Bought New 84 Chevy G20 Van

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06-23-2013, 10:11
Bwexler

Bought New 84 Chevy G20 Van

DVIDOG8793 you are my new best friend.
Just bought my new 84 G20 diesel Van conversion with 000273 miles on the odometer. Interior and exterior looks like it is maybe 5 or 10 years old, not 30.
Bought new Michelin's on the way home 235 70R15, one problem solved.
List of questions:
What kind of oil and how much to do an oil change?
What oil, fuel and air filters do I need?
Where can I get a chart of all lube points?
The AC/heater controls do nothing, not even fan. where do I start?
The seller installed a new radio. It lights up but no sound. Where to look first?
The gauge lights are so dim I have to look close to tell if they are on, is this normal? Is there a fix?

Bob
06-23-2013, 11:18
Dvldog8793

Howdy
Congrats! Sounds like you scored a nice vehicle! Mine had about 64,000 when I bought it 7yrs ago, we put another 60,000 on it since. Mine was stored inside and never driven in winter so it is fairly mint original with a factory done conversion. I have since put in new seats and other items as needed.

If your van has SAT for this long I would say it needs:
ANY/ALL rubber hoses and belts....vac lines...possibly fuel tank cleaning(at least check it out)
ALL fluids changed, Trans, Power steering, drain/flush coolant system, brake fluid, and differential(synthetic gear oil is a plus).
Check, clean and REPACK( I do this about every 20,000) your wheel bearings. make sure none a pitted.
Make sure you brake discs and drums are not pitted and or sticking.
Check the Vac pump output...it has rubber parts that could go and cause problems.
Be prepared for oil leaks. My pan gasket and main seals on both my blazer and van have been replaced, niether of them had high mileage.
Your mechanical lift pump might be ready to cause a problem

Your electrical problems could be due to a bad alternator or the secondary battery being dead. These vans have two batteries just like the trucks but the second battery is hidden underneath in the frame rail area. Many owners like to overlook this battery cause it is a PAIN to replace or work on. I put an Optima battery down there so that I would not have to worry about it. Make sure you chack all the battery connections and then seal them up REAL good with dielectric grease. I would start with a multi meter and check voltage while running....should be 13.5-14 volts....hopefully you didn't have a rodents use you electrical system as a insulation source.

Depending on your intended use here are some things that I have found that are usefull van info and some other diesel OPINIONS of mine:

- Schedule a good full day for annual maintence. The dog house has to be removed for this and it is MUCH easier to do with the passenger seat out. Don't fight it...just take out the seat...;-)
- Not much can be done without removing the dog house, beside check/adding fluids.
- Suspension on these vans was never great, mine has HD gas shocks with new springs and over loads in the back. Made a world of difference.
- I have added a ram air system from a gas model.
- I use ALL synthetic fluids for EVERYTHING
- 15-40 sythetic Amsoil high TBN oil.
- You can use a much longer 1.75qrt oil filter, have your parts guy look one up.
- Becuase of the pain of changeing the airfilter, I use an Amsoil with a foam prefilter.
- It is possible and worth while to change the location of the fuel filter. I have a cannister type mounted in the frame rail, it currently is on the back side of the engine(under the dog house)
- Change the belts on this rig is a PAIN....use the best belts you can get, I use Goodyears.
- If it hasn't been done already....add some sound deadener/insulation to the front of the cab area under the carpet and any place else you stuff or spray it. It will make big difference in cabin noise.
- I removed the EGR system but that is not a simple process and requires many parts. I also have opened up the exhuast system.
That's mainly what I can think of right this minute. I am sure other folks will post on this.
USE THIS FORUM! IT IS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE!!!
Have fun and keep us posted.
Hope this helps!!!
Conley
06-23-2013, 20:07
TerryY

I am a relatively new owner of an '83 G20 with the 6.2 diesel as well. The two most important/useful things I have done were: 1) cut the vacuum hose to the EGR valves on the drivers side valve cover. It stopped smoking anytime I was accelerating. The valve in the exhaust manifold needs to be wired open too but it isn't a deal breaker if you don't do it right away. 2) If you have the 700R4 (look in the "glove box" oi the center console for the options list) then you need to put a switch in the one electrical wire to the transmission to be able to manually control torque converter lock up on hills. I have a couple of miles of 6 to 7 % grade on my commute to my daughters house. Pre mod it was a mosquito fogger kind of climb with the transmission locking and unlocking with sudden downshifts into second. Post mods it is a 3rd gear climb at part throttle and no smoke. Drives much much better now. Now I just need to figure out how to get the low speed and idle harmonic vibrations out of the air cleaner.
06-24-2013, 12:40
john8662

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwexler

What kind of oil and how much to do an oil change?

Diesel Oil, your brand preference, 15w40 is the weight, or 15w50 is fine. 7 Quarts, buy 2 gallons.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwexler

What oil, fuel and air filters do I need?

I prefer WIX Oil on every GM Diesel I'm running (normal height version), part number 51061.

Air Filter, get an AC Delco, make sure it comes with the Poly Wrap (foam pre-filter)!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwexler

Where can I get a chart of all lube points?

Just crawl under and look for the nipples.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwexler

The AC/heater controls do nothing, not even fan. where do I start?

Fan = bad blower motor, or Bad Fan Control switch, or Bad fan Relay, or wiring, etc.

Controls = Vaccum, check vaccum supply, start at the engine and ensure the pump is working, then start working the hoses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwexler

The seller installed a new radio. It lights up but no sound. Where to look first?

Aftermarket radio? If so, take the van to a stereo shop, beyond us troubleshooting that stuff...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwexler

The gauge lights are so dim I have to look close to tell if they are on, is this normal? Is there a fix?

LOL, probably have some burned out bulbs in there, they're not REAL bright to start with, ensure you get the right replacement bulbs. Bulbs marked for instrument cluster are brighter than those used for external marker lamps.