88GMCtruck

Woooo Boost!
Nov 4, 2015
200
47
28
37
Auburn, Wa
88GMCTruck....

Greetings! I am new to this website and I'm glad that I came across it, I have the same dually truck you have, the same color and all and I'm in the process of installing a whipple kit on the 454 with hopes of doing the 0411 PCM upgrade, if your cool with it I'd love to pick your brain someday, I hope you still frequent this website! Your truck is bad A$$!!! So yeah please let me know if I may contact you and how I may go about reaching out to you, I noticed your in Auburn, I'm in Tacoma so we're pretty much neighbors, lol, I'd be glad to meet up some day if your up for it! I'll bring the beer!!
I also have a full whipple kit for my Limited Tahoe and I plan to also install the 0411 PCM upgrade! Well let me know your thoughts bro, Take Care and please keep up the awesome postings!

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Sorry for the slow response, I'm not on here a ton lately. Just shoot me a PM here if you want, can go from there!

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Well it has been more than a minute since I've checked in on here...

A slight style change - installed factory "4x4" stickers on it again. I like the style of them and their OEMness. Just something different.
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Few misc camping shots. Some of these should totally be in a GM recreation brochure or something LOL.
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Been using the suburban a bit more, since it's easy to leave the camper on and it gets WAY better economy, and honestly it's more of a "beater". I did put heated seats in it, and found hood and grille with better paint, upgraded the lighting, installed 4" exhaust....
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Took a nice trip on memorial day out in the sand. My happiest place on earth.
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But, on the way home... the way home... the GD MFing thing started making sound... from the trans/transfercase.......... AGAIN.

5th gear backed off on the transmission, which pushes on the input shaft of the transfercase case and destroys it... So this week these got sent out for a nice day at the spa...
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88GMCtruck

Woooo Boost!
Nov 4, 2015
200
47
28
37
Auburn, Wa
So how many times does this make for trans issues?


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HAHA well i rebuilt the original twice myself, both times it ate the input shaft.

Then i bought new, 5th backed off (last t-case replacement) then just did it again. So technically this once this one is installed this is the 4th trans.
 

Huck

BIIIIG SQRBDY GUY
Jan 27, 2011
12,335
1,389
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Gainesville, Ga
HAHA well i rebuilt the original twice myself, both times it ate the input shaft.

Then i bought new, 5th backed off (last t-case replacement) then just did it again. So technically this once this one is installed this is the 4th trans.

Lol damn. Time for a T56


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88GMCtruck

Woooo Boost!
Nov 4, 2015
200
47
28
37
Auburn, Wa
Long overdue update. Summer was brutally busty for me.
Got the Trans and T-Case back shortly after the last update, slapped it in and got on with life.
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After it was together, finally got around to adding a video splitter and side view cameras to the truck. I also upgraded the side backup lights with the boost auto modules. WAY brighter.
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And I did my normal camping trips
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Only to have the last one end with a 197 miles of AAA towing.
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Truck started running like crap and backfiring on the way home, turns out I blew a lower intake gasket. It's all fixed back up now complete with a tune-up as well.
 
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Tiki

Well-Known Member
Jan 23, 2011
1,581
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Yikes. I mean you could go 8.1 :)


Find me a cherry stepside please, I find good ones up in WA/OR on the craigs.
 

88GMCtruck

Woooo Boost!
Nov 4, 2015
200
47
28
37
Auburn, Wa
Yikes. I mean you could go 8.1 :)


Find me a cherry stepside please, I find good ones up in WA/OR on the craigs.
I see lots of good builders here (rust is rarely a problem) and clean trucks as well. if you see something you want checked out shoot me a message.

I thought about going 8.1L, but then i'd need a different whipple setup.
 
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88GMCtruck

Woooo Boost!
Nov 4, 2015
200
47
28
37
Auburn, Wa
I've had... quite a lot happen in the last month, so forgive me for not existing online.
On the way back from my last trip (end of October) the truck started making a ticking sound, like an exhaust leak. But, I was focused on the 88 at the time (frame was pulled apart for coating). I basically parked the truck camper on and went about what I was doing. Then my great uncle passed away, had to take some time to go down there with the family. I took the Black Fox down to the funeral, so before I left I went through some exhaust stuff (new collector gasket, making sure there were no leaks) etc and just couldn't figure out the tick sound... it was faint (most people thought I was nuts) but i'm pretty in tune with this truck.
During this time, my father was telling me about a truck his hunting friend was selling, a 06 GMC K3500 SLT duramax with 46k miles. It's basically the exact truck I would want as a duramax if I were to choose to go the Allison Auto route... Asked me if I was interested, saw some photos, etc. I ended up looking at it while at the funeral on the weekend of Nov 10th. Came home from that and had a really busy work week... But in the little free time I had I dug into it much farther, determined it had to be a lifter making noise. So I decided to go all out, and would pull the lifters and cam over the weekend. Mind you this is while I have the 88 COMPLETELY spread out around the property in pieces... and i'm figuring out the possibility of this new truck... plus remodeling a bedroom in the house..... so, yeah. You can see how much of a cluster-F my garage is right now
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So I ended up striking a deal on the 06 that week. Got the financial and paperwork figure out during the week (truck was 3 hours away). So now we are at the next weekend. After work Friday I pull the cam, turns out the exhaust lifter on cylinder 5 had a roller starting to fail which was making the ticking sound.
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Saturday I wake up, get a ride to go get the Duramax (was a day long trip)....
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So I get the truck home, now it's Sunday and Monday put the Black Fox back together. Completely flushed the engine, installed a brand new OEM vortec cam, comp cams OE replacement lifters and new gaskets, plus fresh fluids. Put the 19 lb/hr injectors in and de-pinned the 0411 back to the black box PCM.
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That was one busy weekend. So keep going.... Thanksgiving is the 22nd and I have family dinner plus my annual quad camping trip.... and now I have a different truck to try and get setup to haul my camper. So now I also have that to prep which included removing running boards, canopy, installing camper tie downs and the superhitch, making sure wiring the trailer brake controller are good, transferring all my stuff to the truck, and prepping for camping.
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Not without a few long lights and some extra effort, but I managed to get everything done and ready and make my trip.
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And no, I haven't updated because I came back from that trip late Sunday after thanksgiving, worked 2 days then flew red-eye to Chicago for another trip I had planned, which I just returned from late this past Sunday. The camper is still sitting on my the new truck, in the driveway, with parts scattered everywhere in my garage and yard, and the grille missing off the black fox.... I have a busy few weeks ahead now.
I know most of you are asking me "Why?".
I love the 98. I love the GMT400 bodystyle. There is a TON of things I love about that truck. Where that truck is today hasn't came without a bunch of trials for me, such as many NV4500 issues, supercharger issues, and just general old truck/age maintenance things like gaskets, lights, brakes, etc etc.... It's just an old truck with old technology and I'm pushing its limits to do what i'm doing with it. And with that i'm still getting like... 7MPG doing what i'm doing....
A newer truck with a stronger frame, better brakes, stronger engine and transmission that gets better fuel economy, as clean and as low mile as this one is.... it was just impossible to pass up.
I still have a few things to remove from the Black Fox (train horn, stereo, radios) prior to selling it. I'm still debating on pulling the welds off it as well, and the whipple is already removed and likely going to be installed on the 88 in the future.
 
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Tylers88

3 GM's and a Jeep
Apr 16, 2012
6,949
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Clarion, IA
Just me but I’d level the duramax and put the welds/coopers on it. If you want I have 1500 keys from my Burb, they fit in a medium flat rate box so $10 to cover shipping and they are yours.
 

a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
1,856
77
48
CA
So I have to ask, how did the supercharged 454 hauling and towing compare with the duramax?


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88GMCtruck

Woooo Boost!
Nov 4, 2015
200
47
28
37
Auburn, Wa
if you werent around 3000 miles away i would entertain the welds, but shipping would be killer lol
Well I'm not looking to sell any of them LOL.
Just me but I’d level the duramax and put the welds/coopers on it. If you want I have 1500 keys from my Burb, they fit in a medium flat rate box so $10 to cover shipping and they are yours.
I don't even need keys to level it out, TBH. They have them cranked almost all the way down, I already did like 4 turns and it's too high with the camper on.
Wait are the welds not going on?
The second set are polished and awaiting tires to go on sale.
So I have to ask, how did the supercharged 454 hauling and towing compare with the duramax?
Honestly, the duramax pulls better. The whippled 454 was really good, but honestly, it's a totally different animal. Also the newer frame/brakes is amazing....

---------------

So since I've been silent for two months.....

Holidays happened. Work. The usual.

I actually had someone pointed my direction and worked with him for about 1.5 months while prepping the truck for sale, and figuring out financials, travel dates, etc. So long story short, I pulled a few items off it, did one large ass hell of a detail job, and sold it on 1/31/2019 at just 181,000 miles. Picked up the new owner at the airport, and the truck headed east.

This truck took me many places, and honestly was a part of me. It gave me many challenges in my ownership, but it also gave me a bunch of happiness too. I wish I could have justified keeping it, but it is just not possible at this point in my life. Here are two of the last photos I took of the truck after driving it to work the day before it's sale.
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Long live the Black Fox.