purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
The 4.8 is a good engine. It only has 30 less hp than a 6.0 and about 200 less pds of torque. Geared right and tweeked it will run from now on.
GM CV owners
- Thread starter billg27
- Start date
The 4.8 is a good engine. It only has 30 less hp than a 6.0 and about 200 less pds of torque. Geared right and tweeked it will run from now on.
That would explain surging, but it wouldn't explain why wvcourier is using more fuel than he thinks he should be. I will agree the gasoline we're using these days is the pits, especially in the small engines you mention. Most of those small powerplants require a carburetor rebuild every other season because of the ethanol in the fuel. It does terrible things to the rubber and plastics in the fuel system of those small motors.
By a very strange coincidence, I've dealt with small motors quite a bit. R/C model boat motors. The gasoline motors absolutely hate ethanol fuel, and the really small glow engines thrive on methanol mixed with a percentage of nitromethane. Different plastics and silicon hoses make methanol usable in the small stuff. A restricted line-- regardless of the fuel-- will cause surging until the engine starves completely, then it dies for lack of fuel.
wvcourier
Expert Expediter
I dont live in WVa anymore....i live in a van down by the River...the Mississipi River tonight. And im not a mechanic, but everytime i replaced fuel filter in other cars, they seemed to run better and get better mpg.
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purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
Sounds like an Idler Arm. Is there play in the wheel? When you hit a pot hole or similiar does the steering wheel want to jump out of your hands?
guido4475
Not a Member
I'd go with either a ball joint or an idler arm.
I've noticed also within the last year or year an a half the mileage on all my vehicles has dropped.Thinking it could be the refineries doing something different.My dad's company furnished 2500 chevy van with 4.8 gets about the same.the heavyest load he's carried is a 487lb. person.
He's in the funeral business.
He's in the funeral business.
That will happen if you spend most of your time driving backwards. This is a good thing because lower mileage vehicles generally have a higher resale value.
Seriously folks, the refineries are doing something different and have been for a long time. Ethanol is being added to gasoline. You don't think we are eating all that corn we see growing out there, do you? Most regular grade gasoline sold in this country contains 10% ethanol and of course E-85 is 85% ethanol. E-85 should really be renamed. G-15 would be a more appropriate name, as in 15% gasoline. After all we are buying this stuff at a gas station, not an ethanol station.
Ethanol contains less btu's of energy than gasoline. Our gasoline is being diluted and as a result, fuel mileage decreases. But we are breathing cleaner air, importing less foreign oil and staving off the devastating effects of global warming.
We are reducing our reliance on foreign oil are we not? Um, let's see, ah 10% ethanol added to gas, plus 85% ethanol added to E-85, less E-85 sold, um carry the 1 and divide, um, ah a rough average of 17% ethanol being added to all gasoline. That should equate to a 17% drop in foreign oil imports, an overall reduction in pump prices and a 73% increase in the price of a can of Green Giant Nibblets™. Corn, its not just for dinner anymore!
"Going green a casino catch phrase, ethanol is made of smoke and mirrors
who makes the decision to feed the tanks and not the mouths
when the wheels don't move, when the wheels don't move"
Jay Farrar
Had my share of those when I was younger, except mine were alive. That was a challenge! Always had to tell them to keep their hands inside the stretcher. Tied a few wrists together in my day....
don't you think that was a little mean? I know with these nuts this day and time you need to tape their mouths shut too.
I don't have the stomach for that.Thanks to all the EMT's and firefighters
And I do imagine that was a challenge sometimes too.
cubevanman
Active Expediter
OK I run an 03 GMC 3500 6.0 ls2 4:10 gears 12 foot supreme box. At 225,000 I changed the plugs and wires. They looked fine coming out I put iridium plugs and msd 8mm wires on it. Before and after I changed them I had a slight misfire every once and a while only when it was idling. I figure its a coil pack going bad. I carry a new one with me but I can't tell which one is giving me problems. Benefit of it is it keeps me from idling my truck. At which I don't like to do anyway. Has anyone else had this problem?
sent from my Chinese tinker toy.
sent from my Chinese tinker toy.
Do you have a scan tool to check for fault codes? A PO300 is a misfire code. If the last digit is 1-8, that would be the problem cylinder.
purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
Well the nice thing is the 6.0 you can just jump the wire from the old to the new w/o installing them. Check each one by one starting with number one. That will save you from getting it scanned at GM for $200 bucks. Or you can buy a scan guage and check the codes.
ScanGauge - Trip Computer + Digitial Gauges + ScanTools
I might ad, Make sure it's grounded before you start the engine. The new one not being attached to the engine is not grounded so make sure it's grounded, it might not work w/out it.
ScanGauge - Trip Computer + Digitial Gauges + ScanTools
I might ad, Make sure it's grounded before you start the engine. The new one not being attached to the engine is not grounded so make sure it's grounded, it might not work w/out it.
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Finally put in my new plugs and wires last Sunday. First thing I noticed was a smoother idle, hoping for an increase in fuel milage to cover the $68 in costed me in parts. I bought the van with 71,000 miles and assumed that it had original plugs. Instead it had some weird looking Bosch plugs, one center electrode and four outside electrodes! Found out that it has no cap or rotor, all done by crank sensor. Plugs were dry and clean, a very good sign. Some of them had the center electrode burned down pretty far causing a larger then recommended plug gap. I'm hoping for an improvement and glad I got it done before damp winter weather gets here.
Imagine a patient grabbing the handrail when you're trying to carry their 400-pound butts down a flight of stairs! Pass the restraints PLEASE!
You're welcome, and thank you for thinking of us
Well, so much for "Hope and Change" with my van. Again a little disappointed with that. Definitely starts easier and idles smoother but no more power or no better fuel milage. Still glad I did the tune-up but was Hoping the Change would have given me more milage.
Bill, I'm not sure of the year your van was built but 14 mpg to maybe 17 mpg seems to be what you get. I get about 14.5 to maybe 15 if it's feeling good on my '98. In winter it seems I get a bit less, colder air takes more energy to make power I guess.
wvcourier
Expert Expediter
What could be the cause of my van losing Antifreeze? Theres no leak when parked, but after long drive the resivour is empty? ...also, are you supposed to rotate tires on rear wheel drive van? If so, after how many miles...ive been doing it fter every oil change? I bought tires from walmart wth lifetime tire rotation. Is that overkill...will that mess up alighnment?
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Sent from my Teddy Ruxspin
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Mine started that...suspected small head gasket leak...i put a bottle of that good head gasket sealer in...no more vanishing coolant..
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EASYTRADER
Expert Expediter
Sprk plugs don't have expiration dates but they do wear out. If your plugs still look sharp, then gap them and put them in. If they are oily or fulle of soot, that indicates other problems in the engine. Pitting on the electrode is what you normally will see on a worn out plug.
To check your plug wires, for wear, run the engine at night or in a dark garage, pop the hood and look for arcs, any arc or flashes of lights, replace them.
Unscientiffic, but it works.
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To check your plug wires, for wear, run the engine at night or in a dark garage, pop the hood and look for arcs, any arc or flashes of lights, replace them.
Unscientiffic, but it works.
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