Nicely done. I'm not looking forward to doing my oil pan. I avoided the oil and trans cooler lines by making some custom PTFE AN lines.

 

I was considering going that route. Buying one of the aftermarket oil cooler line blocks and go with the am fittings and steel braided lines. But that still left the issue of the oil pickup tube o-ring. Only 103,000 miles but it is 21 years old. The oil pan itself appeared to have a couple areas where it was seeping anyway. My oil pressure was still fine, about 25 psi at idle and 40 at highway speeds. It immediately went to 30 at idle and 50 at highway speeds. While removing the front differential I realized one can replace the engine oil cooler lines just by lowering it. The bolt that supports it on the driver side is quite long. You could probably let it hang down about 2 in giving you enough room. Today I'm pulling the transmission. So far the Drive Lines have cooperated, going to replace the U-joints. I have broken one stud up to the exhaust manifold. Flush with the manifold of course. Looks like I'll be drilling that one out.

 

I was considering going that route. Buying one of the aftermarket oil cooler line blocks and go with the am fittings and steel braided lines. But that still left the issue of the oil pickup tube o-ring. Only 103,000 miles but it is 21 years old. The oil pan itself appeared to have a couple areas where it was seeping anyway. My oil pressure was still fine, about 25 psi at idle and 40 at highway speeds. It immediately went to 30 at idle and 50 at highway speeds. While removing the front differential I realized one can replace the engine oil cooler lines just by lowering it. The bolt that supports it on the driver side is quite long. You could probably let it hang down about 2 in giving you enough room. Today I'm pulling the transmission. So far the Drive Lines have cooperated, going to replace the U-joints. I have broken one stud up to the exhaust manifold. Flush with the manifold of course. Looks like I'll be drilling that one out.

 

Still had grease in the bearing cups at over 100,000 miles. Factory assembly with the plastic injected in a Groove to retain the U-joint in the yolk. Just takes torch to heat it up in the plastic oozes out for replacement with snap rings. Snap Rings came out rather uneventful, which surprised me. Lots of penetrating oil on them overnight

 

 

H2's have a lot more room around the transmission that other GM products. Pulling the transmission was much better than most Vehicles made since 1990. It was definitely the rear main starting to leak slowly. Rear engine cover pulled and new aluminum barbell with double O-rings installed.




Even with the screw it was quite stuck in there


This was a transmission scissor lift Jack that I picked up for under $100 maybe 4 years ago. Works really nice, you can loosen two Wing nuts and tilt the transmission as well.

 

it was actually quite clean once I got the flex plate off. Yet after 20 minutes idling I had oil dripping off the starter as well as above the oil filter from between the bell housing and block. Not much, just a couple drops.

I did snap off on the passenger side exhaust manifold one of the three studs for the exhaust pipe flange. Debating pulling the manifold, which I know might result in even more broken bolts. They must have used some hardened steel studs on that flange because I have some top quality drill bits and they're not working too well trying to drill it out. May have to pull a manifold and work on it on the bench.

 

While I'm waiting for one gasket for the transfer case to transmission, thought I'd make a note regarding spotting the rear main leak. Looking through the bottom access hole of the bell housing everything was clean. No sign of oil. Yet I had oil dripping off the starter bolts and above the oil filter coming between the bellhousing and the engine. After 30 minutes of idling, running it up to 1,500 RPM three or four times, we're talking just a couple drops of oil that was driving me nuts. Yet look inside the bell housing closely and you can see where it was flinging off the engine side of the flex plate.

 

Exhaust manifolds will usually come off OK. It seems the broken exhaust manifold bolts happens from expanding/contracting in heat cycles.... Everyone I have personally removed did not snap any from exhaust manifold removal. Maybe mine were a rarity. Replaced with a harder grade stud when I reinstalled the exhaust manifolds. Seems Drivers side rear is the most common for snapped.... Have done on all my past H2's. Yet to have purchased one without a snapped bolt. Usually first thing I end up replacing. Remove the inside fender linings and you get a clear shot at most of the manifold bolts.

 

Pulling my hair out on this one. Can't find anything within reach of this vent hose to connect it to. In the picture below, that's looking up at the driver side of the transfer case and you could see the vent hose not connected. The transfer case vent hose is connected and runs up to the vent the top of the bell housing. This other hose also runs up to a separate vent of the top of the bell housing and has a t in the line where it goes to the transmission vent up on top of the transmission. I don't recall disconnecting this when I tore everything apart, but that was a week ago. Anyone have the answer?