Finally took this on over the weekend and it was quite the job. If you think it's something that you could knock out in like 4 hours (like I did), you'd likely be incorrect. I've done quite a few jobs, some decently big, and I'd probably still put this one at like a 8 or 9/10 for my mechanical ability. This is my attempt at actually providing a contribution to the forum and hopefully giving useful insight. It took me with some help from an equally mechanically apt friend the majority of this weekend to knock this out. You've been warned.
Disclaimer: This is a 'how I did it' not so much a 'how to'. I take no responsibility for anybody messing anything up. Could there be a better way get to the job done? Certainly.
That's out of the way, so let's go.
PULL THE INTAKE
- Depressurize the fuel system. You're supposed to do that by disconnecting the fuel control module located on the crossmember above your spare tire, cranking the truck until it dies, and try to re-crank it a few times. However my connector wouldn't budge from years of mud and just age, so I tried to do the same by just pulling the fuel pump relay (#70 for those that have done the fuse 27 thing). That may or may not have worked... But I'll say that there wasn't enough pressure for me to lose an eye when I carefully opened the fuel line.
- You could drain the cooling system. I did not. I managed the get the thing out without pulling the t-stat housing, but it was tight.
- I unhooked the intake tube from the plenum box and uncliped the filter box cap and swung it out of the way. Then plucked the plenum box out (2 vacuum lines). I think it's just held in from by two small screws (8mm maybe)
- Remove the alternator. 4 bolts (13mm I think. If not then 15 lol. Can't remember). You might think that you can wiggle it out without removing this. You can not.
- Remove the alternantor cradel. (4x 10mm maybe)
- Pull the ignition coils (1x 8mm per coil). I left these attached to the wires and just moved them out of the way. Same with the alternator.
- Disconnect the fuel supply line (the one with the blue locking tab on the driver side rail, and the 4x 8mm bolts that hold the fuel rails down, the injector connectors, and yank it or wait and pull it with the manifold.
Cont...
Disclaimer: This is a 'how I did it' not so much a 'how to'. I take no responsibility for anybody messing anything up. Could there be a better way get to the job done? Certainly.
That's out of the way, so let's go.
PULL THE INTAKE
- Depressurize the fuel system. You're supposed to do that by disconnecting the fuel control module located on the crossmember above your spare tire, cranking the truck until it dies, and try to re-crank it a few times. However my connector wouldn't budge from years of mud and just age, so I tried to do the same by just pulling the fuel pump relay (#70 for those that have done the fuse 27 thing). That may or may not have worked... But I'll say that there wasn't enough pressure for me to lose an eye when I carefully opened the fuel line.
- You could drain the cooling system. I did not. I managed the get the thing out without pulling the t-stat housing, but it was tight.
- I unhooked the intake tube from the plenum box and uncliped the filter box cap and swung it out of the way. Then plucked the plenum box out (2 vacuum lines). I think it's just held in from by two small screws (8mm maybe)
- Remove the alternator. 4 bolts (13mm I think. If not then 15 lol. Can't remember). You might think that you can wiggle it out without removing this. You can not.
- Remove the alternantor cradel. (4x 10mm maybe)
- Pull the ignition coils (1x 8mm per coil). I left these attached to the wires and just moved them out of the way. Same with the alternator.
- Disconnect the fuel supply line (the one with the blue locking tab on the driver side rail, and the 4x 8mm bolts that hold the fuel rails down, the injector connectors, and yank it or wait and pull it with the manifold.
Cont...
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