Replacing the Passenger-Side Head Fuel Sleeve

Difficulty:

Time: 1 Hour
Symptoms: Fuel leaking under truck: near oil pan, on starter motor. Smell of diesel around motor or in cab.
Tools Required: 9/16 Open end wrench, pic tool, ratchet, deep socket (check size for your IC Boots), 13mm socket
Parts Required: 2 x 1/4 fuel line sleeve (one per end of each fuel line)

When I found out I needed to do this, I was told basically "good luck, its doable but not fun." So I decided to make a little how to for the next guy

At first glance, this task seems nearly impossible. Maybe one of those tasks "better left for the dealer." But it doesn't have to be. Just make sure the truck is cool. Go ahead, ask me how I know.

The first think you need to do is find the fuel line. It goes from the fuel bowl, under the spider, to the rear of the passenger side head. Its right below where the down pipe meets the turbo. Once you have located it and gotten over the case of "how the heck..."s, you may proceed. Unplug the MAP sensor at the spider. Next unbolt the passenger side intercooler pipe from the spider and intercooler. You can leave it in the motor, and rotate it out of the way.



Next reach back there and feel with your hand where the nut is. Give yourself a reference to its location, you're going to be wrenching blind for most of this.

Stick your 9/16" open end wrench back there and try to hook on to it. I have heard of guys cutting their wrenches to do this, but it was not necessary for me.



Loosen the nut for the fuel line on the fuel bowl. It is on the passenger side of the fuel bowl, toward the front of the motor.

For the next 20 mins or so you will spend your time trying to get your wrench on the nut and rotating it 1/4 turn and repeating until loose. At one point you can reach back and get it with your fingers.



Next look down between the turbo and spider in the valley. There is a little clip wrapped around the fuel line, bolted into the engine block. Take your ratchet and 13mm standard socket and loosen the bolt and free the clip. You may leave the clip on the fuel line, it will not fall off on its own, but may slide around.

Next gently wiggle the fuel line up and out of the engine. Now is the time to replace the sleeves.

You will need one set of two 1/4" fuel line sleeves. You may purchase them from DieselOrings.com or Riffraff Diesel Performance. Please note, that when ordering, quantity of ONE is for two sleeves from both retailers.
Diesel O-Rings: 1/4" Fuel line sleeves
Riffraff Diesel: 1/4" Fuel line sleeves



It is common for the clip on the fuel line to rub through creating a hole. Inspect the fuel line carefully, and protect it from the clip with some rubber or what ever you have handy.

Clean off any old sleeve and get any left over sleeve out of the nut with the pic tool. Slide the new sleeves on and you're done! Sorta.. Just redo everything you undid and you're good to go! I suggest rebuilding your whole fuel bowl if you are experiencing leaks. The fuel bowl rebuild kit includes 2 1/4" fuel sleeves, which are for the fuel lines at the fuel bowl. If you want to do all of the sleeves and a fuel bowl rebuild, order a fuel bowl rebuild kit, and an extra set of 2 1/4" fuel sleeves. That will be everything you need to fix all potential oring/fuel sleeve leaks!

Hope this helps someone!

 

Nice how-to Trey!!

 

How was the condition of your clamp, they are known to wear and rub a hole in the line, I have left them out of my truck, however I have wrapped 3 others with fuel line. Reps for the write up though for those that haven't.

 

Which clamp? The one that secures the line to the block? It was perfectly fine. The whole line looked good.

 

Yeah the one that secures it to the head. I know all the ones I had issues with still had the coating visible on the outside but inside they were worn. Just trying to see if it's a mileage thing, normal wear, or what.

 

Hmm. Interesting. Didnt notice anything on mine.

 

Nice wrie-up and pics.

One thing to add. While you have access to that p-clamp on the fuel line it is the perfect time to add some protection between it and fuel line. The clamp has been know to wear a hole in the fuel line. I just split a piece of rubber fuel line and slipped it over the hard line and then put the clamp on over it.

Edit : Asleep at the wheel. Didn't realize Alan had already brought this up.

 

Good to know for next time.

Does anyone know who TridentMotors is?
They tweeted about this thread..

 

Not me, I don't tweet.

 

Neither do I. I noticed at the bottom of the page it says 1 tweet.

 

Might be this site Trident Motors

 

Yes it is, but I was wondering if someone here was affiliated.

 

It's important to clean the back of the head before you remove the fuel line. You don't want girt and grime going through your injectors.

 

Very nice write-up Trey, great pics too

 

Excellent write up Trey and Thank You! This just happened to my truck! I started on it this evening w/o looking on here first (oops). Anyways here I am because I'm stuck till morning.....it's gotten too cold so I will resume in the am. But to my questions, your pic w/ the wrench showing where the line goes into the back of the head......are you actually on the nut or is it just placed there for reference? I ask because I'm having to stuff my big *** hand back between the head and the exhaust pipe and my wrench is more inline w/ the head. I have to pull up or toward the front of the motor.......just not enough room to loosen the nut. I've removed the ICC pipe and now I've removed the exhaust clamp and raised the exhaust pipe up a few inches to give me a little more room, but I just can't seem to budge it. Also I can not fit a standard 9/16" wrench between the head & firewall on my truck so I'm using a shorty wrench which means even less leverage! I'm hoping being refreshed in the am I will be able to break it loose!