Going out West this summer from Erie, Pa. to Bend, Oregon. Route West: I-90 to Cleveland thence I-80 to Ogden Utah thence I-84/Rt 20 to Bend. Eastbound: Rt 20 and Interstate to Idaho Falls, over Teton Pass to Jackson Wyo. thru Yellowstone to Livingstone, MT then home via I-90.
Routine maintainance before:
- Oil & Filter Change
- Tranny & Diff fluid change
- Rotate & balance tires with alignment
- Tune up with Brisk Silver racing plugs, Magnecor KV85 race wires, Chevy tune to check air/fuel ratios after mods install
- replace coolant and add Redline coolant conditioner
- recharge A/C
- remove 3rd row seats
- install spare tire & rim
- install lightweight aluminum race jack and Milwaukee cordless hammer drill
Mods:
- Air Filter, air box
- Exhaust
- add HIDs or fog lights

 

Researched air filter / air box mods. Considered Volant, Airraid, K&N.
Ordered Airaid MXP with prefilter and throttle body spacer
- AA 201-267 AirAid MXP Intake System includes Cold Air Box, Velocity Stack, Non-0iled synthetic filter, Intake tube , and cold air scoop. ($359.95)
- AA 799-742 AirAid 5 micron PreFilter ($29.95)
- AA 200-617 AirAid Throttle Body Spacer ($114.95)

Now researching exhaust mods to eliminate huge resonator. Consiering Borla, Corsa or custom design.

 

Have extra tire. Found unblemished Aluminum Hybrid rim at junkyard ($200).
Debating on wether to just throw it in the back cargo compartment, OR go thru the trouble of installing the non-Hybrid tire carrier after the Resonator is removed, OR just load it on my Hitch-Haul game carrier.

 

Hi ...

Sound like a really fun road trip.

I think I just dropped a K&N filter in my Tahoe cause I when I researched CAIs none of them showed compatibility with the Hybrid. Side note, even on non-hybrids, Volants are known to cause throttle body error displays on 09+ trucks.

The problem with adding the spare tire kit/carrier, even if you delete the res, is that GM hasn't provided a hoist access hole in the rear bumper, so it's impossible to hoist down unless you do what I did and upgrade to a Denali/Escalade bumper.

The res delete is rather easy ... there's a ready side swept dual tip for Hybrids I had on my truck that I bought on ebay. I'll try to find the link for you.

But please, I beg you, don't stick a PnP hid kit in your reflector housings ... you will hardly put any additional functional light on the road and most of the output will be there to glare onto oncoming traffic. This is what hid kits look like on these trucks:

 

I was aware of the "bumper" problem .....so I will probably just load the spare in the rear cargo bay OR if I need room for luggage will put the hitch haul on and carry it external. It's just for this long trip. I just don't want to be caught in the high dessert or on a mountain pass 100 miles from no where with a flat.

After doing more research and hearing about the PITA of just changing the OEM bulbs I think aftermarket fogs are the best idea. I have a set of Warns which are way too big and an old set of PerLux with sealed beams....I can easily convert the PerLux to Halogen or Xenon fairly cheaply. Thje problem is where to mount them.

I haven't looked yet but was hoping that there was some metal behind the Hybrid OEM black out panels.....where I could attach the lights and then modify the panels with a dremel for clearance.

I've also looked at the remoite RF wiring harness controllers available so NO hole is needed in the firewall....esentially a light fob switch.

Also I have read that the Hybrid engines like back pressure and the computer uses this and throttle opening to control the VVI aspect and variable valve timing.....so reducing the back pressure and increasing the exhaust flow with a high flow CAT back system may not be desirable. SO in essence all I want to do is eliminate the heavy and bulky resonator with an axle back twin side exit tail pipe. I would appeciate that reference.

 

Sure ... this is the one I had on my truck: http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-SUV-Hybri...#ht_500wt_1105

You can see pics of it on the truck scattered around my '09 HyHoe' thread.

I just had my front bumper off of my non hybrid denali ... there are two beams that reside behind and slightly above my tow hook gaps where the tow hooks attach. I don't remember where those are in relation to the bumper caps in the hybrid bumpers. My suspicion is that those gaps are lower and farther in on the hybrids ... but you can figure that out by lying on your back and looking under there.

 

@ HyHoe: decided on that tailpipe and ordered. I had put in a call to Corsa about adapting on of their CAT back systems but they did not get back to me. Also considered the Volant pipe but they as well did not return my call.

 

UPDATE: Was coinsidering a CNG conversion addition but decided tanks would take up too much space. Now considering a Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HHO generator) addition. Researching. Results to follow. Anyone with experience in this area?

Some concerns:
- What happens to air/HHO flow when engine goes into "Autostop" mode? Assume flow stops as HHO is introduced by venturi principal. A one-way flow valve would be advisable in the system.
- What happens when engine goes from V8 to V4? Ie. I am aware ignition and gasoline flow is cut OFF to unused cylinders but assume, since it is a single cam engine, that air flow still continues thru opening valves in unused cylinders. If ignition occures in unused cylinders ....should not be a problem.....however I am more concerned with ignition of unburned HHO in say a hot catalytic converter !

Stay tuned.

 

You're going to like the res delete.

 

DJ in V4 the hydraulic lifters stop opening the 8 valves on the 4 cylinders.

As for any electrically powered hydrogen generator, it will be generating any time it is powered.