First, I got the catch can plumbed up and installed. I may change the mounting location later, but that's where it's sitting for now.
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Next up was getting the new LCA's installed. Simple task, right? Not so much.....

Somehow broke a camber plate without touching it or the UCA.
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Also managed to explode a strut assembly and ruin a Bilstien.
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I had been hearing some noise up front, so I decided to check that the main nut was tight. Stupididly, I hit it with an impact, shearing the threads off of the end of the shaft. Thankfully it was laying down. I was at the front of the garage and the strut shot under the truck, out of the garage and to the bottom of the driveway. I got extremely lucky and only have a small scrape on my hand. I had to go to advance and get a new strut assembly since it was all they had in stock and I needed to get the truck out of the garage. Thankfully I was able to get it so that both sides sat even with eachother.

That actually brought something else to my attention - The spacer stack I used on the repaired side provided 3.5" of lift, but somehow both sides were even. After seeing that, I think I am truly at 3.5", not 4" like I previously thought.

Thankfully, the strut is getting replaced free of charge. I purchased it through amazon and due to the nature of the failure, they decided to replace it for me, no questions asked. It should be here Tuesday. All I have to do is send the old one back.

With the new strut coming, I'm thinking about changing how I achieve the amount of lift I have. Most likely, I'll set the bilsteins back at 0 and use the new upper spacer (2.5") in conjunction with the old upper spacer (.5"). This combination should give me 3" or 1/2" lower than current height, making it ride a bit better and not strain the lower ball joints as much.

I'm also tossing around the idea of either getting new leaf springs or getting a deaver J1 mini pack.
http://performancelifts.com/deaver-gm-mini-pack-j1.html

My current leafs are sagging pretty bad and basically riding on the overloads. It seems pretty typical on these trucks, but it's making the rear ride fairly rough. I'm leaning more towards the idea of the deavers for 2 reasons. First off, they are much easier to install than a brand new leaf pack since they just replace the overload. Second, they would eliminate the need for a lift block since they provide 2" of lift on their own. They may not ride as good as a new leaf pack would, but with how they work, they would help correct the bit of sag the old leafs have and get rid of the lift blocks.

TL/DR - Installed catch can and new UCA's, blew up a strut assembly, strut getting replaced under warranty, may change front setup, and thinking about improving the rear suspension.
 
Damn dean, that sucks. I'd get a new OEM spring set if you're concerned about ride. Cuz those deavers are still overloads even if they are a "soft" overload. What shocks are you running in the rear? And how are your springs sagging? My 06 isn't doing that....

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Damn dean, that sucks. I'd get a new OEM spring set if you're concerned about ride. Cuz those deavers are still overloads even if they are a "soft" overload. What shocks are you running in the rear? And how are your springs sagging? My 06 isn't doing that....

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I'm running bilsteins in the rear as well. I think they are sagging from when I was 2/4. With that setup, I had the overload pulled and the bumpstops cut out. I think the wear was due to the fact that the bumpstops wasn't there to limit travel and caused them to overextend. The main reason I know they are sagging is I should be able to sit close to level with a 2" block, but I'm having to run a 3" to get close.

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Ahh that makes sense. Over extension could definitely do that. What's your measurement out back with the 3?


**Actually just went back and re-read the Deaver thing cuz I just skimmed it before. That actually seems like a great solution and a great price plus you get that adjustability with those plates. I may even consider those in the future if I lift the truck
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Ahh that makes sense. Over extension could definitely do that. What's your measurement out back with the 3?


**Actually just went back and re-read the Deaver thing cuz I just skimmed it before. That actually seems like a great solution and a great price plus you get that adjustability with those plates. I may even consider those in the future if I lift the truck
Sent from a dingleberry
Last time I measured, I think I was at 39.5 rear with a 31" tire.

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Time for a little update.

I finally got the replacement bilstein and the new cam plate installed over the weekend. I ended up leaving them where they had been set since it really doesn't ride all that bad how it sits.

I've also been putting more thought into the rear. I'm pretty sure that ill be going with the deaver mini pack. Since i never really tow anything, I'm not concerned about not having a true overload anymore.

On to the engine. I've been keeping a close eye on the catch can and the amount it is collecting so far is enough for me to tell its working, but is fairly negligible compared to my consumption. Also, the clean side is dry/clean, so I know it's doing its job. So either I've got some parts that are at very extreme ends of tolerances, or something else is going on. I really don't have money to throw at it right now, so I'm just going to monitor consumption like I initially planned on for now. If it gets extreme, I'll dig deeper into it.

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