Thought someone might be interested in a cheap and quick fuel pressure guage to measure lift pump pressure. One of the shops sells a replacement lid for the fuel filter canister that is drilled and tapped. I modified my stock lid. I bought a cheap oil pressure testing kit at Harbor freight (92687) and used the 0-100psi guage from it. I disconneted the hose from the guage, drilled a 1/8" hole in the top of the stock, plastic filter canister lid and screwed in the guage in the hole in the top of the lid inside the large hex ( the existing hole is just the right size and since the lid is plastic, the guage acted as a self tapping brass fitting ). I sealed it with a little teflon pipe thread tape. The kit actually comes with an adaptor that is the same thread so you could mount the guage remotely with the included rubber hose. At some point I may run some fuel line into the cab and mount the guage inside, but for now, I can at least monitor the fuel pressure by opening the hood. Also, a guage that reads about 0-30psi would be nice, but this was really cheap. In fact, right now HF has a fuel pressure test kit on sale with what I think is the same guage for only $7.99 (92699) thru 2/26/07.

My truck is just stock and has the filter mounted lift pump. With all the stories I've heard about those pumps, I wanted to at least be able to check the fuel pressure once in a while.

The white paper towel is just to check for leaks around the installation.

 

and i thought no body was cheaper or smarter than me...

that's awesome, there's a filter lid in the classifieds, but the guy never responds.

you just saved me $50, and gave me a reason to ride the Harley to Harbor Freight (taking the bike REALLY limits how much you can spend)

 

Well you get what you pay for, a cheap gauge measuring pressure. Another idea is a 1/8 npt tapped banjo bolt at the cp3 inlet. This way gives you a better idea of post filter pressure. What are you seeing for idle pressure on your setup? When I was on the stock pump I read 8 psi.

 

Yeah, that's just what I'm reading - 8psi at idle. About 5-6psi at 2500rpm.

By the way, this measures the same as one would get at the inlet to the cp3. It's inside or passed the filter so the only thing between this measuring spot and the banjo bolt is a short run of fuel line.

 

Maybe I can make it clearer. Inside the canister is a black plastic tube. The filter snaps into the lid and seals around the tube. Fuel enters from the outside thru the filter and is drawn into the top of the tube then down and out the bottom of the canister. Tapping the top of the lid gives prefilter pressure. When I was on the stock lift pump pulling a grade the pressure would hit zero .

 

NJ, post up a Pic, i am going to HF to get that cheap gauge, would like to put it there, then it's easy to use the socket to get fuel filter cap off.

 

Here's my cheapo fuel pressure gauge:

 

XLR8R your truck must be like the starship enterprise with all your gadgets. Everytime I read a post about a home made mod I see a response from you with your invention. Keep up the good work. I bet being so crafty comes in handy; as Napoleon Dynamite said "chicks dig dudes with skills" (or something similar)

 

Well, if it weren't for DTR, I already would've asked Scotty to beam me up, since there doesn't appear to be any intelligent life on the other diesel sites...

... and you're right: chick dig dudes with mad skills more than guys with big, err - anything!

Of course, it's nice to have both in plentiful supply.

 

I finally got it! Thanks. Perhaps I'll try the banjo bolt when I move the guage into the cab. Do you happen to know if any parts stores like NAPA happen to sell such a treaded banjo bolt or would I need to order one from one of the specialty stores? Thanks again.

 

I have a oil pressure gauge that came off my Harley and plan to use it for fuel pressure. I'll do it whenever I get around to installing the GDP pump and filter kit.

MikeyB

 

I'm not trying to be critical, but using teflon tape on a fuel system is never a good idea. Down stream from an injection pump can get VERY expensive.

Also, the life expectancy of the guage you choose is gonna be very short. It is not gylcerin filled (to absorb vibration) and will get torn apart from the vibration. If you can see the needle bouncing at all it's gonna kill the guage. The "insides" are not designed for full time use, it's a test guage. There is a reason guages are not mounted on the engine.

I have not seen what you "self tapped" into, but I believe the lid is plastic right? More than likely the guage will vibrate enough to allow fuel to leak, or may pop off altogeather.

I would replace the lid with one that is designed with a threaded boss for the correct pipe fitting, get a better guage and relocate it in the cab where you can watch it under different throttle positions.

I'm as cheap as the next guy, but there is a limit to doing things on the cheap and getting them to last without hurting something, or someone, else.

JMHO.