Welcome back to Hank’s Cars and Coffee. In Episode 6, we pulled the bed off the rear of the truck with the help of some friends. I also used a fun cooking analogy to explain how easy it can be to work on cars if you do the right prep, have the right tools, and ask for help when you need it. Right after we pulled the bed, our friend Chris came along to weld those cracks in our engine cradle that we first saw a few episodes ago when we pulled the engine. Once Chris and I were done with welding, we called it a day and I picked up in the back of the truck the next day.
Swapping F-150 Fuel Pumps for F-250/350 Diesel Sending Units
For the dual-tank F-150, we conveniently have the option to swap in diesel sending units that are found in the F-250/350 of the same year. Fortunately, the sending units both fit into the tanks without any modification. Unfortunately, the front tank sending unit required me to swap the old harness plug from the fuel pump.
On the new pump, I spliced the YELLOW/RED and the BROWN/RED wires from the new plug into the YELLOW/WHITE and the GRAY/RED wires on the old plug.
Links to the sending units I purchased can be found at the bottom of this page.
Removing the Old In-Line Fuel Filter
Next up in the fuel system was to remove the in-line fuel filter and replace it with standard fuel hose. This is being done because the OM606 has its own fuel filter at the head of the engine, filtering just before the injection pump.
In order to make this work properly and to make it as easy as possible, I went ahead and purchased a section of metal fuel line with integrated connector tabs, 5/16″ rubber fuel hose, and some hose clamps. To cut and flare those metal fuel lines, I purchased an inexpensive flaring kit from Amazon that I will link below.
Once I had cut the new fuel line to length, matching the length of the fuel filter we were replacing, I crawled under the truck, and in only a few short minutes, had the new line installed.
Links to all products used in this episode listed below:
- Rear Tank Diesel Sending Unit F-250/350
- Front/Side Tank Diesel Sending Unit F-250/350 (requires modification)
- Pipe Flaring Kit/Cutter
- 5/16″ ID Fuel Line
- Dorman Steel Fuel Line
- YESWELDER 165A MIG Welder
If you’ve got questions about this swap, especially if you’re thinking of doing something similar, drop a comment or DM me at @hankejohnson or @hankscarsandcoffee on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. I’m trying to share every step in detail so that others can follow along—or learn from my mistakes.
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