Greetings everyone,

I bought my Dodge 2002 Diesel truck brand new and still love the truck - don't drive it a lot anymore since getting married and riding a bike to work to save cash. However, in the last year or so, at times it seems that it loses power at times.

The mods I've done is put an Edge on it, install 275's injector (I believe) and gauges (EMT, Fuel Pressure and Boost). The fuel pressure gauge is on after the fuel filter. In the past when this has shown up, I have replaced the fuel filter, yet the problem remains. The best description is that the pedal won't have any reaction to power output for a while, then all of sudden, it will kick in and puff smoke and have power. I guess in a way it's getting starved for fuel or seems like one of the lines has air in it. When the gauges were installed, the fuel pressure was around 14 and drop down to 11 WOT - now it's around 5-7 and drops to nothing. So I'm pretty sure that the lift pump needs to be replaced.

I'm hoping that it's not going to cost me an arm and leg to get this taken care of - any recommendations of what to try that isn't going to kill the pocket book?

Also - I'm not really wanting to tear into it and replace the lift pump myself or anything else, so I'd like to find a shop here in Omaha or near Omaha that is a good place to have work done on my truck

Thanks, Michael

 

i would definitely say its the fuel lift pump going out... and i would not recommend driving the truck if the fuel pressure is dropping that low...cause one wrong move and the pressure drops to nothing, you could possibly hurt your injector pump which could cost around 1500 bucks. it could also be a clogged fuel filter too! i would try a new filter and bleed all the lines, and see how that goes... if the problem still persists, get the lift pump changed immediately to stop any further problems!

 

Do not replace the lift with a factory replacement! It will just happen again! replace the lift pump with a FASS or Airdog it will save you in the long run.

If you are getting the "Dead Pedal" my guess is the Injection pump (VP44) is dead as well.

 

Not exactly where your located at, but I found a place in Ft Lauderdale called Everglades Diesel. When I replaced my VP, I picked up mine there. They offered me the opportunity to have it tested. So they tested the one I pulled off my truck. Call around your area and see if there might be a place that could test it. It sucks when that thing goes, I remember finding deals out there that included a VP44 and a FASS or Airdog combo. Good luck and I hope that it isn't the IP.

 

Okay - I'm pretty sure that it's the pump that is going out - in the past with the pressure going down, I've replaced the fuel filter and didn't have any effect on the pressure coming back up.

SO now I'm looking for a shop in Omaha that could put on a new lift pump...

Question - is there a way to test the IP on the truck or is this something that has to come off to test?

I've been way too busy with my siding project to deal with this...

 

the lift pump install is VERY easy. You could totally do it in a few hours taking your time

 

Please read the above posts - people are giving you good info here. A stock lift pump (block mounted) is a waste of your hard earned money. Again, you will be left with the same old junk pump.

If you take it to Dodge, they will put the lift pump in the tank. You do NOT want it in the tank. Some will undoubtly argue but the intank pumps generally do not provide enough flow to effectively lube and cool the VP-44. Not only that, every time it fails you have to drop the tank or raise the bed - not something you want to do more than once.

That being said, your best options are AirDog, Mitusa, or Fass.

As for testing the VP-44, you can scan for codes (do you have a check engine light?), as well as crack #1 injector line to check for spraying fuel (be careful doing this and dont put your hands anywhere near spraying fuel - use cardboard when checking).

Yes, there are places that can test it - cant help you with that though.

 

When I got a Edge Attitude with Juice installed, my low fuel pressure would drop way low when deep into the pedal. My 2001 Dodge has had the pump installed in the tank, and it does NOT provide enough fuel during WOT conditions. I installed a pump on the block, just a jobber pump from Car Quest. I have 30 PSI at Idle, and never goes under 17 PSI even under the hottest setting on the programmer. I made a harness to use the engine harness to power the CarQuest pump, and the Relay for the tank pump. It works very well, definitely not the best, pump a lot cheaper than a FASS or AirDog.

 

30psi on a vp pump not a good idea... Yes a block mounted one may start out cheaper but 2-3-4 later you could have bought 1 pump and only fixed it once... been there done that.

 

Okay - is there any threads of Step-By-Step to do it - if it's easy - how long does it normally take to do?

I'm not afraid of doing it, it's just that I don't really have the time to do it. I've put in my own gauges (Fuel Pressure, Boost and EGT) plus installed the edge with not much problems, but was subscribed to TDR at the time.

Michael