mopower

First let me say hello, I just picked up my cummins this past weekend. What a great resource this place is.

I've done alot of reading here in preparation and have always been an avid wrencher. After driving a 48 *****'s to work everyday this winter, I decided I needed something with a bit more heat, and my chevelle at 7 MPG wasn't the ticket. I work with Hoot and the diesel bug was planted.

So, I have a set of gages on order and am prepping for the KDP this weekend. Im hoping there arent more pressing issues, so here goes.

My questions involve the fuel tank on my new ride. I stopped for my first fill up and got to talking while it was pumping, and right after the pump shut off what seemed like half a gallon of diesel came pouring out of the top of the tank. I had the truck running, I wasn't sure how long it takes to cool down a turbo, without a gage. Not sure if that matters or not. Now that I've driven it a bit, it does appear to drip diesel, although not bad. It also has an inconsistant tick from around the fuel tank too. Is the ticking something to worry about? Do I need more than just a sending unit gasket if I stop at the parts store?

Rare1

How many miles on your rare truck? Good find. I don't hear a tick on mine, poor hearing. Let it go for a while until you get more familiar with it. The lift pump is in the engine, unless it's been modified. As for a gasket, don't be hasty there either. Maybe you overfilled the tank. Or the fuel supply or return tube connections are cracked. Or the filler neck hose is cracked.

mopower

Thanks for the advice, I'll check the filler tube and look for an aftermarket pump of some type. The tick is definitely coming from that area and sounds like an old lifter or an electrical snap, although I didn't see any arcing or anything, and everything seems to work ok. It is also an intermittant sund and not consistant. It would help if I could look at it in the daylight.

As for the leak it only leaks when the truck is running and I've seen some other posts about loose lines in the help section, so I'll check that too when I get under it. How easy is it to overfill a tank...I literally just let the diesel pump run until it clicked off, that was it, no topping off or anything and diesel gushed out of the top of the tank, I watched it from between the bed and cab. Certainly sounds like it came up the filler neck and out a large hole, vent tube, etc. I was just worried it might be something serious.

My truck has about 80,000 on it. I think the last owner let it sit in the mud most of its life and didn't drive it much. It needs a pinion seal and some paint, but the important stuff is cherry.

My truck is 4wd, and I was thinking of an 11 plate for it in the hopes of being happy and saving my clutch for a while, but your mod list is pretty much my wishlist and if I come out at 20 mpg...I'll be really happy.

mopower

Well, I was letting my truck idle to cool down after climbing my driveway tonight and I watched the gas gage drop from half then to the buzzer, then to E, so I thought I'd better take a look at the tank. I pulled it into the garage and crawled under to find that the top of the fuel sending unit (which looks like a big platic lid) has a metal ring or something on it that holds the two tubes in, but it was rusted out. The tube with the gray plastic crimp I could wiggle and almost pull out. The blue one seemed tight but the line looked pretty rusty. I guess I'll have to drop the tank after all. I didn't find why my gage would drop to zero but I couldn't repeat the problem so I'm hoping it has to do with the rusted out lines I found. I'm sure that the hole there is big enough to have caused my spillage at fill up and the drip too. I'll have to avoid puddles for a while I guess Still not sure about the ticking.

Did these trucks come with plastic fuel tanks? I'm used to metal ones and was expecting to find a sending unit with a ring I'd have to hammer off, but this one looks like it just screws right off and the tank is plastic.

schaef_12

Yes they come with plastic tanks. The tick you are describing is the lift pump. It is located on the motor but for some reason the noise is very prominent in the area between the box and cab. Your fuel sending unit is probably going bad and that is why the gauge was acting up.

megajoltman

It's easier to take the bed off to work on the tank and fuel lines

You need some help to pull that sucker off there though

mopower

Based on the other recent "tick" posts here it sounds like it might be my overflow valve. I'll give that a look over the weekend. Hopefully my gages will be here by then too and I can check my fuel pressure in case its the lift pump. I'll have to check with Dodge for the sending unit piece and hose ends...anybody know if I can buy them cheaper elsewhere or whether or not I can replace the small metal piece instead of the whole sending unit? Of course if I don't my gage will probably stop working, but I'm hoping for a cheap fix since I'm still recovering from the original purchase, and besides I'll have lots of practice pulling my bed if it does go...

Thanks for the advice on that megajoltman, I figure I can do it like the cj tub and hook a chain to it and lift it off with the front end loader. I kinda like working at bench height instead of on the ground upside down!

I also saw some pics of an 03 tank out and the metal that rusted out on mine is now plastic. Are the later plastic ones useable by chance?

mopower

I pulled my tank this weekend, only because there is no room in my garage to pull the bed, but it is heated I picked up a fuel module from the dealer, rebuilt at 140.00 and what a nightmare...first, the module was clocked differently than the one I had. If I were to have put it in the way the arrow pointed my sending unit float would hit the wall of the tank, so I reclocked it. Then I put it in and noticed the the connector was wrong, so I took it all back down and out and back to the dealer today.

I have a 4 pin plug on my truck and need a 4 pin connector for the sending unit, but the rebuilt module they gave me was an 8 pin. It was for a 96-97, since they didnt even list a module for a 98 in the computer. Any of you others that have replaced a module...is there an adapter plug for the new module, did you just cut the plug off and use your own, or can you provide me with a module number that will work with the 4 pin connector, since dodge can't seem to find it??

Also, any advice on dealers in SE PA area that have a good parts department and a good service department...not that I'd ever have them do work, but I do have a few recalls that need taken care of. The parts department at David Dodge has been helpful, they are trying to find me the right part, but I thought I'd ask the experts here on DTR!

Rare1

The 1998 model year was a transition year so there are some parts the same as 1997 and other parts the same as 1999, even if you have the 12 valve. So if you ask for a 1999 fuel module it might be the right one.

TIMMY22

Chances are the ticking your hearing is the excess fuel in the pump chattering past the overflow valve(return fuel) that is also the "running" fuel leak you have. The noise is actually generated at the inj pump but is transmitted down the fuel line so sometimes it sounds like it's from the fuel tank.

While your in there, take a look at the brake line that is between the chassis and the fuel tank. Very common for them to pop there (rust) and leave you with no brakes some day.

mopower

The brake line looks ok behind the tank...pretty good actually compared to the sketchy part back at the junction block for the abs or whatever. I may need to replace that one pretty soon. I also had to cut the fuel lines since the quick connects were aged on solid. I'm going to go with diesel rated hose for the short run from the tank to the lines for now, since the lines look pretty good. I wire brushed, cleaned and painted the bed, frame etc behind the tank, to extend the inevitable. The truck is rusty under there, I'm going to plan a POR15 weekend for it once my wallet cools off a bit from the gages and sender.

The computer doesnt list a module for the 99, only a fuel pump and a fuel pump for a truck that has already had the pump replaced once, because they put the lift pump in the tank on the 24's. So no dice on getting a 99.

Dodge says I should have an 8 pin connector tucked up in my wiring harness along with the 4 pin, so I'm going to check that tonight when I get home.

mopower

Well, so I searched the length of my wiring harness for another connector and nope, only 1 there, and its a 4 pin. How frustrating...Next?