was coming home last night in 20 degrees and my 98 12v died. i got it restarted and after dying 3 more times i got home. I ran the drain on the fuel filter while idleing, but it died again. this morning i changed the filter and dumped an inch of ice out of the bottom of the filter, added fuel and diesel 911 to the filter, got it to start but real rough and only for a short time. I kept pumping the hand pump and getting air. I finally got it to run smooth after refilling the filter, but only for a short time. Pushed it into a warm garage, pulled the fuel line off before the lift pump and tried to blow back into the tank w/o any luck. Questions. should i be able to blow from the lift pump back to the tank? is my line blocked w/ a ice plug? Should the lift pump make noise when i turn on the key? is there an easy test to confirm the lift pump is shot?

 

I would think that you should be able to blow the fuel line back to the tank. The lift pump is mechanical and runs off the cam when the engine is turning. So the lift pump would not make any noise when you turn the key on like an electric pump would.

 

A gauge would help confirm if the lift pump is shot... you'll need to install it so as to be able to read while driving.

 

My bet is your prefilter or the screen in the tank is clogged with ice.
Put the 911 in the tank instead of the filter.

 

maybe i have the part name wrong. The rubber fuel line attaches to a steel one near the starter, then the steel line runs to a small device with wires running to it, then a 3/4" rubber 90 degree hose runs to another pump with a plunger (hand pump) then off to the filter. I was thinking the device with the wire was a pump. I see from other posts that the device with the plunger is mechanically powered when the motor turns over. What does the one with the plunger do. Which should i change out first? Is there a pump in the tank?

 

Thats the fuel heater in the prefilter housing and yes you shud be able to blow thru that line let it thaw out and check again. sounds like a very good chance its frozen

 

upon further review and CSI style stuff, Dodge has a fix. You can't buy the replacement pump, gotta replace the one in the tank. So an easy job get worse and more money, but still better than dropping 50k to replace the old 98.

 

Your 12 valve doesn't have a pump in the tank.... who the heck told you it did? A 24 valve has an electric pump that they replace with one in the tank, a 12 valve your lift pump is on the block.

 

Hey Larry....That's those great dodge dealerships...I wouldn't take my wheel barrow to them....

 

Crap! i ordered the replacement assembly, to put the pump in the tank for $560.00 plus air freight. Ill try blowing back thru the line now that it is thawed. Thanks all for the advice

 

When my 3500 was under warranty I took it to the dealer for a fuel related problem.
The "mechanic" was so proud when he discovered my fuel tank pump was missing. I tried to tell him there isn't supposed to be a tank pump but he wouldn't believe me.
He dropped the tank and had the module taken apart before the head mechanic told him there is no tank pump on the diesels, just gassers.

Problem turned out to be a bad overflow valve.

 

Yeah I know....dang I was trying to catch him before he ordered that thing, I knew somebody was giving him bad info

 

Well i learned today that the device in front of the manual/mechanical pump is indeed a filter. Just screw the bottom off. It was full of rusty metal, as a result of pumping out old tanks into drums then into my tank. I also belived the dealer and ordered the 560.00 in tank pump only to fine later a replacement mechanical lift pump on the web for under 100.00. I'll return the in tank one and save. I hooked up a temp electric inline till the real one gets here

 

Prefilter clean - http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/fil...filt_clean.htm


LOTS of great info can be found at www.dodgeram.org

 

If the prefilter was really dirty you might want to consider cleaning the tank screen or even dropping the tank to flush it out.
The tank screen is actually almost as fine as the prefilter and is located on the bottom of the tank module.