Pulled a 1987 out of a hole

[captain720]

I am working on getting a 1987 F250 with the 6.9 Diesel and a 4 speed up and around again, I drug it out of a hole and did the basics (batteries, filter, fluids, sca and what not) and she fired right up. Currently having some issues with fuel pressure at the filter head and will likely be doing a lift pump very soon. I have found this forum extremely helpful and wanted to start my own thread for helpful comments/advice and what not.

Here is a video of my truck.

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[Big Bart]

Congrats on the truck and welcome. Looks like you have spent some good money on it all ready. Looks like the PO took really good care of it! But these trucks are tough, you will get it on the road again.

I hate when the mice take over the cab. You will get it cleaned out.

New lift pump should help with pressure and reliability. I am sure you will but replace the rubber hose to it and the fuel filter.

If it runs and idles well (Sounded decent.) just do the fuel injector return line kit. Should fix the weeping you mentioned.

Since you seem like a very capable mechanic I would recommend you redo the oil cooler seals. They get old, crack, and let your oil and cooling systems mix. So just get ahead of it.

Be sure to include pics too.

 

[captain720]

Thanks for the heads up on the oil cooler seals! I will look into that.

Yes new lift pump should help with the pressure, I am planning to plumb in some clear hose temporarily to watch for air intrusion as well.

I think I will just do the return line kit as well because it runs pretty good at the moment.

 

[captain720]

I read through some write ups on installing the new lift pumps, it seems that the difference in the arms between old and new is supposed to not matter?

Does anyone have any thoughts on getting the new one lined up under the cam correctly? I am not really able to look inside and see what's going on very well and wanted to know if anyone had any thoughts on doing that.

 

[Big Bart]

Double check on yours but as I recall when you hold the lift pump in your hand the part of the arm lever that rides on the cam is on top.(Bent metal so top is smooth and sides bend downward.) So you want to tilt the arm at a 45* slope down toward the oil pan as you install. Get under the cam. (If I am wrong about which side rides the cam just do it in reverse.) Then when the pump body touches the block level out. If your cam is at the peak of pushing the arm you pump will not want to level out and line up square as the arm is being pushed slightly down. You can use the pump body and your hand to level out, install the bolts, and use the bolts to square it up to the block. Or turn the engine till the cam is barely pushing on the arm, put the bolts in, and tighten. Either works.

Not sure about new vs old style. Auto parts store should be able to pick correct one by year and engine model.

1) Clean off the block carefully anything that falls in the hole goes into the block.
2) Careful not to drop a bolt in the open hole when you go to bolt it up. Get the pump lined up first the grab a bolt without gloves on. I would not set the bolts in the pump and try to line up. If one falls in that hole you have to pull the oil pan.
3) Use new rubber fuel line and clamps to it.
4) The pump should have come with a gasket. Use some Gasket-cinch or Permatex Hightack to seal it. I glue the gasket to the pump so it is already lined up when you put the bolts through. Then put some around the hole on the block so it seals real well.
4) Tighten the metal flare lines snug tight not hulk tight. You can always tighten more if leaking.

Congrats you just did your mechanical fuel pump. Should be good for 5-10 years.

Take some picks and post so others can see how it is done.

 

[Old Goat]

Either pump will work, straight arm or bent arm.
Point the Arm towards the bottom of the Pan, then level it off, push Pump onto the block, Then screw in the first Bolt by hand then the second one. Then snug them down.

You want the Arm under the Cam.

The Pump I bought, made in Korea, the holes in the Gasket were too small for the Bolts. I used a HF Hole punch to make them the right size.

I used some Permatex brown goop and glued the gasket to the Pump. Lined it up and shoved it into place.

I came in from the top side to replace it, I read you can do it from under the truck.
Disconnect your Batteries first
Remove the Alternator and set aside
Lift out the vac pump with hose and set aside
Remove the big bracket the Fuel Filter bolt to and set aside

You will have to disconnect the hard Fuel line to between the pump and filter and remove.
Cut the rubber curly Q hose in 2.

Remove the 2 bolts that hold the pump in, and lift out the old pump.
Shove a rag into the hole and clean off the area of grease/dirt etc...

I eliminated the hard line,and used rubber hose to the Filter. Screw in a barb fitting into the pump and filter head.
Use 3/8" hose.

Attach new pump
then bolt on all the parts removed to get to the pump.
Remove the Filter off the big bracket to make it easier to bolt it back on, just 2 bolts.

Replace the curly Q hose and the rubber hose to the filter or the factory hard line if you want to keep it. But remember the hard line has those Olive seals that will probably need replacing.
I filled the rubber hose with ATF before attaching to the Filter to eliminate any air getting into the system.

As I remember you need to tighten the Alt belt first before the Vac belt.
Connect batteries and hope for the best.

I replaced my Lift Pump because it was leaking out the bottom of it.
When I drove the truck the first time, it really had more acceleration. I guess the old Pump was not supplying enough pressure.


Goat.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Exactly as the two previous posts said. People make a huge deal out of changing a mechanical lift pump, but it's not that big of a deal. The big "secret" is to tip the pump so that you know that the arm goes underneath the cam lobe. It's really that simple.

 

[captain720]

Got the new pump on, pressure good at filter head and injectors getting nice little pulses of fuel. Havn't finished the purging yet, ran out of battery tonight. Had the 75 amp charger on there got smoke coming out the tail pipe and a few tries to start but she isn't quite there yet.

 

[captain720]

Unit runs perfectly now, could not get it to fire so I replaced all the rubber return lines on a "$5 hunch" and she fired almost immediately. Starter is cranking inconsistently (rpm wise) and its still running off fuel from a can but its running well and good progress is being made. Full video coming when I edit it.

 

[captain720]

When I crank it the hot stud on the starter can spit fire and sparks and glow while cranking slow, or it is perfectly normal and cranks great anyone have some thoughts on that? I've never seen one throw fire like that.

Edit the cable insulation appears intact and healthy, same with the 00 grounds engine to batteries.

 

[Austin86250]

too much resistance

 

[gnathv]

Check the connection that’s getting hot.

 

[captain720]

too much resistance

Going to take starter to local rebuilder and have tested, could be brushes. I do remember it being "stuck" when I first cranked it

Check the connection that’s getting hot.

Connection was loose earlier but I fixed that and it worked fine for a bit.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I'd say that it's time for a Nippendenso style starter. I used to really like the Mitsubishi starters until I installed my first Nippendenso style starter. These are often wrongly referred to as a gear reduction starter. The truth is that all of the IDI starters (except for the Delco-Remy starter that came out on the early 6.9s) are gear reduction starters. The difference between one of these and the best Mitsubishi starter is absolutely amazing. These sound more like a motorcycle starter than a truck starter. That's how fast they spin over.

 

[captain720]

Alrighty got that full fuel pump video all edited and posted.

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