Friday I noticed a diesel fuel smell after work while driving around running errands. When I got home I looked under truck and saw a drip, stopped after a little bit. Under the hood in the area of the fuel filter, preheater/prefilter, lift pump, etc. was all wet. Yesterday I sprayed the area down with brake cleaner. I am suspecting the return line as truck runs fine and if it was on the supply side I would think it would suck air and miss.

While underneath I could hardly SEE the prefilter with all that's in the way. I do have a set of Larry B's contacts and replacement hoses ready to go in. I guess this is a good time to do it.

My questions:
1] Is that return line as much of a ***** to get to as it looks?
2] Exactly how is the rubber hose attached to steel line. How to remove them?
3] Truck has 10700 miles on, what are chances it's the return line and not preheater?
4] Would it better to just junk the steel sections and go with all rubber from engine back to frame rail?
5] Even with starter off are there any tips/tricks to make this as painless as possbile?
6]Do the starter bolts take a 10mm 12 point socket?

Thanks in advance

 

1] Is that return line as much of a ***** to get to as it looks? Yes, expect scars. Remove the fuel filter

2] Exactly how is the rubber hose attached to steel line. How to remove them? Hose clamps, the one in the front takes a different size socket than the one in the back on most stock setups. Nutdriver works for me.

3] Truck has 10700 miles on, what are chances it's the return line and not preheater? That's for you to determine but most of the time the return hose leak drips down on the heater.

4] Would it better to just junk the steel sections and go with all rubber from engine back to frame rail? That's how I do it, many times when wrestling with the rear end of the hose flexing the steel line will cause it to leak. Your LarryB kit won't work now though

5] Even with starter off are there any tips/tricks to make this as painless as possible? Longer arms? I never remove the starter, come in from the top. I read some instructions recently that didn't include removing the starter for replacing the contacts, haven't looked to see if this is possible but seems like it might be.

6]Do the starter bolts take a 10mm 12 point socket? Yes, but the top bolt can only be accessed with a box end wrench

 

For the starter, you must have a 12 point. The 6 point will not work at all. Lube up the gears and the set of roller bearings (they sit in a plastic hub) with some synthetic grease (a small amount of grease-clean it first). Clean the armature and field with wd-40 and wipe off well. Check your brushes too.

For the fuel lines, I removed the two hose clamps that clamp the rubber hose to the steel lines at the engine. I removed the hoses, then climbed under the truck laying next to the tranny and pulled the lines down. There is (at least on my truck) a section of steel braided hose down where the hoses makes a bend going to the frame (sorry hard to describe). The lines flex at the braided section, so I pulled it all down, was able to remove the two tuff to get to clamps, the old hose, cut the new hose to match, installed, then snaked it back up to the solid steel lines that attatch at the engine. Did not remove the starter or the fuel filter when doing the lines.

While not easy, it wasn't all that bad. I admit, next time, I will do what Bill suggests, and eliminate that section, and run the hoses differently. Might even pick up the barbed banjos and eliminate the steel section all together. Good luck, Kevin

 

It looks like I may have to be doing my 97 which has the rubber hose going into a braided steel flex line then to the solid steel line going to tank as does your KD460. It looks like where mine goes into the braided flex steel lines, it is not a regular hose clamp but some kind of squeezed on steel strap.
I was wondering if I could just cut off the braided steel line where they attach to the solid steel line and just run a rubber hose from where they mount to the engine down to the solid steel line? anyone done it this way?
Do I need a special rubber hose or will any gasline hose the right size work fine?
thx.
Matador

 

I totally eliminated the steel and braided supply line that runs up from the heater/strainer and eventually makes its way to the tank. I unscrewed the fitting from the top of the heater/strainer and bought a 45 degree 5/16' barbed fuel fitting that I screwed directly into the top of the heater/strainer assembly. I ran my diesel rated rubber fuel hose from the tank forward along the frame rail and attached my supply line directly to the new fuel fitting. Worked slick and makes a slick looking job! Did my return line the same way, eliminated all traces of original steel and braided return line!

 

1] Is that return line as much of a ***** to get to as it looks? It is quite easy if you remove the starter to install your contacts at the same time. That's how I did it and was amazed that this isn't standard proceedure.

2] Exactly how is the rubber hose attached to steel line. How to remove them? On your 1998 12v, as on mine, I found the rubber hoses attached at the engine tubes with a plastic quick disconnect. (Others who respond to this question have never worked on a 1998 and think it's the same as previous models.) You will find that LarryB's hoses are a loose fit on the steel tubes if you remove the QDs, and too tight if you force the hoses over the formed flange which is what the QD latches on to. I simply removed my old hoses from the plastic QDs and pushed on the new hoses which were a good fit there. Use LarryB's clamps. Of course if it's your QD that's leaking you have to remove it and either replace it (they have internal o-rings to seal to the tube) or put the new hose directly on the tube. My QDs did not leak.

At the other end of your original short hoses, they are shrunk onto formed bumps at the end of steel tubes at your frame. LarryB's hoses are looser over these bumps than I would like but the clamps will hold it.

I found that LarryB's 24" hoses were a little long if re-using the QDs and a little short if eliminating the QDs. After some corresponence with him, he agreed that he should cut the hose to 26" in the future to cover all cases. How long are yours?

3] Truck has 10700 miles on, what are chances it's the return line and not preheater? Don't know.

4] Would it better to just junk the steel sections and go with all rubber from engine back to frame rail? Tough to do, and the rubber would be subject to increased heat from proximity to the engine. On the 1998, the steel tubes are bent away from the engine before the hose starts. I think if you provide a generous loop in the rubber hose the flexing will be tolerable (thus my request with LarryB for a little more length).

5] Even with starter off are there any tips/tricks to make this as painless as possbile? Starter off is the best trick. Makes it simple.

6]Do the starter bolts take a 10mm 12 point socket? Yes. The top bolt can be done with a combination of extensions and flex joints.