Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) RASP Install

[Turbo Terry]

How long did it take to install your RASP with Opoole line kit? Please give me some details. Thanks

 

[RMecum]

I've had mine for a few weeks and been waiting for the weather to settle down. This morning I took the truck out to the store (don't drive it but once a week or so) and the fuel pressure fluctuated and went to zero! It came up and went down but never stabilized and stayed below 8 psi and went to zero most of the time.



I was just going to put a post up just like this one and I'll watch this one until tomorrow morning and then I'm going to do mine. OPoole's kit is so complete, I don't think it will be any problem and I'll post my experience on the thread tomorrow evening.



Mike

 

[Turbo Terry]

No one on here has put a RASP on?

 

[RMecum]

Just put the coffee on... doin' mine today.



Mike

 

[JR2]

Terry,

I have not seen you post in quite a while, good to see you back. While I have not installed a RASP I am willing to help. As a matter of fact I am going to have a AK Bombers meeting at my place in June. We could use your RASP as the project if you can wait that long. If not I would be happy to come over and lend a hand.



How long will it take... Here is a quote from a previous post:

Don't think mounting a RASP is an easy job... well, ok, mounting it IS an easy job... hard job is cutting/fitting lines, and making everything work together. . ugh... spent 9 hours straight working on mine.



I am betting that we can get it done a bit faster, but I don't think its going to be quick. Just be sure you have all the parts needed and we can get it done.



John

 

[jraker]

I had mine installed for at City Diesel in Decatur AL. It was only supposed to take 3-5 hours of labor. It took two of their mechanics over 10 hours because of the poor directions. They had to call DTT and talk to Bill several times. The guy that installed it was going to re-write the directions. I don't know if he would share them or not... I suggested that when he did re-write them, to post them on TDR. I hope you guys aren't having as much trouble as they had with mine. The toggle switch has worn out on mine and I need to replace. I have had this on the truck for three months. I no longer have any worries about my fuel pressure. Enjoy your RASP and hope your install's go well.



Joel

 

[BarryG]

Installed my RASP a couple months ago. I used Olee's plumbing kit. I did not keep real close watch on the time as I had company over from out of town actually two sets arrived at different times during the install and I had to stop for dinner with every one as well. I started about 3pm and got done by 11pm with all of those long interruptions.

 

[BarryG]

Here is a bit better version than came with my rasp



RASP Install Recommendations



Thanks go out to Bill and Stefan Kondolay and Olee Poole for their time in answering my questions about this install. They saved me who knows how much time. As well as whoever wrote the original install directions to which I have just added to here.



First inventory all your parts and make sure you have everything you need. Make sure and read the directions before you start.



The obligatory remove the battery cables.



With serpentine belt still hooked up break loose and remove the four 15mm bolts attaching the harmonic balancer. If an air ratchet isn’t being used, a breaker bar with a hammer will work. Or put a wrench on the alternator pulley to keep the harmonic balancer from turning while removing and reinstalling the bolts.



Install the drive hub assembly on to the harmonic balancer reusing the stock bolts. Torque the bolts down to 92ft lbs (per 2001 service manual). I also used a small bit of Loctite on the bolts. Make sure there is a gap of ¼”. Place the small pulley on the drive hub assembly. Do Not tighten the setscrews. My small pulley had two setscrew holes with no setscrews in them. Come to find out Bill drilled and tapped the pulley cog so that you could actually get to the set screws to tighten them down once installed. Great thinking on his part, otherwise it will be a real pain to tighten them. He had drilled and tapped one hole with two setscrews in it. The second being a lock for the first one. Worked out great.



Remove the four front center oil pan bolts. Mount the RASP mounting plate using the four supplied bolts. They are 6mm hex key and torque to 18ft lbs (per 2001 service manual). I dabbed some black silicone sealant on them to prevent an oil pan leak. Since you are there you might as well check the rest of the oil pan bolts mine were all a bit loose by a couple ft lbs. Next mount the pump assembly and slider plate to the mounting bracket. Do not tighten the slider bolts just yet. Install the pulley but do not tighten the setscrews yet. Install the belt. Spin the pulleys by hand a bit with the belt so that they will line up correctly. Tighten the setscrews on both pulleys. Remove the belt.



For the plumbing I used Olee Poole’s premade kit (www.powerbypoole.com). It came pretty much all assembled in a few different pieces. Return line to tank, vp44/to filter housing and fuel supply line and then everything else from the lift pump to the filter housing. Not really anyway to put it on wrong as it will only go one way. If you are using his kit and use his pictures you cant go wrong. However there are a couple of check valves that look the same but are different. The valves come with the RASP pump not the plumbing kit



They are labeled as “ONEWAY” and “REG”. The ONE WAY goes between the lift pump and the fuel filter housing. If you look in one end you will see nothing but an empty space. If you look in the other end you will see what looks to be a small valve. The small valve goes towards the lift pump and away from the filter. If using Olee's plumbing kit the rubber orings are not needed due to the type of fittings he uses. The other valve labeled REG goes to the new return line back to the tank. The end with the small valve inside it goes away from the tank. I plumbed my return into the tank vent line but you could certainly do it another way. Tap into the fill tube by welding a bung or fitting on it. You could do the same to the vent line angling it down towards the tank to prevent any issues when filling up while the truck is running or drill another hole in the top of the tank and go that route. (Additional notes: First the check valves cannot have any debris in them at all. It may keep them from closing properly. So it may be wise to keep them in a plastic bag or something and take care to keep any particles out of them until it is time to install them to lessen the chance of a piece of dirt getting in them. Next, tapping into the tank vent line for the return. Some other pumps have caused issues when filling with fuel while running the truck. According to Bill K if installed properly there should be none to very little fuel coming through the return line at idle so it may not be near the issue as it is with some of the other electric pumps plumbed into the vent tube. However I have not had a chance to verify as I don’t normally fill while running nor have I had to fill up since the install. Lastly my check valves had the names written in magic marker on them. Be aware that the marking rubs off easily especially once your hands have a coating of diesel on them and they could easily be completely wiped off and mixed up. Shouldn’t be a real issue but if you are playing with them before they are installed beware).



Once the RASP pump has been installed the driver’s side port is the fuel intake line. It is recommended to use a T-fitting on the supply side to the existing electric fuel pump. When installing the fittings on the RASP pump itself I used some Teflon type pipe dope that was rated for diesel fuel.



On the outlet of the electric pump install the 4psi check valve labeled as “ONE WAY” with the valve side of the fitting being closest to the pump and away from the filter housing. This will prevent fuel from returning through the electric pump.



Route a pressure fuel line to the fuel filter inlet. It is recommended to use a T-fitting with a 1/8 npt port in it at the inlet to the fuel filter. Attach an 18” grease gun hose to that fitting. And on the other end of the grease gun hose attach the Hobbs pressure switch. Again I used Teflon type pipe dope on the Hobbs fitting. The Hobbs switch is to reduce use of the electric pump when the RASP is providing pressure. (Please take note that the RASP does not need the electric fuel pump to start the truck. It is so you have a parallel system. And to make priming the system easier when doing a fuel filter change or opening it up for any other reason as well).



Connect a separate terminal/wire to each side of the pressure switch. Route these wires to the fuel pump wiring. Cut one of the electric pump wires. Crimp or solder a splice on each end of the cut wire that goes to the pressure switch. (Here again Olee Poole came to my aid and sold me a harness that he built utilizing factory type connectors. So I did not have to splice into the stock fuel pump wiring. I just unplugged it and plugged his in. I was really not looking forward to trying to splice wires in the stock lift pump circuit, as it is tight and hard to get at. I could not find the stock type connectors anywhere but noticed in Olee’s picture that he did. So I called him and he said he had sourced some.



It is also recommended to put a lighted override switch in the cab with each side of the switch that is electrically hooked up to each terminal of the pressure switch. This allows for overriding the pressure switch for continuous operation for times like initially priming the system, changing fuel filters and in case of a broken belt. This lighted switch also gives indication of when the electric pump is running



On the outlet side of the fuel filter install a T-fitting with one port going to the injection pump and the other going to the 12psi check valve labeled “REG” or “Regulator” with the inside valve being away from the tank. From the end of that check valve route a fuel return line to the tank. The most common return is installed in the fuel vent hose with a “T “ that is ¾” inline and a 5/16” (or whatever size fuel line you are using) that goes to the return line from the pressure regulator.



Somewhere in there I would also add a T-fitting with a 1/8npt port and install a fuel pressure gauge . I put mine between the fuel filter and the VP/44. (One thing I noticed right away was changing the filter to vp44 line to 3/8” rubber and with my existing gauge setup my VP44 pulsations to my sender do not seem to be there any more at all)



Make sure all bolts and connections are tight and pulleys and belts are aligned. However do not install the belt quite yet.



To Be continued

 

[BarryG]

continued



Attach the battery cables, turn on the electric pump override switch, and bump the starter to prime the electric fuel system. Start the truck. I replaced all of my fuel lines during my install so it took quite a bit of priming and in the end I had to crack some injector lines to get all the air out. She then fired right up. Go for a short road test.



At this point the truck is running but the RASP belt is still not on. This is to make sure that your electric pump is working correctly and to help purge any remaining air out of the system. Check for leaks. It was recommended to me to let the truck run for approx 30 minutes or so. Again check for leaks. At this point install the RASP belt. Tighten down the slider bolts on the RASP mounting block. You do not want the belt overly tight. Also at this time unhook one side of your pressure switch. I just unscrewed the terminal and wrapped the end with a piece of electrical tape to make sure I wouldn’t short anything. Now your electric lift pump will not function. Start the truck. It should start just fine. Again check for leaks. It is running strictly off of the RASP pump. It was recommended to me to leave it this way for a day or two of driving. After that time you can connect the wires back up to the pressure switch. By doing this you now know for a fact that both pumps, the stock or other electrical pump, as well as the RASP work well and independently of each other.



The above directions assume you are going to put together your own plumbing kit. I used a pre-made kit from Olee Poole (www.powerbypoole.com) and it was a bit different than described above. However, you can’t really put the kit on wrong as it comes pretty much fully assembled and will only go on one way. Just make sure about the proper placement of the check valves. Bill & Stefan K at DTT (www.dieseltrans.com) also have a complete plumbing kit as well they tell me but I have not seen it so I do not know how, if any different it is from Olee’s or the install directions description of the plumbing. Knowing Bill & Stefan, even as little as I do, I would assume that it is as complete as they do not do things half assed. Between Olee’s plumbing kit and separate harness and what came with the RASP pump I did not need to get any additional parts except: 2 hose clamps for the fuel vent return setup, some diesel rated pipe dope for the rasp fittings, the Hobbs switch fitting and my Gauge fitting. Some Permatex (I used black) for the oil pan bolts. A length of 12g wire to run from the lighted switch to the Hobbs switch and to ground. 2 electrical ring connectors (to attach the wires to the Hobbs from the switch) and 3 electrical female spade connectors for the lighted switch (switch was included with the pump). I had all of that already in my garage. All in all it was a fairly simple and straightforward install. Well as simple as it can be with the plumbing work in those tight spaces.

 

[Turbo Terry]

BarryG Thanks for all your good information. May I ask you a couple questions? First are you a mechanic by trade or if not what would your ability be with tools (1to 10) please?Second without your time off the project what amount of time would it take you to install this RASP? Last and third how many hours would you be willing to pay a mechanic to do this job assumeing of course he had all the parts and the Poole line kit? I really appreciate your time in all this. Maybe we can all put this fuel problem behind us. Thank You Turbo Terry

 

[Turbo Terry]

JR 2 Good to hear from you. As always problems. Thanks for your offer to help. Will call you on Monday. TT

 

[DieselMinded]

Heres a guide



http://3d.otisnet.net/RASP INSTALL.zip



DM

 

[BarryG]

Terry:

Not a mechanic by any stretch. I would rate myself a 5 on the scale. I am game to try most if I have the time (and it is not "inside" the engine, trans or rear end). However my truck is my daily driver so it cant be down for longer than when I have to get back to work. Many times I will take it to someone I trust if I am leary about time. However the Rasp install once I figured it out on the bench (well actually the kitchen table) it didnt look too bad and seemed silly to take it to someone. I was going to though and have him do some other stuff as well. The guy I use will let you help to cut back on his time if you choose. So I was just going to mount the pump so it would be one less thing and it is simple enough to do. It went on easy as you please. Then I thought what the heck I can run the return line from the tank and just plug the end. Then I thought well the filter to VP was simple enough to do so I did that too. Then next thing you know I said aw heck with it lets go for it (by now it was half done maybe more). It was really not bad at all. The hardest part was getting all the fittings to line up at the fuel filter housing, need to hook them up but leave them a bit loose until you get them all connected then go back and tighten them up. I really was not paying attention to the time but I think I could do it again in under 4 hours if I had all the parts and wasnt stopping to take notes (I told Bill his instructions were lacking and a bit unclear and that I would try to add to them to clear up some confusing sections and to add the little tidbits that he and Olee told me during a few phone calls to them to answer some of my questions that were not part of the instructions. I dont think I would be willing to pay a pro to do it now that I have done it (it really was not hard looking back) but If I had too certainly no more than 4 hours but a pro should be able to do it in three or less I would think (they are pros and are supposed to know what they are doing). If you print out Olee's pictures and lay it all out on the floor you will see how it all goes together. I know when I opened the box I thought holy crap what is all this stuff and how does it go. It looked much harder until I printed out Olee's pictures and layed it all out. Also if you pm me you email I can send you a diagram I made up that might help some too. I could not get the diagram to cut and paste last night to add to the thread.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Barry G What pressre are you running at idle with the RASP on and with the stock lift punp on? I have 7. 5 stock lift pump and 8. 0 RASP. Should there not be more? How can you adjust it?

 

[BarryG]

Terry:

You obviously got it on. Hopefully you had no trouble or suprises. My pressure at idle is 13 sometimes 12 but usually 13. It then goes up from there once the rpms get up. At cruise it is usually 14 even 15 and occassionally hits 16. My stock pump is less. To be honest I am not sure but it is I think about 8 or 9psi. I havent checked it lately. I had a problem with my install I had good pressure at first startup then it went to about 2psi. I called Bill K the next day and asked him about it. he suggested I take a look at how much fuel is flowing through the return line at idle. He said it should be none to very little. Since I was at work when I called I had to wait until I got home. On the way home it jumped up to where it should be so I never checked the flow. His thinking was it might have been some contamination in one of the check valves not allowing it to close fully thereby bleeding off the pressure. Sounded like he had run into that before. As far as adjusting it I do not know how. I dont think you adjust the pump itself but different springs in the check valves or hobbs switch. Could it be air in your gauge line. I know my gauge is very funky with air in the line. It is an electronic gauge. Air is compressible so it might be that. I would suggest calling Bill or Olee for some troubleshooting advice. Sorry not much help. I would however like to hear the answers to those questions so please post what you find out.

 

[Turbo Terry]

8. 0 8. 5 at idle 14 at 1900 to 2000 rpms

 

[BarryG]

Terry:

If I recall I think I heard that the RASP pump ships at a lower psi than some think is right and Olee changes the spring in it/adjusts it to be higher. If you got the pump from Bill/DTT they may not have done that as I think he said it wasnt necessary( I may be remembering all wrong though). 14 psi seems about right for 1900rpms.

 

[Turbo Terry]

I talked to DTT and Ollie. They both said it was ok but at the low end. Takes alot of getting used to watching the fuel pressure gauge at 8-8. 5 at idle when that USED to mean the LP was going out. $ well spent I hope time will tell Thks for your help TT