Mud Gremlins

[Canyonero]

For most of us who frequent these boards, playing in the mud is something that we just never out grew (or intend to). Over the years our toys just got bigger. When it comes to big toys, there's not much better in the mud than a Hummer.



Whether a wooden spoon to the back of the head for ruining a new pair of pants 25 years ago or a $300 bill for a new alternator after testing the depth of that bog just a little too thoroughly, playing in the mud has also always had it's consequences.



That being said, it's a lot less painful to learn from others mistakes so post up what you've learned about keeping things running smoothly when the road gets the roughest.

[Canyonero]

The most common issue I run into when out playing is simply over heating due to the radiator filling up with mud. Depending on how much mud you're in this can build up slowly over time and really pack into the radiator. I've found with my H2 that it doesn't wash out very easily. With the hood down you can only spray through the 2 stylized slots which only covers a fraction of the actual radiator. With the hood oopen both the oil cooler and the transmission cooler block direct access from the front and the fan shroud blocks most of the access from the rear.



For best results pull out the fan shroud to gain access to the entire rear of the radiator. Notice the how small an area actually got clean when the truck was initially washed.









While the small area that is open in the middle will keep the truck from overheating in normal driving, it doesn't provide nearly enough airflow for more strenuous work like towing or wheeling. Also, having the radiator clogged in the upper corners will limit the air flow through the oil and tranny coolers causing them to run much hotter as well.

[Canyonero]

Another problem that I've run into is the AC belt tensioner. On the H2 it's mounted low, spins fast (3 times faster then the engine) and lives in a pretty hot environment. That's not a good combination for long bearing life. Here's what's left of the one that just came out of my deuce:







Once the pulley bearing goes the AC belt will soon follow. Between the two you're looking at about $125 in parts and an hour or so to replace. What they don't tell you at the parts counter is that all the expensive parts in the tensioner assembly are perfectly fine... and that it can be rebuilt in your garage in an hour for about $5.



The bearing that came in pulley is a 6001-ZZ (12mm x 28 mm x 8mm); which is a very common bearing that you can pick up almost anywhere. Where GM/Hummer dropped the ball on this one is that they could have put in a sealed bearing for an extra $10 (6001-2SRL is $12.71 from Commercial Solutions). Since I've now got a spare assembly, I've got a couple of these on order to rebuild both units. I'll post more pictures of the complete procedure when I do the swap.

[T.C.]

super info bro <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... ght_on.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':right_on:' />

[Khamul]

Awesome info Bro!



Great pics of the difference when the shroud is pulled off as I never would have known that! Probably another good idea would be the get a 90 degree adaptor for a pressure washer so you can then wash straight put instead of being on an angle - most likely 300% better for clearing out the debree...

[Canyonero]

One more issue I've come across is the Evap Canister Vent Solenoid plugging.



Luckily I found this helpful PDF on the Hummer Knowledge Base site.



Canister Vent Solenoid Repair.pdf

[T.C.]

WHEN IN MUD YOU MUST CLEAN YOUR RIDE.....I USED THESE LAST WEEK AND THEY WORK ..LIKE NOTHING ELSE OUT THERE

air_and_water_gun.jpg

body_buddy_600_ext.jpg

[1650shawn]

[quote name='T.C.' date='20 April 2010 - 06:13 PM' timestamp='1271801583' post='15906']

WHEN IN MUD YOU MUST CLEAN YOUR RIDE.....I USED THESE LAST WEEK AND THEY WORK ..LIKE NOTHING ELSE OUT THERE

[attachment=402:air_and_water_gun.jpg]



[attachment=403:body_buddy_600_ext.jpg]

[/quote]

Nice,must get to all those hard to get at spots.

[T.C.]

[quote name='1650shawn' date='20 April 2010 - 06:24 PM' timestamp='1271805857' post='15911']

Nice,must get to all those hard to get at spots.

[/quote]



for my h1 ...i have super long one......works great!