6.5 TD valve covers gaskets replacement

[DarioGMC]

Hello everybody, as said in my truck thread, i have leaks on both engine side from valve covers gaskets, so it's time to replace them. I've just bought the new gaskets.
My biggest doubt about doing this job is the following :

to remove the covers you've got to remove the fuel lines....as everybody know, if you have air in the fuel line, a diesel engine will not start....so, the question is :

could you exlpain me how to bleed the fuel lines?

Thank you in advance.

 

[skylark]

Crack the lines on the driver's side at the injectors. Crank it over for 15 seconds on and 60 seconds off. When it tries to fire, lock down the fuel lines. You can use some WD40 in the turbo as starting fluid but don't use actual starting fluid because with the high compression on a 6.5 you can break pistons with starting fluid.

 

[smdk2500]

Also from what I have read don't use gaskets and to use permatex "right stuff". I've heard that the cork gaskets start leaking shortly after replacement. I don't know this for a fact but I wouldn't want to go though all that work to have to do it again shortly after doing it. I don't know if you can do this as I haven't had the intake off my 6.5 yet to do my VC gaskets but maybe do one side at at time. Take the lines off do the gasket put lines back on start it then do the other side. That is how I did it when I did my injectors. I dont know if you can get the lines off the pump to do it that way there might not be enough room. Also if you didnt know you can run the engine with the intake off.

 

[DarioGMC]

Thank you for your suggestions!! I really apreciate!

I also read some guys that did the job without replacing the gaskets but only putting some high temperature sealant.
I've just bought the gaskets.....then i also bought high temperature sealant. I read another theory that says to make a sort or sandwitch with gaskets and sealant, i'll try this way.
Then i'll let you know.
I think i'll do the job this weekend, it leaks a lot, especially on driver side towards the firewall.....after some hours you can see oil drops on the ground...not good.

 

[smdk2500]

I think i'll do the job this weekend, it leaks a lot, especially on driver side towards the firewall.....after some hours you can see oil drops on the ground...not good.

Mine is doing the same. I think its the VC on drivers side but not sure. I might also have a fitting leaking on my oil cooler lines. I know when I changed the lines i slighty damaged the fitting screwing them in. Yes let me know how you end up doing it I would like to know.

 

[DarioGMC]

We decided to start today afternoon, at the moment the intake manifold is out of the way!!
It has been a bit a pain, today is 34°c (93°F) we had a sweatbath....i'll let you know when we will finish.

 

[DarioGMC]

Here is where we arrived this evening :

intake manifold and fuel lines out of the way....we marked every pipe with paper tape so we will be sure to put everything back in the right place. I think that if GM made the fuel line pass outside instead of in the middle of the "V" it would have been a way easier job.....

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Comments apart, as you can see, you don't need to extract the turbocharged, you only have to unbolt the heat shield between turbocharger and injectors on passenger side.

At the moment we pull out the driver side valve cover. We decided to remove, clean everything and replace the gasket on one side and then do the same on the other side. The strange thing is that the cover bolts were very loose, you could turn them by hand.


You also talked about the oil cooler, take a look at the oil filter relocator too, mine had leaks and we replaced all the o ring gaskets.

Tomorrow i think we could finish the job.

 

[smdk2500]

When I did my oil cooler lines i did the orings on the filter base. They where hard as a rock and leaking. I know its eaither the one fitting I did slighty damage or the leak is coming from farther up. I do know the VC gaskets are leaking because when I did my injectors there was oil and slime in and around them. If I remember right the torque spec on the valve cover isn't very much. Its only like 15 foot pounds or some thing like that. That could be why they felt loose. That is good to know that you don't have to remove the turbo even though I just had mine off when I did injectors.

 

[DarioGMC]

Yeah, after some hours of work and a lot of cussing....job done!!

During a research a found a post in a forum where a guy said that you don't need anything special to bleed the fuel system...he was right! You just need healthy batteries because you have to turn the starter a bit.

We made some mistakes and had some trouble but i don't want to waste this topic.


About the oil cooler lines, on my truck has been replaced with a couple of stainless steel braided hoses, it seems to work well. I read that the stock ones are not that good.

 

[smdk2500]

From what I have read yes the braided lines are the way to go. lucky for you they had already been done. For me it was a huge PITA to get the new fittings in the block. When I did my the entire length of the rubber was dripping oil and one of the quick connects on the block side fell apart when I took the retainer off.