I agree. Try changing the plug on a ford w/aluminum heads! I guarantee one of the plugs will break off in the head. I just changed my dads last wknd and YEP, broken plug. You then get to have it towed to the dealer and are charged $1200 to have it removed or buy this special tool to remove the "two piece" plug design.

No, thanks! I'll keep my "plugless" truck even though the dash $ucks!

 

I've been through my share of VP44s too.
I also was using an Edge Comp.
After the last one took a dirt nap, I also said, "NO MORE TAPPING THE PUMP WIRE".
I ran in EZ mode (no pump wire hookup) for about two months, then one morning the truck acted like it was ready to keel over and die at highway speeds. Spit, sputtered, off and on all the way to work.
Totally disconnected the Comp off and threw it under the seat.
It's been sunshine and roses for going on three years.
Truck runs flawlessly.
I'm wondering if the Comp malfunctioning is what had been toasting all my VPs.

 

I am just tired of making excuses for Dodges lousy engineering.

I like the Cummins, not too excited about the crummy fuel system

It's a great truck, except for the plastic dash that cracks from sun light and big chunks of plastic fall out before the truck is 6 years old.

It's a great truck, I just wish the heat control wasn't an on/off switch and you could get good air flow from the vents.

It's a great truck, you just have to spent $1000 on a fuel system every 80-100 thousand miles

It's a great truck, you just have idle the trans in nuteral for a few minutes when you first start the engine or you will destroy the auto trans

Should I go on?

 

Must be luck of the draw. 200,000 miles on mine, and it has had a trans rebuild. A previous Ford that I owned needed the transmission rebuilt before 70,000 miles. I have owned all three, and will keep my Dodge. No worse, and due to the Cummins, generally better.

 

You point out something most guys dont want to admit and that is tapping the wire or running any box will add stress to a VP.

 

I had a 79 150/4 wheel drive, 360 engine. I drove it for 9 years/210,000 and never put a wrench on it. The only thing under the hood that was touched was the battery, hoses and oil changes.

I had a 88 150/4 wheel drive, 360 engine. I drove it for 4 1/2 years/165,000. It used a lot of oil towards the end. Oil changes, hoses and battery

I had a 92 Cummins/4 wheel drive. Speed sensor changed at 50k, Water pump at 60k, Trans at 125k, alternator, rear end overhaul at 140k, flywheel broke at 160k, speed sensor replaced 160k, alternator at 180k, Dash replacement, water pump at 200k, Left rear axle seal was replaced 4 or five times. AC held a charge for about 8 months, too many throttle position sensors to count.

My 2001, Cummins/4 wheel drive, replaced dash, lift pump & injection pump at 100k, water pump at 125k, Injection pump failing at 180k

 

wow all this makes me really want to keep mine 01 2500 4x4 ext cab S/B 206,000 and still givin it hell!!
1st VP KIA 113,000
P/S/P seal at 185,000
one tiny tiny dash crack
oil changed every 5000 miles
fass 150/150 to keep up with adrenline
second set of batteries at 156,000
The ole beast aint a race horse shes a workin mule just somedays she tries to be a race horse

 

..... or a malfunctioning "Box" can cause a VERY expensive Injection Pump to self destruct....

 

Had the Blue Chip box hooked to my 44. After the third pump, it went bye bye. It's in a bag somewehre and someone can have it if they want it.

 

Could be like my uncle, he has a f150, 2wd, has had 2 new axle an not on a 3rd used axle due to the fact that the tubes keep coming out of the center section. Truck has just under 80k on it, and is not driven hard by any means.

Every make and model will have its issues, things that don't come out in testing, you win some and loose some.

 

You guys complaining about the seals must not have worked on any one ton front axles. Every front 60 built in the last 30 years you have to pull the carrier to replace the seals. Many half and 3/4 ton 44s are the same way. regardless of which brand of truck...

 

Seals? you mean pinion seal?

I haven't had any problems with the carrier seals. I had a leak on one side of my old 1992 3/4 ton and it turned out to be a brake drum hub problem.

I have several cars with 44's and the pinion seal changes easily after you pull the yoke off.

 

He is talking about the Axle seals..........And yea, my 79 K30 Chebby was the same way.

 

What he said... axle seals. Actually, the Dodge CAD design makes it a little easier to change the passenger side than an older axle...

 

Well, you can always do what I'm going to do. Thought about jumping the fence but checking on what I want and the cost and what I have "invested" in the goat and figure my money will be better spent buying a $2000-3000 used truck and riggin' it out with my back up welder and tools and sharing duty with the ram. Use the ram for certain kinds of jobs, other rig for other type of jobs. When ram breaks down I have a back up rig. Starting to think they should have sold me an s10 or something when I bought my dodge, sort of a 2 for 1, back up plan. Like having a good pair of walking shoes behind the seat!!

After 5+ years of ownership I have done nothing to the vp, wire tapping or anything. I did have a 50hp power puck but it was pretty gutless. Perhaps it made the vp "work harder" but it sure didn't feel like it!

My list,
-vp and fuel pump at 98k
-upper left ball joint a little after 100k
-rear wheel bearings and seals not long after ball joint
-replaced supposedly better in tank pump with ANOTHER fuel pump not long after replacing wheel bearings.
-replaced clutch slave/master cylinder
-replaced clutch not long after that
-dash gets a crack in February of 2011 and is a piece of swiss cheese by May of 2011(complained to dodge, yeah, that was a joke)
-replaced both front wheel bearings
-replaced drivers side front axle seal(pulled chunk, when all said and done pretty easy job. Had it all back together in about 30 minutes)
-sunglasses door in headliner has been broke since it was under warranty, guess what, dodge said, "oh, we won't fix that". Ok......
-weld broke on something in the door and have a hole in the driver side door back by the latch. When I slow down enough to really worry about it I'll pull the panel and reweld it, guess I can kiss that pretty red paint goodbye!
-5th gear nut went bye bye after gutting the front end and repairing it.
-Radio or speaker issue, Driver side door speaker plays when it is willing, I pretty much ignore it or don't even listen to the radio.
-cruise quit working some time ago, probably the clock spring, another when I slow down and feel like dumping more money into the truck type of thing.

Think the Apps might be on it's way out as well.

Good things, trac bar still together, other three ball joints holding strong, paint is still red and shiny. I've got about $4000 dumped off into this truck in parts and repairs and figure how much more do I have left before it's just a dodge name on top of 90% aftermarket parts. Still cheaper than a $30-40k truck so run it til it absolutely dies and falls into a heap in the driveway. What keeps this truck around is good business sense I guess, fixin' it is still cheaper than a new truck, more of a pain in the butt and getting to the point where I just don't know if I can trust it if I get a call to go to a job 1000 miles away.

About a month ago I figured if the s.o.b is gonna fall apart might as well do something. Bought an Adrenaline and threw it at it. Keep it below #6, no sense in doing more, still a work truck but nice to know I can jump out and pass somebody doing 45 in a 55 without much effort. Plus I get turbo timer, warm up, high idle and all manner of things that I like.