When is it time to ditch it? GMT800 content

So last week my 2000 Tahoe burst a brake line. Yup, one of the hard lines that tend to rust out. I had it off my radar since this was one that was harder to see, ABS module to rear axle, and the rest of the truck is pretty rust free for a northeast truck. I fiddled for ~5 hours to get the brake line on, and finally had a chance to give it a good once-over.

I've noticed the following things:

- I need to do the remaining 6 brake lines. I'd say 2/3 of them are easy and the last 1/3 may be a pain.

- The fuel line from the tank to the filter looks really crusty. Just as bad as my brake line. Looks like I need to drop the tank?!?

- Rust on the rear "dogleg" of the body. Cosmetic, but I'm thinking of drilling out the pinch weld, treating the rust forming in the seam, and epoxying it back before spray painting it.

It "only" has 193k and has been rock solid for the past 13k miles I've owned it. I'm worried that it's going to start nickle and dime me from now on. This is my daily, and my commute may go from 24 miles roundtrip to 100 miles roundtrip. At what point would you guys dump it, or at least get another daily? Other vehicles in my fleet are a '97 328i (not dailyable for 100 miles a day due to autocross prep level) and an '09 Cobalt SS that I still haven't gotten inspected and road legal.

google how to tilt the bed to access the fuel lines and brake lines. While you are there change the fuel pump. In fact I think if you google how to replace the fuel pump it will show you. The tilt bed trick makes doing all the stuff you mentioned a simple easy job. I lift the bed by putting a floor jack on the rear tire and lift on the bed rail edge. I prop it up with jack stands on the frame rails to the bed cross bars. I also leave the jack in place and for good measure put a 2x4 under it wedged to the ground.

In reply to dean1484 :

Might be a bit tricky tilting the bed on a Tahoe.

When you’re done at least you have an engine donor

Who's to say it's newer replacement won't have more expensive, less easy to replace parts on it.

If the tank is under the rear floor like on a suburban, you could cut the floor above the gas tank and go at it that way.  That is how I changed the fuel pump on my suburban.

In reply to 68TR250 :

Dropping a fuel tank isn't so difficult that I would ever recommend cutting a hole in the floor. 

get a 4 cylinder camry, or similar appliance, for your 100 mile per day commute.  at $4/gallon of gas, a $2500 camry pays itself off in 208 days from fuel savings alone (30mpg estimate, vs 16 of your tahoe).  I'd bandaid the brake lines (well, replace them...don't patch them), don't look at the fuel lines unless the pump fails on you.  As was said, dropping the tank isn't bad, just don't fill it before you do the work.  Plus, LS swap/partout candidate when you retire the truck.  

I had a full tank ( 42 gallon tank ) and was by myself.  I did not really want to have almost 400 pounds of fuel tank and fuel above my head trying to balance pn a floor jack.  Plus reading about the poor quality of some fuel pumps = them failing after a relatively short period, I figured I would prepare for the worst.  

Nothing to add other than to commiserate.  Just changed the front brake lines on a 99 Sierra 1500 over the weekend since one developed a pinhole leak from rust.  I was lucky enough to be able to tilt the cab.  I hate replacing parts that are installed early in the assembly process when there is no thought for replacement.  Plus the number of GMT-800 with rusted lines is frightening.  My fuel lines don't look awful, but the path they take up over the trans and into the engine compartment makes me think that will be the straw that turns it into an LS donor.

Good point that a newer Tahoe/Silverado wouldn't be much better in a few years either.

My fuel sender hasn't been great either so it stops registering around 1/4 tank. Luckily, my fuel tank straps are fine and it looks like I can drop it without snapping bolts. I do want to balance 26 gallons over me, but it may be something I have to do. I guess priority-wise, I really need to get the Cobalt running as my appliance and then finish my garage so I have a workspace. Running to my parents house 3 hours away every weekend had me stressing out over the rest of this truck.

stylngle2003 said:

get a 4 cylinder camry, or similar appliance, for your 100 mile per day commute.  at $4/gallon of gas, a $2500 camry pays itself off in 208 days from fuel savings alone (30mpg estimate, vs 16 of your tahoe).  I'd bandaid the brake lines (well, replace them...don't patch them), don't look at the fuel lines unless the pump fails on you.  As was said, dropping the tank isn't bad, just don't fill it before you do the work.  Plus, LS swap/partout candidate when you retire the truck.  

Gotta disagree with you about the beater, thats common thinking (get a fuel efficient beater to save on gas money) but generally wrong.

First off, especially in the rust belt, most $2500 Camrys are going to need at least another $1k of deferred maintenance (have you priced out decent tires recently?).  Plus tax/title/license.  Plus insurance.  Plus general maintenance.

Now your $2500 car is $3875 not including standard stuff like oil changes and incidentals.

So with your $4 a gallon gas, you are saving $0.11/mile driving a Camry vs your safer, more utilitarian, more comfortable Tahoe.  That means to pay off the Camry, you have to drive 33,200 miles to see the break-even or 332 commuting days,  If you work 5 days x52 weeks, thats 260 days, or 1.25 years is the break even assuming you can run a Camry for only $1000 total incidentals for 33k miles (might be doable, might not).  Now the Camry will have some residual value when you go to sell it which isn't part of this equation.  But lets assume you are going to wring the life out of.

Gas drops back to 3 dollars a gallon 6 months into this project?  Well now you are double screwed.  Your fuel sipper Camry has less residual value, and your payout has gone from 332 commuting days to 442 commuting days, almost 2 whole years at 100 miles a day.  Think you can do 44k miles on $1000 for incidentals? There is around $500 worth of oil changes in 44k miles!  (don't forget you need to double up your registration and insurance since now you are driving 2 years instead of 1, also not part of this equation)

So no, buying a fuel sipper to help the pain at the pump is generally a fools mission.  But hey, preach on, brother!  I can't wait till V10 Excursions cross the $2k mark again since no one can "afford" them.  

Missed that sorry. 

Gas isn't going down any time soon, I don't think, but you're not wrong, it generally is a fool's errand.  However, no reason he can't find a cheap commuter not from the rust belt and at an attractive price.  The internet being what it is, and all. 

My wife's 4 cylinder Rav4 goes 5000 miles on $24 worth of Castrol Synthetic and a $5.41 Toyota filter.  It gets wiper blades ($24) and a cabin air filter ($12) every other winter, and an air filter ($13) every 30k.  If you do the work yourself, I think you could certainly keep a beater commuter on the road, maintenance-wise, for $1000 and 44,000 miles.

Tires are expensive (but also don't have to be.....15" steelies on many 4cyl Camrys), but the Tahoe needs tires too, and those are much more expensive.   

Given the vehicle's history (what he's told us... rusty brake lines etc), I simply think it's not going to be thrifty or economical to drive 25000 miles a year at 16mpg with rust belt-induced problems on a 100 mile daily commute when he could save the truck for Home Depot runs and such (could reduce insurance spend on the truck, perhaps) and pay cash for a commuter car now before gas really goes up later this year. 

It saves $220 a month before any additional expenses are factored in.  If you buy a ~$2500 car, you don't really need comprehensive insurance because the annual premium will probably be more than you paid for the car.  Keeping the miles off the truck (relatively speaking) will allow it to retain more value down the road, as well.  

I get what you're saying about V10 excursions.  If you're flush with cash  you can probably hoard a bunch of them and ride out the rising gas price tide.  

I think I was just freaking out about it last night when I had time to ponder over the 3hr drive from my parents to my place. 

I'm gonna keep the Tahoe running. I didn't pay much for it ($1700) and won't sell it for much below that, even with a few rust issues. It's my comfortable vehicle, and should still tow fine once I fix the remaining brake lines. Whatever I spend on it, it's still much cheaper than a car payment or a slightly more expensive used vehicle that I'll have the same issues in 2-3 years.

I also really don't want to drive an appliance car. It's gotta be an engaging car if I have to sit through a horrible commute, hence the turbocharged Cobalt SS in the fleet. 

I don’t know what kind of mileage a Cobalt SS gets but it can’t be worse than the Tahoe. You already have the car so I think that’s the best bet. At least for a few days out of the week. It will be more fun too!

According to the onboard computer, 26mpg! Not bad IMO and the torque is fun from that turbo.