6.2 diesel fuel system prime.

[thelincolnguy]

Hey yall. I'm pulling off my crossover lines to do valve cover gaskets and paint. I need to know the best way to do this and the easiest way to prime the fuel system back up. And should I replace anything else while im at this point? Parts are really inexpensive for this engine.

[fitz]

  On my 6.2's I replace the box style fuel filter with a spin on fuel filter with a hand primer.
  I told Captkaos I would do a write up on this set up and I dropped the ball, but here is the basic set up.
  All parts are available from Napa. Plan on spending about $125.
  With this set up, I just fill the fuel filter with transmission fluid and screw it onto the base (the trans fluid is good to lubricate the injector pump).  A few quick pumps of the hand primer, release the air using bleeder screw, and repeat a few times. Turn the key and the truck will fire up.
  I've installed this set up on 5 trucks and it works great every time.  It saves a lot of wear & tear on the batteries & the starter.
  I've had trucks that I bought at the auction that sat for years without fuel filters on them. The fuel lines were bone dry & filled with air.  The hand primer got these trucks started in no time without excessively cranking the starter.
I'll get you the part #'s if this is something you want to do, if not, I can walk you through bleeding the stock set up.

[Irish_Alley]

not to be bragging but i wanted to make it a point to keep the tbi fuel pumps on my crew cab when i put the cummins in it for two reasons. one was to act as a lift pump and two to prime the pump.

[fitz]

Irish,
I like that idea.  A lot of guys add electric in line pumps on the frame rails on the 6.2's to do that.  I didn't think about using a in tank TBI pump for that. Good thinking.

[hatzie]

No need to do a writeup.  The Steel Soldiers guys did one for the GM CUCV.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?36435-My-CUCV-spin-on-fuel-filter-mod

Another option is the 1992-2001 6.5L Stanadyne Filter Manager, ACDelco 10226035, mounted in the stock 90's location over the back of the intake manifold.
http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-10226035-Professional-Fuel-Filter/dp/B005574T0U

Or a Racor unit mounted with a stone shield on the frame. 
http://oregonfuelinjection.com/pdf/racor-fuel-filter-duramax.pdf

Or Find a Medium Duty truck, dumptruck, construction machine, tractor, etc salvage yard and buy a CAT or Racor or ... filter unit with commonly available spin on elements from one of those machines.

I have Walbro in-tank fuel pumps on the 76 with a 6.5L diesel.  They are a mixed blessing.  I'd use a stock 2000 GMC 6.5L electric fuel pump on the frame after the tank valve if I did it again.  I can crimp the special GM fuel line end on straight steel tubing.  My Mastercool Hydracrimp has the dies.

[boneheaddoctor]

I put a 9-14 PSI electric pump under the cab right in front of the fuel tank switchover valve.

I had to remove my mechanical lift pump to get my Banks system to fit.  But it also serves to self prime the system....and with check valves at each tank on the feed line...no fuel drain back and VERY quick cold starts.

[thelincolnguy]

Thanks for all the replies yall im going to review the cucv write up in a few minutes. But  fitz, i would like those part numbers, as my truck had been retrofitted witht a canister on the firewall. But the primer would be a big help. Also i wonder if there is a base that will fit a CAT filter, since i work for caterpillar, ill be able to get them cheaply and replace them often. We use ultra high efficiency filters. And is a filter base with a primer the only change i will have to make? And on another note, a lot of our newer machines have electric primers right on the filter base with a toggle switch. Do any aftermarket diesel places offer anything like this? And hatzie, is that ac delco filter manager a WIF sensor, a separator and a filter all in one? And could one make his own dash warning indicators?

[LTZ C20]

If you have a 6.2 and the truck came with a diesel factory, you should have a WIF lite already, right next to the Glow Plug lite.

[fitz]

I'll dig up the part #'s.
I'm guessing the Cat filter will not work with the Napa base.
Cat does make a base with a hand primer, maybe you could look into that.
With the hand primer I don't see any need for an electric pump.
As far as the fuel heater and the water in fuel sensor, I eliminated them on my truck.
It starts just fine without the fuel heater (its been 30° here in Mass this week).
I've never had issues with water in the fuel in any of my 6.2's, and some have been sitting for years before I bought them