Rebuild for a performance oriented 6.5

[3500_6.5]

I haven't been able to get much done. I am currently working on pulling all the wiring out that I do not need. I have everything I need for the engine separated out and all the extra wiring pulled out of the way. I am currently working on the transmission wiring. I'm hoping I can get enough stuff out of the way that I can just run a couple wire looms where they need to go while keeping them clear of the new exhaust route. Hopefully I can finish it up over the next two evenings and by this weekend be able to get everything finished up enough to at least get the truck fired up.


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[n8in8or]

I haven't been able to get much done. I am currently working on pulling all the wiring out that I do not need. I have everything I need for the engine separated out and all the extra wiring pulled out of the way. I am currently working on the transmission wiring. I'm hoping I can get enough stuff out of the way that I can just run a couple wire looms where they need to go while keeping them clear of the new exhaust route. Hopefully I can finish it up over the next two evenings and by this weekend be able to get everything finished up enough to at least get the truck fired up.


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I can't to see what wring you're left with - I hate seeing that big loom in the back. Are you keeping your ABS functional?

 

[3500_6.5]

Also, I am deleting the vacuum pump. Anyone know for sure what length belt I need? I think I've heard like a 1/2" shorter, but if anyone knows for sure, that would be great!


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[ak diesel driver]

Usually it's 1"

 

[n8in8or]

Also, I am deleting the vacuum pump. Anyone know for sure what length belt I need? I think I've heard like a 1/2" shorter, but if anyone knows for sure, that would be great!


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This is the belt I have on mine.

 

[smokymtn65]

101in vs 102in if I remember correctly 102w 101wo

 

[Jaryd]

I use a 99 1/2" belt on mine like Nate showed above.

 

[3500_6.5]

I got the 99 1/2" belt. It fits, but it's right at the tight "limit" on the tensioner. A 100" would probably be about perfect, but this one should be fine.

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[3500_6.5]

Besides the belt, I have about everything done on the engine. I had a heck of a time getting the v band clamp on the driver side. The manifold just barely hit the heat shield on the firewall, so I had to take it off. There still wasn't quite enough room for the clamp to fit over the flange so I had to do some firewall massaging. It wasn't too bad though. The hard part was getting the nut on the v band. The v bands I bought have bolts that are about 1/8" too short. Since the manifold flange is a little different than the flanges that come with the v band, it doesn't slide all the way over the flange until it's bolted down. When the engine wasn't in the truck, it wasn't that bad to wiggle the up pipe around and squeeze the band clamp together with my hand and get the nut on. Not quite as easy in the truck. There was very little room and I had to use two fingers to squeeze the clamp together while also trying to get two fingers with my other hand up in there to get the nut on. I probably spent the majority of my time messing with that before I was finally able to get it on. The passenger side was easy as could be and I had plenty of room to pretty much do whatever I wanted.

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[3500_6.5]

Today I finished bolting up most of the parts that were left to put on. The only things left are the torque converter bolts. Then I need to figure out where I'm mounting the fuel filter and I still need to find some fittings to finish off the turbo oil drain. Then onto fabbing the exhaust from the turbo to the factory downpipe and getting the intercooler hooked up.

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[3500_6.5]

I have run into a few snags on my way to finishing this thing. The driver side clearance, as mentioned, which wasn't a huge deal. But it's something that, if I do this again, will be much easier to modify prior to dropping the engine in.

The next issue, which you can see in the pictures above, was the ac line. The ac is one thing I refuse to disconnect lol. I can live without the cruise, but I'm not 16 anymore, so if my vehicle has ac, I'm going to keep it.

Where the turbo sits is right where the ac line crosses over the engine. It was a fairly easy fix though. I just loosened the line at the accumulator and turned it so the slight angle was pointing up. Then I moved the accumulator bracket slightly to give it more upwards angle. After that, I bolted down the lines at the compressor and then bent it up slightly. This allowed me to curve the hose over the turbo. I will probably have to add a hanger of some sort once the exhaust is on to make sure it can drop down and touch the exhaust. I will also be running heat tape on the exhaust, so that should help as well.




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[3500_6.5]

Then next issue I ran into was the compressor inlet. It comes out right at the wiper motor. I'm hoping this won't be a huge problem either. At first I thought maybe I could turn the wiper motor and adjust the arm to make it still work correctly. But that won't be possible without cutting and welding new metal on the firewall. So my next thought, and the route I am going to try, is to get a smaller intake hose that can slide over the compressor wheel housing inlet, but inside the outer 3" lip. This is where I think the silencer ring usually sits. I don't see any other purpose for the space between the inner and outer lips, so I'm thinking a 2 1/2" hose should slide in there and hopefully fit tight enough that it won't need a clamp (bc there will be nowhere to put a clamp). I don't know if this will work yet, but that is my next idea that seems the most simple will no modifications needed.

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[3500_6.5]

The final issue I have come across is that there is nowhere to mount the fuel filter on the driver side. The spaces I had in mind have quickly run out of space for the filter to fit into. The upper radiator hose takes up part of the space, then the intercooler plumbing and intake will take up the majority of the rest of the space. The only spot that will be left will be right above the dip stick, which will then make it impossibly to check the oil....

So now I'm thinking that I will mount it on the passenger side. There is a ton of room over there now that the turbo, turbo exhaust manifold, and intake are all absent on that side. The down side is that I set everything up to be on the driver side fuel wise. So I will have to run some additional fuel line to make it work. This is something that, if I do another one, again, I will be able to easily change on the next engine to have all the fueling come in on the passenger side.

I haven't messed with the transmission dipstick yet, but after looking at the room I have behind the engine, I don't think it will take much to make it still come up basically in the same spot it does from the factory. Hopefully I'll get some time tomorrow to address that.


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[3500_6.5]

The wiring that is left that goes across the engine and down to the transmission is also done. I left a lot of the wiring going to the transmission for now. I think that I could get rid of about 95% of it, but for now I'm leaving it. I need to check the wiring diagrams to make sure I don't cut out anything I might actually need. But I got it trimmed down enough that it easily runs between the up pipe where the turbo mounts and the intake and then down the firewall at the glow plug relay. I will need to mount the wire to the firewall where it goes by the up pipes, but there is plenty of room to keep them away from the exhaust.


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[Jaryd]

I got the 99 1/2" belt. It fits, but it's right at the tight "limit" on the tensioner. A 100" would probably be about perfect, but this one should be fine.

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After it runs for a little while that belt will stretch and be in the middle. That's the best size that works on my engine.

 

[n8in8or]

After it runs for a little while that belt will stretch and be in the middle. That's the best size that works on my engine.

X2

I had a little bit longer belt (I don't remember what length), but in not too much time it had stretched out.

 

[WarWagon]

I would heat tape both the AC line and oil line. Are you running a turbo blanket? For better AC performance you should insulate the accumulator as well. Junkyards have OEM insulation on them here and there.

Don't forget the engine moves in the mounts specifically torque rotating the engine. IMO This is going to knock the wiper motor off. ES poly engine mounts may help limit this.

 

[3500_6.5]

I would heat tape both the AC line and oil line. Are you running a turbo blanket? For better AC performance you should insulate the accumulator as well. Junkyards have OEM insulation on them here and there.

Don't forget the engine moves in the mounts specifically torque rotating the engine. IMO This is going to knock the wiper motor off. ES poly engine mounts may help limit this.

I hate you. Lol

I will be running a turbo blanket. I have it, but am waiting to put it on until I know everything will work and is ready for the final bolt up.

I didn't think about wrapping the accumulator and ac lines, I will most definitely do that.

I didn't think about the engine moving. I thought there might still be enough room (the picture makes it look closer than what it actually was), so I bolted the wiper motor down tight to make sure. Once it's tightened down, there is basically zero room between the turbo and wiper motor. I am pretty confident that just the normal engine movement from the engine just sitting there running will cause them to hit, let alone engine lift from torque.

So now I'm not sure what to do. My first two thoughts are:

1) Cut the outer lip off of the turbo. A benefit of that would also be that I could then put a clamp on the intake hose to make sure it won't go anywhere. The inner lip is 2 3/4" OD, so a 2 1/2" hose will not fit and a 3" is too loose and would need clamped for sure. A 2 1/2" may stretch to fit over it, but it would be tough to do. The only downside to cutting the outer lip off that I see is now I would have a compressor housing that has been cut.

2) I cut a hole in the firewall and hope I can make the wiper motor mount backwards without causing any alignment issues with the wiper arms.

The easiest seems to be to cut the turbo. I don't see why it can't be done, but I feel like I am breaking some sort of turbo law by even thinking of doing this. It should still operate correctly right? I'm not missing something here am I? My spare hx35 (actually a H1C) doesn't even have an inner and out lip. It just has an outer lip that then is machined smooth down to the smaller diameter needed at the wheel.

H1C inlet:

Hx35/40 inlet:

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[n8in8or]

I know it sucks (sucks a lot), but I think I would go option C: cut the pedestal you have the turbo mounted on and rotate it clockwise 10 degrees or whatever it takes to make everything clear. I know you can't go too far before the wastegate actuator hits the intake and it makes it difficult to run your downpipe, but in the end it seems like the proper way to make everything work......at least from looking at pictures. I wish I had a better idea. Or you could add an additional body lift!

 

[3500_6.5]

I know it sucks (sucks a lot), but I think I would go option C: cut the pedestal you have the turbo mounted on and rotate it clockwise 10 degrees or whatever it takes to make everything clear. I know you can't go too far before the wastegate actuator hits the intake and it makes it difficult to run your downpipe, but in the end it seems like the proper way to make everything work......at least from looking at pictures. I wish I had a better idea. Or you could add an additional body lift!

I hate you too, Nate.

I never even gave that a thought. Probably bc I don't want to take the up pipes back off and do anymore cutting/welding to them lol. But in all actuality that is probably the best way to do it. Although, instead of turning it clockwise some, I'm thinking maybe of cutting the 3" pipe that the flange is welded to and tilting it forward slightly (mainly bc that's how I pictured doing it when I first read your post). There is limited room, but I have about 1 1/2" or so between the wastegate actuator and intake as of now. That should give enough room to clear the wiper motor and gives more clearance between the turbo and firewall. That will also keep the exhaust side straight enough to keep it fairly easy to hook up to the factory downpipe. I'll probably cut the flange off, remount the up pipes and then mock it up there to see where it needs to be mounted. Sounds easy enough.........





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