I just talked to someone from Bluechip Diesel, they told me that it would be a waste of money to put a Big Line kit from my FF to IP. They said the VP44 only needs 5 PSI to meet all its fuel delivery, lubrication, and cooling needs and that delivering more pressure or fuel volume would have NO affect on performance or longevitey of the pump.
Does anyone else out there with experience agree or disagree with this?

My truck is a 2001, with an Edge EZ module and a Carter Lift pump mounted on the frame in front of the fuel tank.

 

If what they say on the phone is true, then why do they say on their web page that low fuel pressure with hurt the vp44? Sounds to me like they have their wires crossed.

 

I put the big line on my truck from the filter to pump, and I gained about 1.5 psi. Thats with my old FASS setup. I don't know if you'd get that much with the stocker pump, but any bit helps.

 

5 psi......that's minimun, and only if the motor is left completely stock. But in order to make more power you gotta start adding more fuel via the VP-44. Now you start to putting a strain on that, and supplying only 5 psi to the VP-44 isn't enough at that point.

 

For starters code P216 is not a mechanical failure code its an electronic timing failure code..........means the electronics are cooked. Thats is what my last VP died of P0216. And I drove with that code for 8 months before I could not take the performance decrease the fuel economy decrease and the bitter smell.......

I have -8 hose all the way from tank to VP now. The most restrictive parts of the transfer system are the banjo bolts and that short piece of hard line from the filter to the VP

 

I was quoting what was said on Blue Chip's site.

Read for yourself. http://www.bluechipdiesel.com/

I find their site information misleading to some degree after talking with a Bosch rep. One point of interest is what he said about the upgraded electronics used on the FedEx vehicles. The Bosch rep said that all the current updates including the one referencing the upgraded electronics are being done with the vp44s used on dodge vehicles. All Bosch certified pump shops must rebuild the pumps with all the current updates that come from Bosch. Their pump stands are audited by Bosch. I doubt a shop would want to risk possibly loosing their certifications to save a little bit of change. Call Bosch and find out for yourself, don't take my word for it. Compare what is said on Blue Chip's site vs what Bosch tells you. I believe if you give the Bosch rep. your pump serial number he can tell you if the updates are in it. It may take a couple of transfers to talk with the right guy, but it worth the wait. I had thought about buying a Blue Chip pump until I spoke with Bosch.

 

sorry I'm going to hang my head in shame.......thats a P0215 I was thinking about. control circuit failure. my bad

 

me being the gear head that i am,couldn't believe how tiny the fuel delivery line's are stock.i can't imagine anything that small on a compact car.this is a picture of the fitting and hose before the filter.the big aluminum part was supposed to take place of the factory lift pump,so ignore that.the hole in the fitting off the lift pump to the little section of rubber hose is about an 1/8"

 

ON a stock truck the factory fittings are more than adequate if the LP is good.

I had to install 75hp injectors and a timing box before I could pull my OEM pump down to about 5psi.

To improve that, I installed a big line kit. Even with M4s I can't pull the FP down below 10psi with the STOCK LIFT PUMP.

You don't need high FP on these trucks, no matter how much power you're making. If you have enough FP to prevent cavitation, you have enough imo.

jh

 

Bluechip does agree that low lift pump fuel pressure is the most common cause of failure on these pumps, however by low pressure they mean BELOW 5 PSI, and they maintain that a healthy lift pump willl supply more than that. As for modifications requiring more fuel to be pumped by the VP44 they told me that at 5 PSI supply to the VP44 it can pump all the fuel it is mechanicaly capable of pumping without damaging it.

 

i think chip also is referring to under 5 psi being low pressure.for the given same restriction,i would think 5 psi would be fine.....i do know that when i had a weak lift pump and could pull pressure down to about 1 or 2 psi,then i upped my supply pressure to a minimum 15 psi,,i picked up a solid tenth in the eight mile.......bama

 

Dodge replaced quite a few LP's early on when they had 10 psi as a cut off.
Then it dropped to 5 psi and finally they did a "flow" test.

My point? Don't let it get below 10 psi. Contact www.vulcanperformance.com and Eric will set you up with info and kits.

 

my truck seems to pull harder now with a healthy pump.maybe it's not the pressure.maybe it's how much flow at the same pressure.

 

Non sequitur.

You can't get more flow at the same pressure unless the restriction has changed-- ultimately, the restriction from the VP44.

 

Be Smart, and listen to the forum, (We learn the lessons taught by Dodge, the hard way) Get the big line kit,the VP44 you save will be your own. (A big line kit is cheaper than a new VP44, by about $1100.00) Just my $.02