banjo bolts

[Big-D]

I would like to drill out my banjo bolts at the lift pump and the fuel filter. What dill bit size is best and what precautions should I take other than drilling too deep? All suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Dave

 

[cullyguy]

I drilled out mine to 3/16" drill all the way through from one side to the other( the holes line up, side to side). Chamfur the out side edges and deburr the inside edges ( I used a tight fitting drill bit clamped into a vise to twist the fitting by hand to do this) I would suggest getting a nice new sharp bit for this operation. The fittings that need to be done are inlet & outlet of the lift pump, inlet & outlet of the fuel filter and the inlet to the injection pump. Some guys also do the return line to the tank.

Be very careful to flulsh & remove ALL shavings. Also be very careful with the banjo bolts that have the schraders on them. Dodge gets $37 each!! for those things. If all of this sounds like too much fuss, geno's garage sells them already done.

 

[TowPro]

Or you can just buy a set of "rays banjo bolts" (I think Ginos has them?). One nice difference is after Ray drills them, he has them plated to slow down corosion on the inside.

 

[Whitmore]

Big D , do as TowPro says and get the complete set of Rays Banjos fron Genos, they are way to easy , you can get the tapped ones too for adding fuel pressure gage. ... ... ... ... ... . Kevin

 

[tmacc]

Big-D,

I have drilled out the banjo bolts and it not very difficult at all. I did use a drill press and would recommend it, but it can be done w/ a hand drill. I don't reccommend trying to drill out the schaeder valves w/o using a drill press. Been there, done that. Cost me $27 for a new one. As cullyguy said, use 3/16" for the cross holes and debur as needed. If you want to drill out the main hole, use 19/64", 5/16", and 21/64" in sigsetion(sp?) Don't get carried away when re-installing since they now have a thinner wall. Remove the valve core before drilling. (I got these specs from Mopar-Muscle)



While your at it, drill the banjo fittings on the fuel line from the lift pump to the fuel filter housing to 3/16" or . 200" (#8 maybe?)



Ray's bolts are awfully nice though. I bought some so I could hook up my FP gauge. I still use the drilled out schaeder valves though.

Tom

 

[3dracer]

what is the main reason for doing this? I can do this at work and have thought about it but don't know why I should.

 

[Un-Hemi]

To minimize pressure loss through the fuel system when fuel demand is high.

 

[Todd T]

Tommy, to take the answer to your question a little further. once you start adding devices that increase the fuel delivered EI injectors or fueling boxes, you will start to see at WOT your fule pressure fall into the dnager zone (3PSI or lower)



if you only do one thing to your fuel system. do the line from the lift pump to the filter housing. it is a rubber hosed line and uses clamp on fittings that are very restrictive. 5/32" or so. replace that line with some 1/4" barbed fittings or drill the factory ones out to 3/16". the rest of the banjo bolts are OK but it wont hurt to drill them out to the 3/16" as mentioned.



moral of the story take good care of your VP44 and it will take care of you.

 

[Big-D]

Thanks!

Thanks to all who have taken the time to respond. This site is the best a person could ever ask for, when it comes to questions and answers about our trucks. Plan to drill mine as discribed above and use the $37 bucks saved from Geno's for something else.

Dave

 

[Snow man]

I just drilled out the lines between the pump and filter housing,they are restrictive,there are 2 of them,the best way to do this job is ,unbolt the filter housing,its only 2 10 mm head bolts,then unhook the hose clamp,or banjo from the back side of the filter housing,and unbolt the banjo from under the housing,or at the injection pump. unhook the 2 electrical sensors,drain the filter housing from the water separator lever into a bucket,and pop the whole housing right out,now you can get to the banjo's on the lift pump easy,without laying on your back. I bought the rays banjo's but if i had it to do over,id just drill them out. I used to have zero fule pressure on level 3 of the comp,couldnt use level 5. I added a carter booster pump,now i have no less than 5 psi on level 5,and 7 psi on level 3,where i had zero before.