If you saw my post over the past couple of days, you know I’m pulling my turbo and was wondering if it’s possible to do this without lifting the cab.
It can be done. I did mine in my driveway when I had the heads off.
I wouldn’t call any of that easy though.
Stevie said:
It can be done. I did mine in my driveway when I had the heads off.
I wouldn’t call any of that easy though.
Oh, I’m sure it’s going to feel impossible. Ford really made it difficult, placing the turbo in the worst spot for DIY work. They really knew how tough they were making it for us.
@Kellen
You never worked on a Duramax, huh? Lol
Merritt said:
@Kellen
You never worked on a Duramax, huh? Lol
This guy gets it. Duramax turbos are no fun, and honestly, not much about the Isuzu engine is either.
@Kellen
I work on Ford’s fleet of diesel trucks, and when I started, I almost lost it after replacing a 6.0 engine. I had to install the up pipe and downpipe in the truck, which had been sitting on the lot for 2 years. There were black widows everywhere!
Just pull the turbo and the downpipe. They should come right out. No need to lift the cab.
Bailey said:
Just pull the turbo and the downpipe. They should come right out. No need to lift the cab.
The plan is to rebuild the turbo. From what I’ve seen, most people take the cab off. I know it’s going to be hard, but I’m hoping it’s possible to do it with the cab on.
@Kellen
It’s not too bad. I’ve done a couple of them in my driveway. A good set of sockets and wrenches will help a lot so you don’t round the bolts, or maybe a small cutoff wheel if you need it.
Bailey said:
@Kellen
It’s not too bad. I’ve done a couple of them in my driveway. A good set of sockets and wrenches will help a lot so you don’t round the bolts, or maybe a small cutoff wheel if you need it.
An induction coil would probably help a lot with the seized bolts.
@Kellen
Yeah, that should help.
Bailey said:
@Kellen
It’s not too bad. I’ve done a couple of them in my driveway. A good set of sockets and wrenches will help a lot so you don’t round the bolts, or maybe a small cutoff wheel if you need it.
I second this. Also, try crows foot wrenches, 180° swivel head ratchets, and some good ratchet wrenches with extended reach. The Craftsman V Series is on sale at Lowes right now if you need tools.
It’s possible as long as the bolts aren’t too stuck.
Logan said:
It’s possible as long as the bolts aren’t too stuck.
From what I can see on my truck, I’ll need around 3-5 inches of clearance. After I posted this, I was thinking I might be able to raise the cab slightly, maybe 6 inches max, without disconnecting everything.
Pull the turbo, loosen the downpipe, and the first connection under the cab. Removing the FICM and brackets will make it even easier.
Mack said:
Pull the turbo, loosen the downpipe, and the first connection under the cab. Removing the FICM and brackets will make it even easier.
That could be a good opportunity for me to send it to Blessed Performance and have them tune the FICM.
It’s not bad with the cab on. Just wiggle it a bit after removing the turbo. You can also undo the 6 cab bolts and raise the cab a couple of inches for more room. I had mine raised 4-5 inches without disconnecting anything extra.
It’s definitely doable, but if your truck’s rusty, expect some extra frustration.
Reese said:
It’s definitely doable, but if your truck’s rusty, expect some extra frustration.
Luckily, it’s not too bad. The passenger side has a valve cover leak on cold starts, so everything is well lubed up. Haha!
No need to remove the cab.
Quick tip: For seized bolts, it can be faster to tighten them until they snap rather than trying to loosen them, especially on the short pipe on the passenger side. Just make sure your socket fits well.