My Vegistroke Install

[Marv]

I recently started completed Vegistroke install and figured I'd copy my thread over here from the Powerstroke.org board. Also, hopefully this will serve as a supplemental guide to the instructions that DFA provides with the kit.

Everything from here on is just as it was written originally, so it’s in the past tense if you will.


And...sorry for three pages and multiple replies. Apparently the board has restrictions on how many images and emoticons you can put in a post. I think the setting is at four now. So, I had to break up the original thread quite a bit.

So…the original thread….

As a note, this is a work in progress, so bear with me as I update it from time to time. It'll probably take a while for me to complete the install (work full time, etc), but I hope to wrap it up soon.

Also, as I mentioned in another one of my threads, right now I'm missing some fittings for the kit. Therefore, after talking to Clay on the phone yesterday, I took his advice and decided to focus on installing the parts I could until I get the remainder of the fittings in from DFA. So, what you'll see doesn't necessarily follow the order of the instructions, but should still help when it comes time for others to install theirs.

Here's a couple of my other threads with possibly helpful info:

http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/bio...lp-me-out.html

http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/bio...-question.html


First off, here's a couple pics of the hardware to expect as well as the wiring harnesses you'll receive from DFA.

Main circuit board harness:



Frame harness:



Fuel level guage harness:



Main (underhood) power harness:

[Marv]

Fuel level sender (from tank) harness:



Tank connections:

Left to right: fuel level sender wiring, coolant in/out, fuel return, fuel out, coolant in/out, vent, and of course filler neck



Hardware (note that this is not all of it - missing a few fittings):

Not pictured are the plastic "T's" for tapping into the coolant lines for the tank.

[Marv]

Also, after talking with Clay yesterday about the need to possibly drain the tank, I spent some time mocking up a possible drain and valve setup for the drain plug on the tank. Here's a possible setup that I considered, but I've realized it'll need to be changed later to actually work. I'll update that once I get it complete.



So, on with the install...

First for me was the tank:



Driver's side of the tank showing tank hardware and the hole I cut in the front corner of the bed to run the lines through.



Better shot of the hole:



To be continued...

[Marv]

Here's a shot of the passenger side.



Shot showing the clearance needed between the tank and the bed. Yes the front of my bed is bent a bit. Previous owner got a bit excited loading his motorcycle...haha.



Another shot of the hole with a piece of 1/4" tubing installed that has been split down one side to protect the coolant and fuel hoses from the sharp edges.



Mounting plate fastened to the module. Note that I used blue Loctite on these nuts since the bolts in the rubber isolaters weren't quite long enough to fully pass through the nylon locking portion of the nuts. I'll be checking these periodically to ensure they don't come loose.

[Marv]

Shot of the trans crossmember bolts that are used for mounting the module. The bolts are captured from the top, so you only have to remove the nuts.



Module installed. Blue Loctite was used here also.



A close up shot of the mounting plate on the module. On my 05, I had an issue getting the mounting holes to line up with the crossmember bolts. Then I realized that there is a slot in the suspension bracket that the module bracket must slide up into in order for it to line up. Just wanted others to see a better view of what I was talking about.



Another shot of the module looking toward the rear of the vehicle.

[Marv]

View from below looking up at the hole I cut in the bed. The following shots show how I routed my first coolant line and how I'll run my other fuel and coolant lines as well. As a note, all the zip ties you see in the following pictures are only temporary to hold the line in place. Once I get the remainder of the lines ran and wrapped with insulation tape, I'll replace them with the new ones provided by DFA. Also, here again, I used a piece of 1/4" tubing, split down one side, to prevent the line from rubbing against the sharp edge of the bed.



Running the line down the driver's side of the frame.



This is where I decided to bring the hose over to the passenger side of the truck. Right in front of the fuel tank, above the frame to prevent the hose coming in contact with the drive shaft or the exhaust. This is looking toward the rear of the vehicle.

[Marv]

Shot of where the line comes down and runs toward the module.



Connected to the module.



And finally, connected at the other end to the tank.



That's it for now. Like I said, not much, but it's a start. I hope to spend some time on it tomorrow once I celebrate Father's Day with my Dad a bit. My next step will be running some of the electrical harnesses and possibly the fuel return line from the module back to the tank. I should have enough fittings to get that done until DFA sends me the ones I'm missing. I also plan on setting something up to mount the switches lower on the dash near the trans tunnel. I don't particularly want to cut into the dash, so I should be able to mount them lower but still monitor them while driving.

Until I get all the other lines hooked up, I made sure to either cover them with tape or put the caps on them that DFA provides. I also put plastic bags with zip ties around the unhooked connectors to prevent unnecessary contamination. Just a tip I thought I'd share for others that may be installing their system a piece at a time like myself.

After that, I'll basically lack replacing the front banjo bolts, tapping into the back of the heads, running the fuel lines and tapping into the coolant lines. I'll be sure to update as I go.

Thanks!


****Update June 15, 08****

Just a quick update - Ran the return line and hooked up the vent tube. Got a late start this evening, so time was limited. No pics for now, but once I get some of the other lines ran, I'll snap a couple pics. Hope to install some of the electronics either tomorrow evening or Tuesday evening.

****Update June 19, 08****

Was looking over some of the wiring the other evening and snapped a quick pic of the grommet behind the pedal for running the main harness into the cab. Figured I'd post the pic.

[Marv]

Also, for those who have been following the thread and have noticed all the discussion of the Bio's leaking heat exchanger in the tank, I decided to pressure check mine tonight to see if I had any leaks.

After talking to Clay today, I decided to follow his advice and fill the exchanger only with water. I decided against air due to the chance of blowing a weld apart from over pressuring. I'll give it overnight and see if anything has changed. Here's a pic of what I came up with to monitor the amount of the water inside the exchanger.



Basically I just picked up a PVC 90 degree elbow that goes from 1/2" NPT (male) thread to a 5/8" barb and a small roll of 5/8" ID clear tubing. Pulled the hose I already had hooked up on the supply side, attached my elbow and tubing to the return side, filled it till water ran out the supply side (to get the air out), capped it off and then finished filling the tube up till I could see it. Marked it with a marker and then put a small piece of tape over it to curb any slight amount of evaporation I might see overnight. Should work pretty good I think.

Hopefully will have more to add tomorrow. And if I'm lucky, this darn tank won't be leaking!!! Wish me luck.

Thanks!

[Marv]

***21 June 08***

Well, I got another day to work on the kit yesterday so I figured I'd pick up where I left off. First off, regarding the test of the heat exchanger, (I think I posted about it later in the thread too) I feel pretty confident that it's good to go. Yesterday morning when I checked it, it had dropped about 1/2" below the mark I made the night before. However, as the day went by, and temps rose, I quickly realized that the level was rising. By the time mid-day rolled around, the level had actually surpassed the original mark. So, I concluded that the expansion and contraction of the water was the main cause of the change in water level.

My final test will be running the truck for a while, parking on a hill with the tank drain downhill and then pulling the drain to see if any leaked out. At this point, I feel pretty confident that the tank is fine.

So on with the install...

Here's a quick shot of the grommet from the underside of the truck. This should give you an idea of what you're working with when it comes time to run the frame harness into the cab. It can be an aggravating experience, so patience is the key. I passed the 6 pin connector through first and then fed the smaller connectors through. You'll have to bend the wires over on the 6 pin connector, so be careful not to damage them when pushing them through the hole. Luckily the metal in that area doesn't have sharp edges.



Shot of the main harness passed through the hole...



Here is how I mounted the main electrical board temporarily. I tried mulitple positions, but to be honest, since there is so much stuff under the dash, there is really no good way to mount the board. Looks a bit ghetto at the moment, but I might try to straighten it up a bit later.



For the frame harness, I brought it down the driver's side of the frame first. I did this since there are two wires on the harness that must connect to the 12V power source on the stock fuel pump. This will be a green and black wire. Here is a good shot of the fuel pump/main filter housing where you will tap into the wiring. This was taken from the 6.0L Bible that can be found here:

6.0L Bible Table of Contents

There is a ton of other great info to be found here - a lot of which I found helpful when doing the install.

Here's the actual page that gives the layout of the housing. This would be if you were laying under the truck from the drivers side looking up at the housing.

[Marv]

Shot of the frame harness (I haven't spliced the wiring yet).



Shot of how I ran the harness over the front driveshaft.



Shot of how the harness was ran under the trans crossmember.



Another shot of how the harness was brought around to the module.

[Marv]

Next I ran the underhood power harness. A quick shot of how the harness was ran up towards the battery.



A quick shot of all the connections on the module. Most, if not all, connections on the DFA harness are numbered for ease of installation. I think there might be one or two that aren't for some reason, but you can figure it out by shape and the process of elimination.



Ran the fuel level sender harness back to the tank.

[Marv]

For my truck, this harness was a bit long, so I just looped it up and zip tied it out of the way.



And finally, hooked up the sender at the tank.




Next up for me was replacing the front banjo bolts. I'll warn you up front, this can be very frustrating at times. At least it was for me.

Here's a shot of the drivers side location for the front bolt. This would be looking from the front of the truck, just to the left of the airbox. To get to this little jewel, I had to remove the air filter, a small coolant return line to the coolant expansion tank, the intake tube running from the intercooler to the intake and I believe the intake "duct" if you will that runs through the front of the grill area.

And by the way, if I ever run into the Ford engineer that designed that airbox assembly, I'm gonna have to restrain myself. What a stupid design....

Anyways.

[Marv]

Another...



Here is a tip. As Clay predicted, once you remove that hose, coolant will proceed to go everywhere. Out the end of the hose. Up out of the water pump at an amazing rate. All over the ground and down the driveway. You name it, it'll be there. Another tip from Clay - once you pull that hose, have a rag handy to shove down in there ASAP. It'll stop the flow long enough to get done what you need to get done.

Once you get the coolant flood under control, you can proceed to removing the bolt. I simple combination wrench (19mm I believe) will take care of it. The re-installation is the tricky part. If you heed any of my advice during this install, please listen to this.

Loosen the other end of the line on the secondary fuel filter housing before trying to put in the new bolt from DFA.

Loosen the other end of the line on the secondary fuel filter housing before trying to put in the new bolt from DFA.

Loosen the other end of the line on the secondary fuel filter housing before trying to put in the new bolt from DFA.

Do I need to say it again? Haha.

Trust me, save yourself the two hours of frustration that I experienced and just loosen the other end of the line. Once you do, it shouldn't take you long to get it in there. By this point, your hands will be a diesel/antifreeze soaked mess, so anything to make the job easier will be a blessing.

Installation is the reverse of removal. Coat up the bolt with Loctite (even though it'll likely dry before you get the bolt in there - mine did) and snug it up good.

Also, now is a good time to hook up your coolant return line if you want to, while the coolant is drained out of the hose. If you look along the back of the engine bay, at the top of the firewall, you will see a line coming out of the heater core and running over to underneath the coolant expansion tank. This line is the same one you loosened on the water pump and is where you want your coolant from the tank returning to the motor. I believe Clay hooked his up on the other end (where it comes out of the firewall), but my location looked easier to me at the time. Appeared is the key word here.

It's not easy to get too, but seems to work fine. I've ran the truck (on diesel) and I'm getting plenty of warm coolant to and from the tank. Here's the shot.



Before cutting into the lines, to minimize an further coolant loss, I heeded Clay's advice and used a pair of vicegrips to clamp the hoses off. It saves some mess, trust me.

On to the passenger side...thought I'd never get here.



This one is much easier to get to. I didn't have to disassemble anything else on the truck to get the bolt out. I will say to be careful when moving the line around trying to get the new bolt in. While it's not bolted down, there are guides on the head that hold the line in place. Pull it too far and it can be hard to get back in. I also removed the other end of the line on this one, but I'm not sure how much help it was. I did get it back together though, so apparently it helped...

[Marv]

For your coolant supply to the module and the tank, you'll want to splice into a hot water supply from the engine. Right above the passenger side valve cover, there is a rubber hose that comes up from a metal hose off the water pump. It runs toward the firewall into the heater core. You'll notice that there should be a small, vacuum operated valve in this line.

Your splice will need to be on the engine side of this valve - or toward the front of the truck. This is key.

Here's a shot of how I spliced mine in. When I cut the line, I clamped it with vicegrips, and put a rag over the electronics below. However, by this point, if your's is like mine, there won't be much coolant in the line.




That's all I got for now. I did work on the truck today, focusing on the rear lines. I didn't take any pictures today as I was working against the clock (had somewhere to be this evening), but it's nothing I can't shoot tomorrow and post up tomorrow evening.

I'll warn you that the rear bolts are frustrating, but I'll save the details till I get the pics up. I'll also provide some tips on what to use in order to get the plugs out and the new bolts in.

Right now, the truck is all together and running. All I lack is splicing into the stock fuel pump 12V supply, hooking up the main power harness under the hood, hooking up four wires under the dash and installing the fuel level gauge for the tank. Shouldn't take too long.

Before cranking the truck, I made sure to top off the coolant. Overall, I think I put about two gallons back in - replacing what I lost and filling up all the lines and heat exchanger in the tank. This took a while, starting the truck, shutting it down. Repeat. Repeat. Finally, I let it get to full temp and then cooled one last time. It should be good to go now.

There were some tense moments on the initial starting. Truck cranked fine and there were no leaks, however the engine had somewhat of a shimmy to it. Warmed up to temp, still doing it. Step on the pedal and it's still there. Took it around the block and the truck seemed to hesitate and stumble a bit. No warning lights, no overheating, nothing. Brought it back to the house and shut it down. I had to get on the road, so the wife and I took her car so the truck could fully cool while we were gone.

Got back a bit later and I checked the coolant and fired it up again. Still doing it. Stepped on the pedal a few times and then the shimmy just up and quit. Drove it to the store and back and all appears good now. The only thing I can figure is that there was some air trapped in the lines/rails somewhere. I imagine the heating/cooling process helped eliminate it.

So, all appears good for now. Admittedly, I was scared there for a bit, that I had just made a big, big, big mistake.

More pics to come tomorrow. I've had enough for today.

Thanks!

[Marv]

Finally got a chance to snap the pics of the rear bolts. Sorry for the delay, been a busy week. Anyways...

First up, a couple more pics of the parts that DFA sends with their kit.

Fuel level gauge.



Control switches.



Gauge mouting pod for the column.



Also snapped a pic of the stock front bolts and the rear plugs once I got them out. Just figured there would be some folks that would want to see them.