PPE Fuel Rail Shim Install LBZ/LLY
 

Ok ya'll, I got my fuel rail shim kit in and ya'll know I always do a writeup when Im doing upgrades. So here is my "HOW TO" for the Fuel Rail Shim Kit from PPE for LBZ/LLY Duramax. This is what cam in the kit.. minus the vicegrips and my fuel valve of course..

http://i35.tinypic.com/qrdvlz.jpg

Tools Needed:
3/8 Drive Ratchet
Extensions
10mm Socket
10mm end wrench
12mm Socket
18mm End Wrench (Gear wrench works great)
Vice (or Vice Grips)
small punch, or you can use a phillips screwdriver
Crescent Wrench or Chanel Locks
2 Glasses of Crown & Coke

This is not a hard modification to do, its just in a difficult spot to get to. Overall took me about 30-45 minutes. Here is How I did it...

Here is the area where you will be working.. The Glow Plug Controller there is the black bow thing. Use a 10mm Socket and get the left side bolt loose, and use a 10mm end wrench to loosen the right side.. I took both of them out by hand once they were loose.

http://i36.tinypic.com/14w59o7.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/sb3k38.jpg

Now move the box to the side, so you have more room to work. There is a bracket there in your way now. It has 4 12mm bolts, and 1 10mm bolt Take them all out, and set the bracket aside.

http://i34.tinypic.com/5eizj7.jpg

Once the Bracket is out of the way, you can see the Fuel Rail laying down on top of the head. On the end of it, there is what appears to be a nut.. thats the Pressure valve that we are modding.. Use an 18mm Wrench, and another wrench on the end of that one for leverage.. This is TIGHT!

http://i38.tinypic.com/117xvma.jpg

Take it all the way out, and be careful not to mess up the little O-ring on it.. if the o-ring dont come out.. you need to find it. When it comes out, the valve should look like this..

http://i37.tinypic.com/rhoneg.jpg

If it dont, you probably took the wrong thing apart..

Now in the instructions that comes with the kit, it says to use a vice.. Well, I dont have a vice yet, so I used Vice Grips. Before putting the valve in a vice or vicegrips, thread the supplied nut on the valve. Just set them tight enough to hold the end of the valve, you dont want to scar this up Im sure.

http://i35.tinypic.com/w87vb9.jpg

Now use an adjustable wrench to thread the nut TOWARDS the vice/vicegrips, to seperate the fuel valve. Once apart, you should see a spring, and a end plate with 3 holes in it like this..

http://i34.tinypic.com/nmjnu9.jpg

**note** Sorry for the blurry pic, I didnt realize that it was bad untill I was writing this up..

Here is a different pic, but not all taken apart, you can see the end cap in my vicegrips and the plate with 3 holes sitting on top of the spring..

http://i34.tinypic.com/11soyn5.jpg

OK.. now, once you have pulled the little spring out, take the 3 washers that came in the kit, and put them down inside, UNDER where the spring will go back in.

http://i37.tinypic.com/4q6d6q.jpg

Make sure those are laying down flat so you can get this thing back together.

Again, the instructions say to use a vice for this next step, but we already know that I dont have one yet.. So I used a c-clamp.. it worked fine as well.. Put the spring down on top of the washers that you just put in the bottom, then put the 3 hole plate on top of the spring, then the end cap.. and use a piece of thick paper or cardboard on the end cap so you dont scar it up.. I used the label from the PPE wrapper.. All we are gonna do is PUSH it all back together.. Make sure its lined up straight, and take your time.

http://i34.tinypic.com/df7e6h.jpg

Once you have it pushed back together, use a small punch, and tap the 3 spots back snug like they were before you seperated it.

http://i35.tinypic.com/24l0rhh.jpg

This is what it should look like when your done..

http://i35.tinypic.com/29cvswo.jpg

Note the small gap on the recessed part of the end cap.. this should look JUST LIKE this.. not all the way squeezed down.

Once you have this back in one piece.. thread it back in the fuel rail, tighten it down real tight, replace the bracket that goes under the Glow plug controller, and replace the controller box.. make sure all bolts are tight, and start your truck.. It might take a couple tries to get it started since you just put air in the fuel system.

Hope this writeup helps someone!

Very nice. like how you did it with out a vice also, gives other people ideas and methods on doing mods like these

Well, Poor Boys got Poor ways, Ya know?


Thanks though.:c:

Just keep the DIY's coming. Another great one,again. :U::5:

Thanks bud.. I figure people helped me learn the little bit that I have, I might as well help share the knowledge.. :upup:

thank you a bunch i really appreciate write ups like this to refer to very very helpful keep em coming!

alright so with this kit are you only doing one rail because don't we have two rails? or am i mistaken...

its relieves the pressure in the total system, one vave takes care of both rails

good writeup. I just did mine the other day.... this was a huge pain in the ass. the main thing was that stupid boost controller bracket...impossible to get to those bolts to loosen them (of course mine were just hard enough to turn that I had to use a wrench and do the 1/12th turn while standing on the drivers side tire and killing my back...UGH)

one tip I did for putting it back together was that I cut slots into that bracket so I could start the two bolts and then slide the bracket under them. that bracket is WAY stronger than it needs to be to hold that little box...if they would have made it with thinner metal, you could bend it out of the way and this whole process would be a LOT easier.

took me about 4 hours. once you get that bracket off and the valve itself out (6-point box-end ONLY) it's pretty easy.

all-in-all I think I'd recommend paying someone to do it. I am glad that I do know it's done right (AND I bought some tools that I didn't have before...I figure free since I saved paying labor)