calsdad
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Re: Blackbear tune
Here's one of the places I found that an electric fan is listed for a 2500HD pickup. In this case - it's for the 2010 2500HD: http://www.gmpartscenter.net/auto-parts/2010/chevrolet/silverado-2500-hd/ltz-trim/6-0l-v8-gas-engine/cooling-system-cat/radiator-and-components-scat The following parts are listed : N/A 15780795 FAN MOTOR SILVERADO, SIERRA; 6.0L; W/ENHANCED TOWING PKG.; LEFT N/A 15780796 FAN MOTOR SILVERADO, SIERRA; 6.0L; W/ENHANCED TOWING PKG.; RIGHT N/A 15780789 FAN SHROUD SILVERADO, SIERRA; 6.0L; W/ENHANCED TOWING PKG In other places I've looked - the show an entire dual electric fan assembly in a shroud - that appears to bolt right in place of the shroud that covers the radiator for the engine driven fan. Maybe somebody who knows GM trucks better than I do - can answer why there is an electric fan setup for "ENHANCED TOWING PACKAGE" - because if what I've read on the forums about how many CFM the engine driven fans will pull vs. the electric driven fans ........... something isn't making sense here. This is on a GM parts site - and they're listing it. If you go to RockAuto - drill down for a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD -> 6.0L -> Radiator Fan Assembly .... they also have electric fans listed - and they call out with and without tow package (two different PN#'s) So - like I said - something doesn't quite make sense here. "Tow Package" usually means MORE heavy duty and MORE cooling, not less.609Views0likes0CommentsRe: Blackbear tune
HaulinBass02 wrote: KW/00 will you post up some mileage numbers if you can keep your foot out of the skinny pedal? I should be able to tune my suburban today. I had been "tuned" by a guy local but I know the Blackbear tune would be better than his tune. If I pick up some MPGs then I will be ecstatic. Also, on another note, did you know that the electric fans on the 07+ 1/2 ton trucks and SUVs fit ours as well? You would want the 7/9 blade fan configuration not the 5/7 blade from the 05 and 06 trucks. Blackbear can turn on/tune in the fans in the ECM and all you would need is a harness made by Nelson Performance. Less drag on the engine because you get rid of the clutch fan and increased cooling especially at idle or stopped. One guy on another forum said he watched the trans temps drop while at stop lights towing his boat to the lake with his 2500 Sub! Temps never went about 205 with the fans on. Just an option you might consider. I figured if it can cool down a 6.2L Denali then it can cool me down as well! I was wondering about the electric fan thing. Looking thru some of the GM online parts web sites I saw an electric fan listed for the 2500 Series 07 and up Silverados. It came up with a "towing option". However - I've seen conflicting reports on whether or not the electric fan conversion is a good idea. On both the 6.0L and the Duramax 6.6L engines supposedly the engine driven fan pulls way more air than even the best electric fan.609Views0likes0CommentsRe: Blackbear tune
NorCal truck has a DIY on how to add some space in the front wheel wells if it's needed: http://norcaltruck.com/2007-5-2013-chevy-gm-large-fender-mod Yes - it could be the extra width that rubs. The difference in width between a 265 and a 285 tire is about 3/4 of an inch. Combine that with slightly increased diameter of the 20" tire and it may come **** close to rubbing with the wheels cranked for a turn. Part of my obsession with the brakes is that I have spent most of my life driving sporty type cars. I like things that go - but I like them to stop too. Given that the truck will be used for hauling and/or towing substantial weight - and out here in NE there are mountains that do have some steep roads going thru them - I'm concerned that brakes that I consider to currently marginal at best - would be outright dangerous if I was in a mountain road situation. I can see the darn truck just not stopping at all.609Views0likes0CommentsRe: Blackbear tune
kw/00 wrote: Update for those are considering a tune. Ok so it has met all of my expectations, read below for short summary: So far improvements include: Runs much smoother at idle Very responsive pedal and transmission shifts. No more sluggish feeling or waiting for the truck to,respond, u touch the pedal and it's going now. Stock it always felt like it was dragging something, now not the case. TQ management is reduced a lot and the truck feels and responds like power is always there. Quick to up shift and firmer. I don't race the truck but this thing does move for an HD truck. Feels light on it feet, just touch the pedal and it will downshift and keep it in the power band. Transmission shifts smooth. Don't know about mpgs... Don't know about HP and TQ increase... And I am not going to dyno it either. Overall I am very pleased, it's much different, very responsive, and this is with the 87 tune. I also have a tune for 91 if I want to use it. I have no plans to race it or abuse this truck. I keep this thing mint, and it only has 80k on it. I could always return it back to stock. I can see how bad the 6.0 series engines are detuned. I always hated the way TQ management would ****** the timing so far back. I don't expect diesel performance or 8.1 performance either, what I expect is what I am now getting. If anybody is on the fence with a gas tune hopefully this will help. I took a few years to decide, and after our last camping trip, I figured to go ahead and do it while I had a little extra in the budget. Thanks for the review. I've heard nothing but good from people who got a Black Bear tune. I'm hoping that by doing a little here and a little there (gears, tune, etc) - I'll get the most out of this truck for towing and daily use.608Views0likes0CommentsRe: Blackbear tune
Passin Thru wrote: If you get on a untuned Duramax in the low gears your'e liable to tear something up. I have a tuner but run it in #3 position and don't hammer on my accelerator pedal. One of my Duramaxs suffered a major loss due to an Oil pump shaft shearing off. They say Duramax is at fault for not pre oiling the shaft but you can't prove it. Thats an $11K fix. 20 in tires may hit unless you have a lift kit. Besides, the larger the diameter the harder on drivelines because it takes more torque. I have 285/75r16s on Ford aluminum rims on my 06, the hit the mud flaps when turning. Besides the added expense, is it worth it? My main incentive in going to 20" rims - is the ability to add larger brakes. I've researched the options pretty extensively - and there is a company making GM 8-lug 5 spoke "repro" rims that match exactly the 5 spoke that came with the later year 8x180mm bolt pattern trucks. Except these are in the 8x6.5" pattern for the earlier trucks. They're relatively cheap - at least compared to some aftermarket rims - and they're rated at 3400 pounds apiece (matches OEM specs). I've looked around to see if there are 18" rims available - but there's only aftermarket stuff - and I can't find anything I really like. I also can't find any larger brakes for these trucks that will fit within an 18" wheel. There's like 5 different options for larger brakes - but they all require 20" wheels. The brake thing is important to me - it's a safety issue. I live in New England, in heavily suburbanized area outside of Boston - and drivers around here are idiots quite frankly. Plus the brakes on this truck the way they are now - quite frankly suck. I upgraded the brakes on my 2003 Suburban to cryo-treated rotors and Hawk metallic truck pads - and that helped quite a bit, but with a load the thing still didn't stop all that great. I can see a scenario where I'm towing a trailer that weighs in at 3000-4000 pounds or so - along with maybe another 2000 pounds of weight inside the truck itself. I'd be looking at 12,000 pounds right there - just on the truck brakes. I'd rather be safe than sorry so the brakes are something that are on my list. The trailer weight requirements for having their own braking system seem to be all over the place. According to this site (for instance): http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/trailer-brakes/ MA does not require trailer brakes for anything under 10k. (which is way low in comparison to other states)594Views0likes0CommentsRe: Blackbear tune
BenK wrote: Am noodling something similar and 4.54 or even higher numeric diff ratios for my 1996 Sub But with a Gear Venders OD between the tranny and transfer case. Something in the 0.7 or even 0.5 range Since they have a gear splitter function, that would provide 8 forward gears. Of which todays auto tranny's have (close ratio to old guys...that is what it is) Can get a 1,000 ft/lb 4L80E to marry with the 'built' 7.4L that will go along with this. Gotta pass SMOG, so buddy who owns a speed shop is noodling that. Currently says/thinks he can bump it to around 600ft/lbs torque but passing would be on the hairy edge... But with that kind of gearing...500 ft/lbs would be fine...just asking him for more... Would love to go to 33's or 35's, but don't want to lift my Sub. Maybe a body lift, but that will take much more noodling. Currently have 32's on 10" wide alloys On my TV's, drive to torque and on the 2 seater and cars...drive to HP I've looked at Gear Vendors stuff before - it's expensive. You might want to think about comparing the cost of something like a 6L90 with a standalone controller - to the cost of the tranny you're looking at with the Gear Vendors. If you're looking at big blocks - check out Raylar engineering. They have packages and one of them might work for you. Some of the 8.1L engines in the GMT800 Suburban/Yukons came with the Allison behind them. Not sure if there are computer packages available that will control the Allison as a standalone. I haven't looked into that.520Views0likes0CommentsRe: Blackbear tune
HaulinBass02 wrote: calsdad wrote: I spent a bunch of time going thru all the tire size options because what I really want is to have the ability to add larger brakes to the truck. From all the kits I have seen - that means going with 20" rims. Which is another issue because after doing some measuring - I found that there is precious little room available in the front wheelwell for larger sized tires. What I think I've finally decided on is that I'll go with a 20" rim - with LT285/55R20 tires. This size tire is 32.4" in diameter according to Tire Rack (vs the OEM tires which are 265/ 70R 17 which are 31.7" diameter) That means I have around 1" larger tire - which by my measurements should just clear the front wheel well when turning. I did find some info on modifying the front wheelwell which looks like it might gain up to another inch or so of clearance. So I think I'm safe with that size tire. I'll check out what AKCooper has done. My reasoning for going with the larger tires is simply to put in larger brakes. My reasoning for going with 4.10 is because it apparently ups the tow rating to 13k. Going to the slightly larger diameter tires may mean I need to go to a different ratio than 4.10. For the 10.5" axles it seems like the only next jump there is - is to go to 4.56. My suburban was used and already had 20" wheels and LT285/55/20 tires on it with cranked torsion bars and shock extenders. I currently run a LT305/55/20 but will be going to a LT295/55/20 when these wear out mainly due to tire width. The current tires I have are almost 34" tall and the new size is right at 33". I can tell you that you will need to crank the front torsion bars to get the 285/55/20 to clear. If you really don't want to do that then the only way is some pretty major trimming of the innner fender liner. I am an offroad guy so I ultimately rebuilt the front end of the suburban with a Cognito upper control arm which allows me to crank the torsion bars with an offset torsion bar key to get about 3" of lift while maintaining good alignment specs and good ball joint angles. I know for a fact that you can't clear that tire without at least SOME torsion bar cranking. I HAD an extra set of torsion bar keys and shock extenders but I'm putting them on my '99 Silverado 2500 I just got otherwise I'd let you have them. As far as brakes, I went with a set of EBC slotted rotors and their yellow stuff pads on front and the same slotted rotors and green stuff pads on the rear and MAN, WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I really think that the factory calipers and rotor size is fine, as long as you get a quality high performance rotor and pad. I panic stopped with the boat (no brakes, single axle) and it was under COMPLETE control and stopped well short of where I needed to. I don't know if it is any cheaper than a larger caliper/rotor kit, but I didn't really want to mess with that anyway. Worth checking out. But whatever you do, for a large vehicle, don't get cross drilled rotors, they tend to crack around the holes and don't offer as much surface area, which is something you don't want to lose. The slotted are good for cooling and venting the braking gasses away to prevent fade. Oh and I've never had brake fade since going with that setup, the slotted portion helps keep the rotors cool. Yeah, I'm still pondering the gearing and what is best. Obviously I only want to do it once but at the same time I don't want to wish I went bigger.....my situation really has to do with, am I going to put a full lift kit on the suburban at some point and add more weight and tire to it or am I going to stick with where I'm at....I think if I stay at the 33" height (or roundabouts) then I'll be fine. Gear calculator I put in the numbers for AKcooper9's setup (33's, 4L80E and 4.56 gears) and played with the numbers. In 5th (my preferred towing gear) with the 6L90E, and 33's with 4.10s we equal what he was doing in his OD 4th gear. He said he was able to tow his big TH trailer around in 4th with no problem. That's my leaning.... Chevy and GMC offered an optional 20" rim with a 265/70-18 tire in 2012. The 2012 Silverado/Sierra body was the same as the earlier years (front wheelwell was the same is what I'm getting at). The OEM tire size that is on my 2010 Yukon 265/ 70R 17 which is 31.7" in diameter. The optional 20" tire is 32.7" - and the LT285/55R20 that I'm thinking of going with - is 32.4" diameter (took all the dimensions from Tire Rack) I've searched high and low and compared part numbers for fenders on 2007-2012 Silverado / Sierra's - and from what I can tell there is no difference between the trucks until 2013 ( I think it was) - when they went to the newer body style. I've also looked at a number of Silverado / Sierra's - and compared their front wheelwells to the ones on my Yukon - and they look the same to me. Lastly I took some spacers against the current tires and rotated the front tires thru their turning radius - and it sure looks like the 20" tires will fit in the wheelwells. I find it hard to believe that GM would offer a 20" tire size that simply did not fit. My last resort is that NorCal performance has a pretty detailed How-To on their site on getting more clearance in the front wheelwells that doesn't look too hard to do. So - long story short, I'm pretty sure the 20" tire size I'm looking at will fit with no or very little wheelwell mods. GM fitted a slightly larger tire. I'm also contemplating going with a very slight lift in the front. It's "factory" now - and there's about a 1.5"-2" rake from front to rear. It could stand to be lifted in the front an inch or so to level it out. I've been meaning to talk to NorCal about what my options are and just need to find the time to call them.520Views0likes0CommentsRe: Blackbear tune
HaulinBass02 wrote: Calsdad I'm leaning towards 4.56 in mine solely because I run 33s and will ALWAYS run 33s. If you are on stock height tires and don't plan on going any bigger, then 4.10s would be your best bet. If you look back on the other site between myself and AKCooper9, I'm using his experience as my baseline. I did the math using a gear calculator and with my tires and 4.10 in 5th gear it puts me at about where he was with his slightly older truck with 4.56 and 4th gear. If I go to 4.56 I can then tow in 6th, but I'm not completely sold on that yet. I think it is just too steep of a gear to tow in. I really won't know what I do with it yet until we actually buy the TT we are looking at and I've towed some trips with it to see how it tows. I DO know that a gear change WILL happen, just not sure which ratio to go with yet. I might even do the cam swap and finalize the engine mods to see what kind of power I get to try and determine what gear to go to as well...... I spent a bunch of time going thru all the tire size options because what I really want is to have the ability to add larger brakes to the truck. From all the kits I have seen - that means going with 20" rims. Which is another issue because after doing some measuring - I found that there is precious little room available in the front wheelwell for larger sized tires. What I think I've finally decided on is that I'll go with a 20" rim - with LT285/55R20 tires. This size tire is 32.4" in diameter according to Tire Rack (vs the OEM tires which are 265/ 70R 17 which are 31.7" diameter) That means I have around 1" larger tire - which by my measurements should just clear the front wheel well when turning. I did find some info on modifying the front wheelwell which looks like it might gain up to another inch or so of clearance. So I think I'm safe with that size tire. I'll check out what AKCooper has done. My reasoning for going with the larger tires is simply to put in larger brakes. My reasoning for going with 4.10 is because it apparently ups the tow rating to 13k. Going to the slightly larger diameter tires may mean I need to go to a different ratio than 4.10. For the 10.5" axles it seems like the only next jump there is - is to go to 4.56.520Views0likes0CommentsRe: Blackbear tune
HaulinBass02 wrote: If your truck is the 2009 in your signature, then you should have the 4-speed 4L80E transmission. You could remove ALL of the torque management and that transmission would be fine. They are VERY skilled at tuning and there won't be any issues with it when done. I am having a tune for my 2010 Suburban 2500 with the 6.0 and 6L90E transmission being done as we speak by Blackbear. I have an Autocal for the scan and tuning from my Dodge truck that I am using for the Suburban and my Silverado. It really is a straight-forward and easy process. I asked them to remove all TM from the transmission. I've been through this with multiple other trucks and the TM on the heavier duty transmissions is an annoyance more than anything. The weaker 4L60E needed it to keep from breaking stuff. That transmission is long gone. AND lastly, with the RIGHT cam, you can gain 30-50 HP in the RPM band right where you need it and not effect driveability and/or idle very much. I've got one spec'd out for the Suburban that I will be swapping in along with a gear swap and it is a proven package (from others who have done it). It won't tow like my Cummins but it sure as heck won't tow like a stock 6.0 either! Hey - you look familiar :D Have you decided on which gears you're going to put in the Suburban? I'm following you here and on the other place - definitely want to know how the upgrades work out for you. I'm thinking along the very same lines for my Yukon XL 2500.520Views0likes0CommentsRe: F150 vs. Suburban?
How much does the new F150 that you're thinking of getting cost? When you say the Suburban can feel the trailer back there - what do you mean by that? If you mean that it feels down on power - there is a solution for that. It's called a Suburban/Yukon XL with a Duramax diesel swapped in. But they're not cheap. What you're looking at is a used vehicle that's still going run somewhere in the $40k+ price range.1.3KViews0likes0Comments
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