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A Total Noob's Guide to Injector Pump Replacement

16K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  Kgw51gmc 
#1 · (Edited)
Let me admit this first
I am not a grease monkey or a regular wrench-turner. In fact, without the help from a grease monkey friend I would have never had the confidence to undertake this project. But, what I found out is I could do this and after the project is over I feel really empowered about my 6.5 turbo diesel.
What tools you will need
1. The deepest deep well 13mm and 15mm socket you can get.
2. 2 - 19mm wrench's from the local auto parts store (don't break the bank on quality because you are going to cut one wrench in half and the other you will grind an opening in the closed end of the wrench to use with the injector pump lines)
3. A small, cordless, impact driver will be a huge benefit to you
4. Of course a full set of metric wrenches, sockets, and socket extensions
5. Some inexpensive, medium sized zip ties
6. A small container of wheel bearing grease
7. A toilet paper cardboard roll, a pair of scissors, and some shipping or masking tape
8. An 8 inch (or larger) strap wrench from Home Depot or Lowes
9. A clean rag you can cut into 10 small pieces (to stuff in the intakes late in the project)
10. A magnetic light to pick up dropped bolts and nuts
Where to Start Under the Hood
First things first. My truck is a 2000 Chevy 6.5 turbo so everything I am going to tell you is based on that. Also, I had removed the decorative cover that says "turbo diesel" a long time ago. This cover is decorative and just causes heat to build up in the bay.

01. Start by disconnecting the batteries, removing the fan shroud, and then take the oil supply off the turbo and remove the turbo oil can. The turbo oil can is marked with "this side up" and will pry loose after the support is removed and the hose clamp is loosened

02. Then separate the turbo from the upper plenum. I have the upper plenum and turbo oil can pictured below

03. Remove the upper radiator hose & Serpentine belt. Have a bucket handy for the radiator hose as it'll release about a quart or more of coolant. I had never removed the serpentine belt so I didn't know this:
A. Remove your serpentine belt by loosening the belt tensioner using a star shaped socket. Then, see the image below to use a 3/8" socket drive to pull the tensioner forward and the belt will slip right off.

04. Remove the oil filler neck and the rubber ring inside

05. I removed the thermostat housing to get the long neck out of the way. I must admit that as I was finishing the project I spent 45 minutes getting the bottom housing bolts started back.

06. I removed the AC Compressor connections, tied them together with a zip tie, and taped a paper to them identifying them as "AC Compressor", then pulled them off to the driver's side of the engine.

07. Disconnect the two sensors on the upper plenum and then remove the upper plenum (10mm bolts). I found that all of the connections were relatively easy to find and re-attach after I got the new pump installed.
However, I must admit that when I started the job I intended to label every connection. But I am now glad that I didn't because it really wasn't necessary.

08. Prepare to unbolt the fuel filter but it will not be removed. Once unbolted, this is where the zip ties will come in. One of the biggest pain in the arse is navigating the fuel filter when removing and reinstalling the intake manifold. So, what I did is zip tie this entire housing to the windshield wiper arm and then snugly pulled it out of the way. See the picture below.

09. Once the intake manifold is revealed, simply begin removing the bolts. All of them are 15mm except for one single 13mm (closest to the radiator, driver's side), weird, huh?
At the driver's side closest to the firewall you'll have a bracket that has to come off. I was very concerned about the different lengths of all of these manifold bolts and being anal about remembering where each bolt and nut went. However, what I found out is that if you will just keep all of these bolts and nuts in one box, when you are re-assembling the intake manifold you will easily be able to tell where each one goes.

10. There is an AC line that is bracketed to the intake manifold on the passenger side of the engine. This bracket is right in the way for the removal and reinstallation of the intake manifold so I zip tied it back by attaching it to the turbo (Picture below)

11. Once you have all the bolts and nuts removed the intake manifold, simply unhook all the injector pump connections and remove the manifold.

12. Grab a shop vac and vacuum out the open holes for your intake. Then, grab that shop rag, cut in to ten pieces small enough to stop up those holes on the intake, and fill them so that no debris gets in there through the rest of the project.

13. Now your beast of an injection pump should be firmly in view and those fuel lines are waiting for your love and affection. :bigglasse

14. Grab that 19mm wrench, take a grinder, and cut a 1/4 inch opening in the closed end of the wrench. You'll use this closed end to detach and attach the majority of these fuel lines.

15. Grab a Sharpie and number the brass fittings on the injector lines and also on the pump that you are about to remove. This will help you make sure that you hook the lines back up correctly. Be careful if you hands have a lot of diesel fuel on them as the diesel will cause the Sharpie to rub off. There will be some plastic clips that keep the lines neat. Just remove them.

16. Once the injector lines are numbered, grab the wrench that you cut the open end and go to town. You'll find that six of the 8 lines are easy to get to but the bottom two will require the other wrench, the one you are going to cut in half.

17. Once you get to the bottom two injector lines you'll have to use the shorter wrench you cut in half. It'll take some effort but you'll get these two bottom lines off & on

18. THIS NEXT STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT
Grab the Sharpie, or get a tool that can make a mark on metal (Like a nail tamp or a set tool). Mark the location of your pump as it relates to the housing on the motor that the pump is bolted to.
If you don't already know it, this pump is "timed" and there are optimal settings for the location of the pump; sometimes closer to the passenger side, sometimes closer the driver's side. So, if your truck was running well until the pump crapped out on you, you need to make a note of the position of your pump.
I was initially concerned that the pump position was so important that even the slightest error in positioning the new pump would cause my truck to run terribly. BUT, THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
Once you finish this install, you'll need to have your pump "timed" by a technician with a computer for the refined adjustments. But, as long as you mark the location of the old pump, and take caution to mount the new pump in the same location, your truck will run well enough to get you through until you have the pump timed.
The way I did this was to use a Sharpie to mark two lines on the pump about 1/2 inch apart and those lines extended to the mount on the motor. I'll later mimic these lines as best as I can on the new pump.

19. THIS NEXT STEP MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL
There are three 10mm bolts that hold the injector pump idler gear on (the round thing on the front of the injector pump picture below) and you'll find these bolts by looking in the oil filler tube. You'll have to turn the engine over either manually or by "bumping" the starter in order to reveal the bolts.

Now, what I did is to hook the batteries back up and "bump" the starter (literally, a quick key turn) to remove 2 of the bolts and I manually turned the crank pulley with the 8 inch strap wrench (Ah ha, that's where the strap wrench came in)
If you fat finger one of these bolts and drop the bolt before getting it out of the oil filler tube, you've just added 3 hours of work to your project. You'll have to drain the oil, drop the oil pan, and hope the bolt fell to the pan.
See pictures 12, 13, & 14 below
SO, TAKE THIS STEP VERY SERIOUSLY.
GRAB THE TOILET PAPER CARDBOARD ROLLER, GRAB THE SCISSORS, CUT THE CARDBOARD ROLLER TO FIT IN THE OIL FILLER TUBE HOLE (WITH THE RUBBER GASKET REMOVED).
TAPE THE CARDBOARD SO THAT YOU CAN CREATE A TUNNEL TO ENSURE THAT IF YOU DO DROP THE 10MM BOLT IT STAYS IN YOUR CARDBOARD AND DOES NOT FALL INTO THE OIL PAN. THE BOLT BEING IN THE CARDBOARD IS EASY FOR YOUR TO RETRIEVE WITH YOUR FINGER.

THEN, FOR EXTRA PRECAUTION, DIP YOUR 10MM DEEP WELL SOCKET INTO THE WHEEL BEARING GREASE. THESE WILL HELP THE BOLT STICK ON YOUR SOCKET.

20. After getting the three idler bolts out you are ready to remove the three injector pump bolts holding the pump to the motor.

21. Remove the injector pump being very careful not to turn the idler pin. Take the bad pump and sit is side by side with the new pump. Position the idler pin of the new pump to be as close to the position of the pin on the old pump.
This is the beginning of installing the new pump and establishing the timing of the new pump.

22. Grab a ruler and make the same marks at same position on the new pump as you made earlier on the old pump. Try to be as precise as possible with these marks. You'll use these marks to position you new pump in just a moment.

23. Grab a cold beer or other cold beverage because you are about half way through the project

24. Place the new injector pump into the motor. Be careful not to move the idler arm that you positioned like the old pump you took out.

25. Find your marks that you made on the new pump that were as close to the old pump as possible. Line them up with the original marks you made on the motor housing that the injector pump mounts to. This is not rocket science and is really the utilization of horse sense. Tighten the three bolts on the rear of the injector pump (that ones closest to the firewall)

26. Now, you must carefully reinstall the 3 - 10mm bolts that hold the idler pin in place (the ones inside the oil filler tube).
What I did was install the first bolt manually. Then, I "bumped" the starter over to reveal each of the other bolt holes. You may elect to turn the crank shaft manually with the strap wrench

27. Upon getting the pump bolted from front and back, it's time to reconnect injector fuel lines. You must start with the bottom lines and work your way to the top. Then, reconnect your plastic pieces that keep your fuel injector lines neat.

28. IF YOU FEEL FROGGY, you can remove all the rags from your intake holes, connect the battery, hook all connectors up the injector pump, and try to fire the engine.
Now, you don't want to drive with the motor in this condition but you can test your new injector pump right here.
Also, it's a good time to see if your position of the new injector pump needs serious adjusting.
So, let me reiterate, you can crank the motor without the upper plenum, without the turbo connected, and without the intake manifold. But, it should only be cranked for the purpose of confirming that the new injector pump is functioning.

29. If you bought new intake manifold gaskets, install them now. Then start putting your intake manifold back on. Then, basically work in reverse order to put all the stuff back that you just took off.

Congratulations, you've just changed your 6.5 Turbo Diesel injector pump.

I hope this is helpful to you. Please leave a comment if I omitted something or if a step needs improvement.
 

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#2 ·
nice write up! im sure this is going to be of great use to people! clever use of the tp roll.
 
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#6 ·
Pyro3601, thank you for the comment. I must admit that the toilet paper tube idea came from a Youtube video I watched prior to the installation.
You mentioned that this write up may be a help to some people. One of the reasons I felt so compelled to write up such a detailed post was because of how much I gained from others posts.
So, in a way, this is my way of giving back to the site.
Thanks again for the comment.
 
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#7 · (Edited)
Freddyack, that's a good point. I didn't address the "timing of the pump" or the "Top Dead Center (TDC) Offset Relearn. Thanks for reminding me.

So, for Noobs like me, simply open your internet browser and get to Google and type in this search word for word
------ GM Diesel Top Dead Center Offset Relearn ------
Your search should lead you to a pdf document. But, I'll try one better. I'll try to link to the document:
http://my.cardone.com/techdocs/PT%2070-77-0004.pdf

I hope this worked and if it did you can use the link above to check out the very easy procedure to complete the TDCO reset/relearn.

Now, if after you complete the TDCO reset/relearn your truck begins to run funny, you'll definitely need to see a technician with a compatible computer to have your pump timed by the computer. Some users in other forums have said that simply completing the TCDO reset/relearn was adequate to make their 6.5 run like a top.

However, I recommend always having the pump timed by the computer with a seasoned technician.

I hope this helps.
 
#5 ·
Thank you WallyWorld. I must admit that the toilet paper tube idea came from a Youtube video I watched; and it worked flawlessly! Thank you for the comment!
 
#9 ·
Anyone see my prev question?
 
#10 ·
I think you installed the replacement IP in the correct (same) position as the old....which you intended.


The ECM was therefore able to continue to use the previous timing data it had recorded, without registering a IP timing parameter change/error.


Your timing may not be precisely as it was before, or even optimally set for your new IP..... but is obviously still within the acceptable range that suits the ECM commands while not noticeably affecting the engine performance.
 
#12 ·
I prob used up all my good luck then. I'm hoping the 94 works out after I figure out the glow plug prob. Thanks.
 
#13 ·
Great guide! Thanks for writing it!. I am struggling with the bottom injector line removal. The bottom left one if looking at the firewall. I cut and modified the wrench as per your suggestion. I can foresee the reconnection being a pain in the balls. Any tips on that procedure? Thanks.
 
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