Diesel Gods,
I've heard alot of guys say that the old lift pump problems were alot wearse and more frequent than before the 02 model. Is that true? ??? Meaning that their used to be alot more lift pump problems until DC reviewed the issue. Which is much less common now. I hope so... I have an 02. Love my Cummins. 8)

 

I have been wondering the same thing

 

Not quite. Mine went bad after 14K miles. Lost the checkball, which gets hammered by pulses along the line and tends to "escape" into the pump. So you're turning out good psi and then without warning your pressure dives below 8 psi at idle. You may see it ramp back up to normal and fall again several times as checkball falls in and out of seat.

Tech at dealership and DM from DC both told me that the '02's have improved lift pumps, but that's the last "big" problem. Tech opened mine up and showed me, showed me another on his rack that had the same problem.

 

When I installed my fuel pressure gauge about a year ago I Idled at 16psi. Monday I replaced the lift pump with a Holley Blue because I was idling at 12 psi and could hit 0psi when playing at WOT. The 02 LPs may be better than the past ones but they still have some bugs.

 

Mine just died @ 73,000 miles :

 

I have an 02' ETC truck and the lift pump went out at @ 34,000 miles. So I don't think they have fixed the issue. My lift pump would read fine on start up then going down the road drop to 0. Very intermitent so I had it replaced.

-CM

 

Had to have it replaced at 13,000 on my 02.

 

make sure you install the hvy duty pump bracke,t its suposed to stop a lot of these failires .If yours is the little thin flat steel thingy on the back of the pump I can gurantee you its probly broken at the little round weld on pc of pipe looking thing gizmo.
t.m.o.

 

The longest life that I got out of a lift pump was the original '99. It feels good not having one any more.

 

Keep in mind that its not the fault of the lift pump that its failing. That little Carter pump is a nice pump, used reliably in many other places other than the Dodge application. The failures of the bypass can be attributed purely to the restrictive lines and banjos after the lift pump (1/8" and 1/4&quot, so if you're seeing alot of failures, replace the bolts (320HP and down) or the bolts and lines (320 HP and up). Many of your problems will then disappear.

Rod

 

"Attributed purely to"? Rod, my lift pump failed 6000 miles after I replaced the banjo bolts and the lines between the lift pump and the injector pump with -6AN fittings and 3/8 inch line. You yourself said the checkball was a major issue in earlier posts here and on TDR. I was impressed last summer that DC apparently had come around to your way of thinking. They gave me no trouble at all in changing one out.

What changed your mind? (No offense intended here -- just surprised.)

 

[quote author=Tartarus link=board=4;threadid=20807;start=0#msg195911 date=1065979769]
"Attributed purely to"? Rod, my lift pump failed 6000 miles after I replaced the banjo bolts and the lines between the lift pump and the injector pump with -6AN fittings and 3/8 inch line. You yourself said the checkball was a major issue in earlier posts here and on TDR. I was impressed last summer that DC apparently had come around to your way of thinking. They gave me no trouble at all in changing one out.

What changed your mind? (No offense intended here -- just surprised.)
[/quote]

Rod did not say that the failure of the lift pump was "Attributed purely to" the banjos. He said the failure of the bypass system was. He is most likely correct. Oversize line cures a lot of problems as he said, and the rear mounting with flexable line probably stops the majority of the hammering that the VP44 dishes out on the pump.

Some of it is the luck of the draw. My '99 "poor" pump lasted 110 thousand and the improved replacement lasted less than a hundred. The next replacement lasted two hours (bad pump from the factory) and when the pressure started down on the newest one I changed it out. I do know one thing, the 3/8 lines that Wildcat sells is a great system. My system has the same stuff. Everyone has opinions and I believe that the rear mounted pump with the 3/8 system with the AN fittings would cure most of it, including the hammering issue. My fuel gage is now steady and smooth.

Using this truck commercialy the losses are too great on a breakdown, costing hundreds in lost money before even starting on the truck so I went a different way. Probably way overkill for the personally used truck.

 

I have an '02, lost the first pump at 8k miles, the second at 10k miles. Without a fp gauge, I'd still be (maybe) running on the failed lp possibly damaging my vp44. I'm considering the FASS setup.

later,

Bocifus

 

[quote author=Tartarus link=board=4;threadid=20807;start=0#msg195911 date=1065979769]
"Attributed purely to"?
[/quote]

I really need to watch how strongly I word my responses. Since we've been doing the fuel system research, we've found that 90% of lift pump failures are caused by the check ball being beaten up (we've opened up 38 pumps now). Opening up the lines fixes this problem, however you still have a chance that you'll have a failure of some other kind, not owing to location or lines. We've seen a couple burned out motors (its an electric, this will happen), and couple broken couplers between motor and rotor (these ones we're unsure of cause, other than possible manfacturing defect, as pump location would not contribute to this.) So you've gotten unlucky and fallen into the minority category :'(

 

Just took my truck in yesterday to have lift pump replaced,27K haven't picked up the truck yet to see what pressures are now.Hey Rod you think the -8 lines will reduce the failure rate in a stock application ,Hopefully a TST PM3 is in my future. Jake