2000 - 2007 Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Torque Specs

2002 Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Complete Torque Specs List

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Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Repair Information

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Engine Repair Information

Here you can find information regarding the assembly of the Chevy 6.6L engine. In this guide we will start from the inside of the engine including the crankshaft, connecting rods, and piston ring installation and then move outwards all the way to the pulley belt system. Along the way correct procedures and torque specs will be given to aid in the assembly of the engine. Feel free to start from the beggining and work your way outwards or skip ahead to your current position in the engine for what you may need.

Crankshaft Main Caps Installation

Chevy 6.6L engine block
The 6.6L engine block main bearing caps should be inspected for any defects or flaws before installation. Be sure to lubricate the bearing surfaces prior to installation. Once prepared you can place the caps onto the crankshaft and begin tightening the bolts down in a multi stage process. To start off you can hand tighten up the main bolts and the corresponding side bolts. From here you can torque down all of the main bolts to 72 ft-lbs then 97 ft-lbs followed by a 60 degree turn. Be sure to go through each bolt one at a time through each step during the torquing sequence. You can start at the middle bearing cap and then work your way outwards. Next the main bearing cap side bolts can be installed and torqued down to 52 ft-lbs. Be sure to also follow a middle outwards approach for these bolts as well.
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Main Cap Bolt Torque Specs : 72 ft-lbs + 97 ft-lbs + 60°

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Main Cap Side Bolt Torque Specs : 52 ft-lbs

 

Piston and Connecting Rod Installation

Chevy 6.6L piston ring installation
To install the pistons and connecting rods you must first install the piston rings into each piston. Be careful not to stretch the rings or break them during installation. Make sure to put the correct rings in the correct positions, this can be determined by looking at the instructions given with the new rings. Each ring manufacturer is different so be sure to check for your specific rings. Once the rings have been installed you can now fit the connecting rod bearings into the end caps and lube them up with oil or lithium grease. The piston can now be lowered into the cylinder, make sure the dot or mark is facing the front of the engine and that you don't scratch the cylinder. Once installed you can match the connecting rod caps with the correct rods and start to torque the connecting rod bolts to 47 ft-lbs and then an additional 30 degree turn followed by another 30 degree turn for each bolt. After all are done rotate the crank to ensure all pistons move smoothly in and out of their cylinders and nothing binds.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Connecting Rod Torque Specs : 47 ft-lbs + 30° + 30°

 

Oil Pump Installation

Chevy 6.6L oil pump installation
When installing the oil pump be sure to use the proper sealant around the pump base if neccessary to ensure that oil pressure doesn't drop due to leakage. Both surfaces should be cleaned and preped prior to installing. After preparing the contact surfaces carefully install the oil pump onto front of the engine block right next to the crankshaft. On the duramax the oil pump will need to be installed prior to installing the crankshaft reluctant wheel which is used to drive the camshaft and other componenets. With the oil pump in place you can tighten down the pumps mounting bolts to 15 ft-lbs. From here you can install the oil pumps driven gear nut to 74 ft-lbs.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Oil Pump Bolts Torque Spec : 15 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Oil Pump Pickup Torque Spec : 18 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Oil Pump Drive Nut Torque Spec : 74 ft-lbs

 

Cylinder Head Installation

Chevy 6.6L cylinder head installation
The first thing you must do when installing cylinder heads is to ensure both the block and head surfaces are completely clean from dust, oil, and any debris. The next thing you must to is to set the camshafts to their correct positions to prevent any valves from hitting pistons during installation and torquing of the head bolts. Much the same you have to set the pistons to their correct locations, typically this means putting the #1 piston to TDC or Top Dead Center. Once everything is ready you can install the head gasket onto the engine block by aligning the alignment dowels. Something I usually do is spray down the head gasket with some engine copper spray from permatex which you can find here, this ensures that any gaps that could be present between the 2 surfaces gets filled with the spray. It also helps to transfer heat between the 2 metals. With the gasket in place you can set the cylinder head onto the gasket and block, if needed have someone assist with this process as the head can be heavy and you don't want to scratch anything or drop it! Once the head has been placed you will want to start installing the head bolts to make sure it doesn't move. Be sure to buy new head bolts as many manufacturers use TTY or Torque to Yield head bolts meaning they stretch during torqueing and cannot be used twice. Also make sure to lubricate the bolts in clean engine oil before installing them into the head. On Chevy engines there is occasionally bolt holes on the engine block that cross into water passages. Any hole that does this should be installed with some silicon sealant. A little goes a long way in this step and you can check holes by shining a flashlight down them and looking in the water jackets. Once all the head bolts have been installed and finger tightened you can start the torqueing process, almost all head bolts have a multi-step process for torqueing. The 6.6L Duramax engine uses 2 different sized head bolts being 18 large ones and 4 small ones. The smaller bolts go on the outer side of the cylinder head and get tightened down to 18 ft-lbs. The large bolts are the main cylinder head bolts and can be installed and torqued down to 37 ft-lbs and then 59 ft-lbs followed by two sets of 60 degree turns going through each bolt during each step. Be sure to tighten the right bolts to the right specs as this is a critical component of the engines functionality.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Cylinder Head Torque Specs (Small M8): 18 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Cylinder Head Torque Specs (Large M12): 37 ft-lbs + 59 ft-lbs + 60° + 60°

 

Timing Chain and Camshaft Installation

Chevy 6.6L Timing chain installation
On the Chevy 6.6 Duramax engine the timing system is ran by the use of gears which run from the engines crankshaft to the engines camshaft gear. Since the camshaft is located in the center of the engine it needs to be installed from the front side of the engine. The camshaft bearings get installed using a special cam bearing installation tool. The tool simply presses the bearings in and out of the bearing holes using different sized plates to press on them. Be sure that all of your camshaft bearings are in good condition prior to installing the camshaft and building the engine as this is a critical part of the engine. If all bearings are good and in place the camshaft can be lubed and placed into the engine. It should slide into the bearings with ease, if it gets caught do not force it as you risk damaging the bearings. Simply move the camshaft end around until it slides in. Once all the way into the engine you will need to install the camshaft retaining plate and its bolts. Depending on your specific chevy engine the camshaft retaining plate gets installed impediately after the camshaft is slide into place or after the timing gear has been installed. Depening on how you took apart your engine and the new parts you are installing you will need to adapt accordingly. The retaining plate bolts need to be tightened down to 16 ft-lbs. The camshaft timing sprocket simply slides onto the camshaft and can be tightened down to 173 ft-lbs. Be sure to hold the engine and camshaft well during tightening and to have the crankshaft sprocket installed so that it holds the camshaft without any issues.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Camshaft Sprocket Torque Spec: 173 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Crankshaft Position Sensor Torque Spec: 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Camshaft Retaining Plate Bolts Torque Spec : 16 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Rocker Arm Bracket Torque Spec : 30 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Valve Lifter Retainer Torque Spec : 8 ft-lbs

 

Timing Cover Installation

Chevy 6.6L Timing cover installation
The timing cover on the 6.6L Duramax is used to cover up the internals of the engine and hold in massive amounts of oil. For this reason I recommend using some silicon sealant along with a new gasket during installation. Be sure to clean all of the metal surfaces prior to installation and placing the silicon onto the metal. With everything ready to install be sure to double check your timing and engine internals before placing the cover in place. Another tip is to lube up the crankshaft seal with some oil so it seats better. If everything is good to go then place the cover onto the engine block and begin to tighten down the bolts hand tight. Once all of the bolts have been set in place be sure to follow your sealants instructions by waiting the recommended time. Once ready the timing cover bolts can be tightened down to 15 ft-lbs. Be sure to not overtighten these bolts as it can be easy to do so.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Timing Cover Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

 

Oil Pan Installation

Chevy 6.6L Oil Pan installation
Much like the timing cover on the 6.6L the oil pan plays an important role in keeping the engine oil inside the engine. For this reason I recommend using a new gasket as well as some silicone sealant during installation. Using the same technique as before with the cover you clean the surfaces of both the oil pan and the engine block and then install the new gasket onto the block and then follow it up with some silicone sealant. Be sure to follow your sealants instructions to ensure you get the best seal from your application. Before installing the upper oil pan be sure that the oil pan baffle and oil pump have been installed correctly. The upper oil pan bolts on the 6.6L duramax tighten down to 15 ft-lbs and should be torqued in a cross pattern. Next the lower oil pan can be installed using a new gasket and some silicon and torqued down to 8 ft-lbs. Finally the oil pans skid plate can be installed and torqued down to 15 ft-lbs.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Oil Pan Torque Specs (Upper): 15 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Oil Pan Torque Specs (Lower): 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Oil Drain Plug Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Oil Pan Skid Plate Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

 

Injector, Glowplugs, and Valve Cover Installation

Chevy 6.6L Valve Cover installation
The valve cover installation on the 6.6L Duramax is rather difficult as it also ties in the installation of the engines glowplugs and fuel injectors. To start with installing these components make sure that your cylinder heads are both installed properly and torqued down to spec. Next the rocker arms should be isntalled and the rocker arm shaft bolts can be torqued down to 30 ft-lbs. With that installed we can then install the guides for the engines injectors and insert the injectors down into the head. From here we can torque them down to 37 ft-lbs and install the lower valve cover. The lower valve cover can be installed using a new gasket and some silicon sealant to ensure it does not leak. The lower valve cover bolts can be torqued down to 8 ft-lbs. Next the injectors harness can be installed and torqued down to the lower valve cover using 8 ft-lbs and the injector terminals can be installed and torqued down to 2 ft-lbs. The fuel return line can then be installed and torqued down to 12 ft-lbs. Now the upper valve cover can be installed using a new gasket and some silicon sealant and torqued down to 8 ft-lbs. Lastly we can install the engines glowplugs and torque them down to 13 ft-lbs.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Lower Valve Cover Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Upper Valve Cover Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Injector Bracket Torque Specs : 37 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Injector Harness Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Injector Return Line Torque Specs : 12 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Glowplug Torque Specs : 13 ft-lbs

 

Intake Manifold, Fuel Rail, and Turbo Installation

Chevy 6.6L Intake Manifold installation
The intake and fuel system on the 6.6L Duramax is rather complicated and requires a good amount of knowledge regarding engines in order to comprehend what is all going on. To help explain this procedure and the components involved I will start at the base setup of the engine as if you were building it from the beginning. Starting with the lower intake to the cylinder head you can install these using new rubber gaskets and some silicon and torque them down to 15 ft-lbs. Next there is a Y intake tube which connects both of the lower intake manifolds together. The bolts for this tube can be installed and torqued down to 8 ft-lbs. Next the fuel rails can be installed onto the lower intake manifolds and torqued down to 18 ft-lbs. Following the fuel rail installation you can install the fuel pipes which run from the rail to the fuel injectors within the valve covers. These feed lines use nuts which connect themselves to each point of the system. These feed nuts need to be tightened down to about 30 ft-lbs. From here we can install the remaining fuel lines which run from the fuel rails to the fuel system. These remaining pipes can be torqued down to 15 ft-lbs. The fuel injection control module itself can be torqued down to 15 ft-lbs. Finally the turbo charger and its inlet pipe can be installed. Starting with the turbocharger it uses 3 main bolts which tighten itself down to the engine block using 80 ft-lbs. Next the turbo has both an oil supply and return hose as well as a coolant pipe. The turbochargers oil supply hose can be torqued down to 25 ft-lbs. The oil return line tightens down to 15 ft-lbs. Finally the turbos coolant pipe can be installed and tightened down to 15 ft-lbs.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Lower Intake Manifolds Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Intake Y Tube Torque Specs : 8 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Fuel Rail Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Fuel Feed Lines Torque Specs : 30 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Fuel Lines Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Injector Control Module Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Turbocharger Torque Specs : 80 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Turbo Oil Supply Line Torque Specs : 25 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Turbo Oil Return Line Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Turbo Coolant Hose Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

 

Exhaust Manifold Installation

Chevy 6.6L Exhaust Manifold installation
The exhaust manifold can be installed by cleaning the surface areas on both the head an the manifold itself and then by using the exhaust manifold gasket and putting it in place. Once the gasket is in its location you can put the manifold onto the heads and begin to torque it down to 28 ft-lbs. I always use some copper spray from permatex on the exhaust manifold gaskets to ensure I do not end up with any exhaust leaks once done. From the manifold out the exhaust pipe connects to an outlet pipe which runs the exhaust gases from the turbocharger. The exhaust outlet pipe bolts can be tightened down to 39 ft-lbs.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Exhaust Manifold Torque Spec : 28 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Exhaust Outlet Pipe Torque Specs : 39 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax EGR Pipes Torque Specs : 22 ft-lbs

 

Water Pump and Thermostat Installation

Chevy 6.6L Water Pump installation
The water pump on the Chevy 6.6L Duramax engine is gear driven and installs onto the front of the engine block on the right hand side. It has a few bolts which tighten down into the front engine cover and then a coolant pipe that runs to the rear side of the engine. The pump should always be installed using a new gasket and some silicon sealant to ensure that neither oil or coolant leaks out of the engine. Once prepared you can install the water pump onto the engine and hand tighten the bolts. Once hand tightened be sure to wait the amount of time depending on your sealants manufacturer information. Once ready you can torque down the water pump bolts to 15 ft-lbs. The outlet on the rear end of the water pump can be tightened down to 18 ft-lbs. On the front end of the engine there is a coolant thermostat housing which ranges across the entire front end of the engine. It contains an inlet pipe from the water pump as well as 2 sets fo 4 12mm bolts on each cylinder head. All of the thermostat housing bolts can be torqued down to 18 ft-lbs.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Water Pump Torque Specs : 15 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Water Pump Outlet Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Thermostat Housing Bolts Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs

 

Front Dress and Pulley belt Installation

Chevy 6.6L Pulley and Belt installation
Most of what is left on the engine is just place and tighten objects such as the belt pulleys, belt tensioner, throttle body, oil filter neck, crankshaft pulley, and motor mounts. If the items have a gasket and hold either oil or coolant inside the engine then feel free to add some sealant along with the gasket. Always be sure to inspect your gaskets and replace them if there is any deteriation or flaws with them. For the belt system the crankshaft pulley gets torqued to 74 ft-lbs and then a 105 degree turn. The belt tensioner can be tightened to 30 ft-lbs and the idler pulley can also be torqued down to 27 ft-lbs. When installing be sure they both turn smoothly and if they do not then replace them with new ones as the bearings can go bad. The engine motor mount can be installed onto the engine block if it hasn't been already, the torques for the mount to the block is 37 ft-lbs and then when installing the mount to the vehicle or frame it can be torqued to 59 ft-lbs. Finally the throttle body can be installed on top of the intake manifold with a good gasket and some added sealant using 7 ft-lbs in a criss cross pattern. For installing the belt you can use a tool to move the tensioner into its springed state and install the belt as shown in the picture. The power steering pump and its pulley should be tightened down to 37 ft-lbs. The alternator has a front bracket which can be torqued down to 37 ft-lbs. The Air Conditioner Compressor can be torque down to the engine using 37 ft-lbs.

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Crankshaft Pulley Torque Specs : 74 ft-lbs + 105°

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Idler Pulley Bolt Torque Spec : 27 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Belt Tensioner Torque Specs : 30 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Motor Mount to Engine Torque Specs : 37 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Motor Mount to Frame Torque Specs : 59 ft-lbs

Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Power Steering Pump Torque Specs : 37 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax Alternator Bracket Torque Specs : 37 ft-lbs
Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6L Duramax A/C Compressor Torque Specs : 37 ft-lbs

 


Timing Torque Specs
Timing Cover Torque spec 15 ft-lbs
Camshaft Timing Sprocket Torque Specs 173 ft-lbs
Camshaft Retaining Plate Bolts Torque spec 16 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Postition Sensor Torque spec 8 ft-lbs
Cylinder Head Torque Specs
Cylinder Head Bolts Torque Specs (Small M8) 18 ft-lbs
Cylinder Head Bolts Torque Specs (Large M12) 37 ft-lbs + 59 ft-lbs + 60° + 60°
Rocker Arm Bracket Torque specs 30 ft-lbs
Valve Lifter Retainer Torque specs 8 ft-lbs
Lower Valve Cover Torque specs 8 ft-lbs
Upper Valve Cover Torque specs 8 ft-lbs
Injector Bracket Torque specs 37 ft-lbs
Injector Harness Torque specs 8 ft-lbs
Injector Return Line Torque specs 12 ft-lbs
Glowplug Torque specs 13 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold Torque specs 28 ft-lbs
Exhaust Outlet Pipe Torque Spec 39 ft-lbs
EGR Pipe Torque Specs 22 ft-lbs
Bottom End Torque's
Main Bearing Cap Bolts Torque Spec 72 ft-lbs + 97 ft-lbs + 60°
Main Bearing Cap Side Bolts Torque Spec 52 ft-lbs
Connecting Rod Bolts Torque Spec 47 ft-lbs + 30° + 30°
Oil Pump Mounting Bolt Torque Spec 15 ft-lbs
Oil Pump Pickup Tube Torque Spec 18 ft-lbs
Oil Pump Drive Gear Bolt Torque Spec 74 ft-lbs
Upper Oil Pan Bolts Torque Specs 15 ft-lbs
Lower Oil Pan Bolts Torque Specs 8 ft-lbs
Oil Pan Drain Plug Torque Spec 18 ft-lbs
Oil Pan Skid Plate Torque Spec 15 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold, Fuel Rail, and Turbo Torque Spec
Lower Intake Manifold Torque Specs 15 ft-lbs
Intake Y Tube Torque Specs 8 ft-lbs
Fuel Rail Torque Specs 18 ft-lbs
Fuel Feed Lines Torque Specs 30 ft-lbs
Fuel Lines Torque Specs 15 ft-lbs
Fuel Injector Control Module Torque Spec 15 ft-lbs
Turbocharger Mounting Bolts Torque Spec 80 ft-lbs
Turbocharger Oil Supply Line Torque Spec 25 ft-lbs
Turbocharger Oil Return Line Torque Spec 15 ft-lbs
Turbocharger Coolant Line Torque Spec 15 ft-lbs
Water Pump & Pulley Torque Specs
Water Pump Bolts Torque Specs 15 ft-lbs
Water Pump Outlet Pipe Torque Specs 18 ft-lbs
Thermostat Housing Bolts Torque Specs 18 ft-lbs
Thermostat Housing Inlet Pipe Torque Specs 18 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley Torque Spec 74 ft-lbs + 105°
Belt Tensioner Torque Spec 30 ft-lbs
Belt Idler Pulley Torque Spec 27 ft-lbs
Motor Mount (Engine Side) Torque 37 ft-lbs
Motor Mount (Frame Side) Torque 59 ft-lbs
Power Steering Pump Torque Spec 18 ft-lbs
Alternator Bracket Bolts Torque Spec 37 ft-lbs
A/C Compressor Torque Spec 37 ft-lbs