Advice on removing 93 td6.5 k2500 from nv4500 4wd

[cdnewt]

Could not find any videos or threads on this subject.

Any advice on how to get to the bellhousing bolts would be greatly appreciated. I am at the point of trying to pull the engine and tranny if I can's separate the two. Either way my front drive shaft (4wd) is really giving me grief and bruises.

Pistons are pitted from water in the lines and it's time for a rebuild.

My G30 bus is easier to get at with the doghouse. This k2500 is a little tighter in the motor/tranny section.

Thanks.

Been a minute since I've been on here.

Last time it was my bus broken down in Tupelo, MS. Now it's my farm truck and my bus back home (at least it's in familiar territory with garage space for projects).

[Dvldog8793]

Howdy
I have done bell housing bolts with a LONG(like 3 feet) extension and impact wrench up over the top from behind. This is easier with two people, one to guide the socket and another underneath to run the wrench.
I have also done it from the top by the firewall. Remove the fuel manager, remove the transmission tail support bolts and lift the tail end just enough to create a bigger gap between the firewall. If you go this route you WILL have bloody knuckles!
If you have a lift in your shop it's much easier.
I have also lifted the cab off of trucks to remove/work on the engine, however that is only possible with a lift.
Not sure why the front drive shaft is giving you problems...? Remove it.
Hope this helps!

[DmaxMaverick]

You can also remove the engine mounts (and fan!), then lower it enough to easily reach the bolts from the engine compartment. Good luck!

[trbankii]

When I R&R'd the clutch, removing the front driveshaft, disconnecting the rear driveshaft, and removing the t-case allowed me to lower the trans enough to get at the bellhousing bolts from underneath.

[Robyn]

Get the fuel filter off the rear of the engine to free up some room.

Use a "Ratchet type" box end wrench with the flex head to access the two top bell housing bolts from the top of the truck.

The other 4 bolts can be easily accessed from below the truck.

With the hood off the rig getting at the top bolts is pretty easy with the flex head wrench.

If the fuel line bracket is still in place on the the top two bolts there will/should be stud top bolts in that location.

Terrible design and I always toss the bracket and relocate the lines and then use standard washer headed bolts.


The advent of the ratchet box wrenches with the flex head was a good thing

Removing the frame portion of the RH front motor mount helps a bunch to get things out.

After the rigs get years and miles on them the body settles a bit making it harder to get the engine up off the mounts.

Removing both R&L bolts that secure the halves of the motor mounts and then unbolting the RH frame portion allows the engine to be moved slightly to the right and then lifted up and forward.

Removing the exhaust manifolds prior to the engine really makes life easy.

Get the truck lifted and both front wheels off (then block the rig good) this allows easy access through the wheel well rubber access cover (carefully remove retainer buttons)

The starter front bracket and wires are a snap through the hole, as are the manifold bolts and other stuff.

Block the rig just high enough to gain access under the rig.

You can sit on a bucket and work through the holes.

Getting the turbo out of the way really helps a bunch.

Once the extra crap is off the engine things really get easy.

Prune off all the accessories.

The PS pump can be tied over the the side of the bay, as can the AC pump.

Get the radiator out of the way as well.

With the engine stripped of accessories it becomes very simple to get it out.

Be careful with the main wire harnesses at the rear when separating the plugs.

Age is not kind to plastic plugs.

JUST AN FYI
Get a box of Sandwich zip lock bags and "TAG AND BAG" the various bolts/nuts by groups and then store them.

Later on after the overhaul or ???? everything is right at hand when you need them.
Pawing through buckets/cans of bolts is a pain.

I always organize fasteners by location "manifolds, PS pump, Ac pump, fan, accessory brackets etc"

May seem frivolous but after my Dahooooley sat for nearly 4 years we brought out the packages of bolts and laid things on the tail gate and had everything all neat and ready to go.

Label the stuff and its soooo nice later.

Good luck

[trbankii]

If the fuel line bracket is still in place on the the top two bolts there will/should be stud top bolts in that location.

Terrible design and I always toss the bracket and relocate the lines and then use standard washer headed bolts.

Any recommendations on relocating the fuel lines? Replacing them in the K2500 is on my list and I’ve been wondering how best to get them out of there at the firewall. Thank you for the ratcheting end wrench tip!

[trbankii]

Did some searching and turned up Robyn’s post about dealing with the fuel lines:

This is to address the poor design of the fuel lines that come up the back of the engine and connect to the fuel filter as well as connect to the fuel return pipe.
When I removed the engine some weeks ago they were obnoxious to get loose as they mount to a stud on the bellhousing bolts. The LOCK nuts would not come loose but instead the bolt came loose in the bellhousing creating a real P-I-T-A.
I thought about this debacle for some time and desided to reroute the lines.
I came up with a nice clean way that uses the original lines less the top bracket.
First you cut the lines off about 1-1/2" down from the bend at the top so the lines then are straight at the top end. A ferrul fitting can be tightened on and then removed leaving a nice bump to hold a new length of hose.
I next pulled the driver side carpet up and drilled a hole in the floor pan about 2" inside of the frame rail right over the shifter shaft crank assembly.
A small rebend of the hose pipes at the second bracket will allow them to circle nicely around under the floor and extend the end pipes up the frame rail under the steering column.
Two rubber covered straps of the right size with one on either side of the hole drilled in the floor will allow a 1" long 1/4" bolt to fasten the hoses to the floor pan.
You can now route the hoses up the firewall and use the threaded end of one 6mm bolt that protrudes from the firewall on the fender side and slightly below the steering column to fasten your hose extentions to the firewall.
I used the fuel injection type hose that it sturdier than regular fuel line.

The lines can be routed right behind the accumulator on the brake booster.
Now the lines on the engine can be replaced with similar hose and run up and over the bracket that the turbo solenoid mounts on at the left rear of the engine.
I drilled out an extra hole that was there to 1/4" and then used the rubber covered straps to fasten the two lines there with about 2" of line over the valve cover. I installed pushlock swivels that go from 5/16 and 3/8 hose to flare and this allowed for a clean install.
One can deviate to suit what you have available but this beats the fight to get those lines back behind the engine when doing an overhaul..
Cleans up the area and eliminates the need for the nasty stud top bolts that take up so much room making it tough to get a wrench in the area to work.
I kept the bottom stud topped bolts as they are easy to get to and are needed to hold some things.
I understand why the factory did what they did as it was easy with the body off at the factory level to install everything.
The issue I have is the poor soul in the field that has to work on this is just plain in a world of hurt.
It took me over an hour to get one of the lock nuts off and a total of almost 2 hours to get those two bolts out of the bellhousing so I could proceed.
Well Im here to tell ya it aint gonna be a problem now. :0)
I also had to fight the tranny dipstick bracket as it too is installed when the engine and stuff are out in the open.
You can't get the dipstick tube up off the rear bolt it mounts too as there is not a slot in the bracket and the dipstick will not move far enough.
I took the dipstick out and replaced the rubber seal at the tranny.
I cut the bracket off where it is spot welded on and tossed that in the can.
I built a new bracket from 1/8 X 3/4 flat bar and located the bolt hole.
I bent the piece so it will lay right and run up the dipstick tube. After forming the flat bar with a small hammer so it fits the contour of the tube I can fasten both together with a heater hose clamp.
Clean, simple and easy to reinstall the engine.
I understand the need for speed at the factory level but the lowlife engineer that desingned this crap should be made to demonstrate exactly how to work on it and provide his own box of bandaids too.
I would gladly pay a few hundred dollars more for a rig that could be worked on.
I have built a few kit cars and easy to get to and access to repair is a number one in my book.
Detroit always hides the stuff you need to service regularly. The fuel filter could easily be mounted on the fender well so real folks could get to it.
Heck they could toss that worthless antilock brake system in the corner and then there would be room for a real fuel filter and some room left over.
I have the possibilty of getting a 95 tahoe diesel that has a bad pump???
just quit one day.
I hate this electronic stuff. If I get it I am going to put in a DB2 and replace the tranny with a well built 700R with no computers and have a real rig me thinks.
This truck has lost 3 trannies in less than 100K and the pump/ driver problems have driven the owner to drink. The truck has sat in his garage for 3 years now "Dead"
It turns over but no fire or smoke.
A 700 tranny and a DB2 along with a few hours of tinkering to clean up the wiring mess and this will be a sweeeeeeeeeeeet little truck
Just thought I would share this stuff about the lines and such.