Tips for re-installing DPF

[tony97gt]

Hey guys, taking my truck to the dealer soon for some repairs so I put the DPF back on just to avoid any problems. Figured I'd post a few tips I found today that made my job of doing this a bit easier, in case anybody else has to do this job.

1- Use a low profile creeper. You will spend several minutes going back and forth between the front of the DPF and the rear of it, its much easier to roll on a creeper as opposed to sliding on your back.

2- Buy one of those square dolly/furniture moving carts. This is helpful to roll the DPF under the truck and line it up prior to connecting it. You may have some other type of roller cart that you can use this is just what I had available to me.

3- Buy a ratchet strap. This is a lifesaver when it comes to connecting the rear of the DPF to the exhaust pipe. Just make sure the little tab on the pipe lines up with the groove so it locks into place. You will see what I mean when you are under the truck.

4- Make sure you have a swivel socket and at least a 6" extension to tighten the bolts up at the front of the DPF, near the top.

5- I removed the brackets from the frame that hold those rubber braces to the DPF. Removing the bracket only takes unscrewing 3 nuts, as opposed to trying to pry off the brackets and busting up your knuckles. Prior to putting the DPF hanger back into the rubber brace, shoot some WD-40 in there to give you lubrication.

6- Use WD-40 on the joints of the pipes to loosen the old ones and lube the new ones prior to doing anything.

That's how I managed to re-install my DPF today by myself and not hurt myself and break anything in the process.

[nlcougar]

Any trouble with the sensors going back in?

[tony97gt]

I left the sensors in the dpf because my delete pipe had no bungs so I just pnp them back in.

[travisH3]

easy peezy

if i didnt have a 13mm swivel socket, i would of had to pay someone to take it off. that bolt is tight to get up to it

[tony97gt]

Yeah it was def a PITA. But I think the biggest thing I did that made my life much easier was removing the whole hanger bracket instead of trying to pry those rubber braces off. I pryed them when I first removed the DPF and what a PITA!

These trucks are NO FUN after you drive them without a DPF and a tuner and then go back to stock.

[travisH3]

Originally Posted by tony97gt

Yeah it was def a PITA. But I think the biggest thing I did that made my life much easier was removing the whole hanger bracket instead of trying to pry those rubber braces off. I pryed them when I first removed the DPF and what a PITA!

These trucks are NO FUN after you drive them without a DPF and a tuner and then go back to stock.

you talking about the rubber grommets on the hangers? hit them with wd-40, penetrating oil, or pb blaster and they slide right out

[JohnnyRecondo]

easiest way to get it back in is to use a motorcycle jack and jacking it up, and lining the bolts up into place. doesn't get much easier than that.

[atwoojr]

I used my jack to level the dpf up there, worked great. I will tell you the best thing I did on my stock exhaust was grind off the little tabs that lock the pieces together. I too had to put my stock exhaust back on this morning and found that it was slightly off, so I pulled the pieces and ground down the tabs, and all is fitting great now.

I also used wd-40 so that pipes would easily slide onto one another.

Lastly, unbolting the hangers is the best thing to do when rehanging the exhaust.

I will also say, putting on stock exhaust for some warranty work SUCKS....

[muntu]

sounds like you were doing a cat back and not downpipe back .....did i guess right?

[atwoojr]

Originally Posted by muntu

sounds like you were doing a cat back and not downpipe back .....did i guess right?

Was this directed towards me? If so, no I was putting the cat and DPF back on, the entire OEM exhaust from the downpipe back.

I used the tranny cross member to hold the forward portion and the jack to lift up the back portion, right after the DPF. It wasnt all that bad in my opinion.