MORE WTF!!! ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

[OrangeCrush]

Okay, ya'll know I've been having tranny problems and my last fiasco was a rubber hose splitting when I picked up a trailer last weekend.

So Monday I dropped the truck off at the tranny shop (I've been SLAMMED at work.... ain't no way I can do it myself right now) and told them to install stainless steel braided lines with aircraft fittings. No rubber hoses, no hose clamps, the real deal.

Well they did just that except they ran the tranny lines directly to the cooler and bypassed the radiator. I had already tried that previously and it didn't work.

Well he assured me that it would be okay so I picked up the truck yesterday, loaded up a 16ft trailer and took off down the road.

I didn't make it 10 miles before the trans got hot and I had to pull over.

^%&%$#*, are you fukking kidding me??? AGAIN...??? :rant:

So I drove the truck back to the shop and called enterprise. They hooked me up with a Toyota Tundra for 4 days for 57.00 total. (gotta be some advantage of being in the bodyshop business)

I take the truck to the shop and swapped at hitch balls. (it was a bumper hitch)

NO GO.... they've designed the bumper so you cannot put a 2 5/16" ball in a bumper style hitch mount.

I take the truck back and ended up borrowing my buddy's HD2500. Of course, since my H2 has a 14" drop hitch, I didn't have a hitch for it so I had to go buy one.

By the time I left yesterday, it was 7pm. I drove to Tampa and didn't arrive till 10am (EXACTLY like 3 weeks ago)

When I drive the mini, I can make it in 7 hours... driving the H2 always doubles the time if I have a trailer.

Soooooo, where does this leave me?

1) Sell the H2 and buy a freakin' diesel

2) do a conversion... not economically feasible.

3) buy this truck

http://images.autotrader.com/scaler/240/180/images/2009/10/29/270/110/13696216361.270110061.IM1.MAIN.240x180_A.240x180.j pg

The dealer wants $42,900, assuming I could get it for a little less, it would be a cheap route to having a cummuns diesel and allison trans providing the install was a clean install.


4) Install an aluminum radiator and 4:88 gears.

I think my biggest issue is the gears.

With 38's and 4:10 gears, it's making the truck luggy enough that I have to step on the gas and it puts the truck into a higher rpm and thus creates more boost from the supercharger.

I think with 4:88's, the rpms will be higher and not make the engine work so hard. With an aluminum radiator, I'll be able to actually use the radiator in conjunction with the trans cooler and not have a problem.

I'm nearing the end of my rope. The truck does great until I start to tow something.

Mark

[Intercooled]

We all know you love your Hummer. Like me, you just had to get another one! So buy a used cheap truck just for towing. Seems more practical than totaly outfitting the H2, and possibly creating more problems with other mechanicals. Just a thought and sorry for your woes. :o

[HUMMERcustoms.com/TAZ]

Hey Mark let me first wish a Happy Thanksgiving

I'm going to tell you something that you told me to try and cheer me up once when health was going for the worse. It is part truth and part tongue in cheek where if you laugh at it a little you will not go postal about something to quick.

Well here it is loosely paraphrased as it has been a while and my shorter term memory sucks. "Rick it could be a whole lot worse you could be speaking German with the rest of the country if young brave men had not fought to not allow that to happen. Your little bit of luck could run out and PO some terrorist with dual citizenship where he can get back into country to look for you". Now I know it doesn't sound to funny right at this point but, you did cause me to chuckle and actually take reflection about my life at that snapshot in time when I was just feeling like I was just standing under a big TURD CLOUD hammering me.

Keep the rig you got because you do know as well as I what you need to do to make the H2 operate in the manner you desire. Plus just like me or the other guys once you start digging into a rig you become more familiar with it and comfortable with that ride where you have no fear of hoping in it at a moments notice then head across the country, in your case the Left Coast.

Mark I really have sat back and watched your troubles not adding my 2 cents worth because just as you have stated I knew you knew exactly what needed to be done to make this rig perform with dependability. I know how much you like this rig simply because of that sharp rig you sold because you were having issues and was thinking of just not having an H2 in your stable. When you decided to leave the dark side and come back to Hummer you were picky about the rig you bought. So stay with this rig is just my 2 cent worth and upgrade it as you have mentioned.

I do not pretend to even have the influence to heavily sway you although we have helped each other with a 2 cent worth several times. I do hope I just helped you to relax ever so slightly and let you know my thoughts about this tranny situation which is what????? Improve the rig you have because it is possible you could have same issue again with another H2 and that includes that diesel converted rig. There is some reason that after going through the exspense of converting it they choose to part ways with that rig in a time that a converted rig like that one we hear members just buzzing about how they want this conversion. Yet here is one for sell for some reason. I have no plans to ever part with my baby as many think great improvements have been made with the newer H2's but, I made conversions like 4 captains OEM not aftermarket to my ride 3 years before the newer models. I continue to get what I want out of my girl and many things that even the 2010's do not have yet. If you just really want diesel wait maybe another year or 2 and it will come as an option on the H2. Make your rig what she needs to be for now and wait for factory diesel. My guess would be your ride will be equal or better than a newer factory rig because you will have molded your rig to what you are comfortable with an extension of your need and personality.

Oh, like many will do wait to buy a new HX for my daily driver and like I will then begin my move into off roading.

Well I know it was super long but, again a great turkey day to you and yours as well to all of the forum.

[OrangeCrush]

First, let me say Thanks. I appreciate the advice (from both of you) It's funny you mention that the guy got rid of it.... I was thinking the same thing. Why? Is there something wrong with it? Is it someone else's headache? Or was he simply tired of it?

If I look into it, you can be sure I'll check into it as much as possible.

At this point I'll probably change the gears and radiator and hope for the best. It worked on my other H2 and I don't tow that much but I want to "be able to".

Thanks for all the advice and hope you all had a great Thanksgiving day.

Mark

[twr]

Hi OrangeCrush, it can only get better from here. Hope you have good Thanksgiving. I would like to know where is your cooler mounted and how big is it? thanks Tracy

[OrangeCrush]

Hi OrangeCrush, it can only get better from here. Hope you have good Thanksgiving. I would like to know where is your cooler mounted and how big is it? thanks Tracy

Thanks Tracy, I appreciate it.

I've had several size tranny coolers in several locations.

They've ranged in size from 18000 to 25000 (though it was smaller in size than the 18K cooler) and I've had them mounted under the truck on the cage with it's own cooling fan and now I have them behind the grille.

The only thing in front of it is the intercooler (which isn't very big)

I'm thinking an aluminum radiator with dual core will help the situation. I also want a bigger cooler.

Mark

[twr]

Hi Mark is the one your using like this? or the s tube type? This kind is much better than the tube type. Behind the grille is the best place. Could it be mounted in front of the intercooler or beside it? I know their is not very much room but it would be better. A deep trans pan would also help abit. If you lived in a cold place like me you would want to run it through the rad cooler to, but i think its petty warm where you are all the time so its not needed, but the cooler needs to big enough to cool when pulling a trailer. Some 4.56 or 4.88 would help to if its lugging bad enough.