GKimPrice

I'm hoping there is someone on the forum who has a clue to what's going on - I left town on Nov 1 for NE Oregon to hunt, the truck ran great all the way to Pendleton where I stopped and got fuel - On the climb up to Tollgate I seemed to be loosing power but it ran and when I topped out all seemed well again - I was getting steadily colder all the way to Joseph, headed up into the woods and set up camp then the next day I ran into town, on the way in truck began starving and finally quit, I got it to a friend's warm shop and changed the fuel filter and it fired up and ran fine - I put Rescue 911 red bottle additive in the filter canister and the white additive in the tank too - Next day I drove about 45 miles and it ran great, shut it off for the day and when I fired it back up it ran 5 minutes and repeated the problem so I changed the filter again and it fired back up and ran the rest of the hunt - On the way home it repeated this scenario 5 times then ran like a top from Hood River to Eugene where it has sat until yesterday when it did the same thing again, it's 54 degrees here now - I'm thinking I have debris in the tank or a lead in the system somewhere but I am stumped - I'm not a mechanic and there are none that I trust down here in loonie liberal land, nor do I have any voltage check tools or a dry place to work on it - truck has a FASS OEM lift pump - when it quits it does it slow like it is running out of fuel, sputters and knocks then stops
FORGOT to add that initially if I let it sit for a minute or two it would fire back up and run for a ways and then quit again

KATOOM

Hope you got something while hunting.....

First off, there is no FASS OEM fuel pump. Although there is a FASS DDRP (Dodge direct replacement pump) which mounts where the OEM lift pump is located. Which one do you have?

Knowing what your fuel pressure is can be critical for assuring adequate pressure for VP reliability but also knowing if your fuel filter is plugging up too. It almost sounds like your filter is plugging from debris since it runs fine after changing it out. You should be able to tell too if thats the problem too since so much debris causing the engine to run dry that fast would mean considerable junk in the filter housing. Also, if there is that much stuff in the filter filter/housing then your fuel module in the fuel tank is damaged. Google the fuel module and you'll see what it looks like. There's a basket on the bottom of the module where the fuel inlet/outlet run to and the basket has a fine pre-screen material to stop tank debris from being sucked up. If that pre-screen is damaged then tank crud will be sucked up by the supply line into the fuel filter housing and quickly clog the filter.

Maybe where ever you filled the tank on your way their pump tanks were dirty and pumped a bunch of debris/water in the tank. That can happen. Or its an accumulation of build up over time and your fuel module pre-screen just happen to break loose and plugged up your fuel filter.

GKimPrice

sorry - it is the DDRP lift pump that mounts where the stock Carter used to be

KATOOM

Then I'd lean towards the dirt and debris being the problem. The DDRP is a decent pump and generally is more than capable of pumping adequate fuel pressures.

If the trucks running fine now then I'm sure you wont want to be tearing anything apart but if you're still having problems then I'd suggest making sure the fuel tank is clean and the fuel module screen is in place. Also, because the pump is before the fuel filter, if you do find a bunch of debris to be the problem then I'd check the pre-screen on the FASS too since thats most likely collected a lot too.

It would be in your best interest too to install a fuel pressure gauge but thats up to you.

GKimPrice

THX KATOOM ! I will do all of the suggested items

GKimPrice

OK - I've not worked on or driven the truck since the last post - busy time of the year for me - weather clear today so I quit early to work on it - pulled fuel filter and YES, canister has fine particulate debris in bottom so I've got the FASS DDRP pump disconnected but I see no pre screen and I can't remember if I maybe left it out (stupid if I did, I get it) Logical conclusion is that I need to either drop tank and pull fuel screen module to replace or ? or try to pull it in place (flatbed) One question, since there is debris through line to filter how do I clear lines, air from motor back once disconnected ? Another question, is there a tank fuel pump in this thing too ?

KATOOM

If you found debris then you need to pull the tank and see whats up in there. Its not hard to drop the tank either but its easiest when the tanks not full.....obviously.

There doesn't have to be a pre-screen on the DDRP and I cant remember if FASS sends them out like that either. Either way, you have junk clogging things up and you need to find out what it is. If the tank does happen to be really dirty and you clean it out then before you replace the filter, leave the canister empty (with the lid on) and make sure you pump a half gallon or so through the fuel pump to be sure there's nothing left in the lines. Whatever is in the lines would probably be very little anyways.

GKimPrice

Hi - being a flat bed I can crawl right up there under it so I'm not worrying about dropping the tank (after I drain it) That has GOT to be the trouble with it, I've thought it out to death and there is nothing else it can be given the way it runs then quits continuously - the stuff I wiped out of the filter canister looked like what you'd have in a pan after gold panning so I'm expecting the tank to be cruddy - I truly appreciate you taking the time to help me out as I'm a willing "do it yourselfer" but no place, time OR money to do it correctly - "this" one is gone as soon as I can find a buyer but I'm an addict for sure ...

KATOOM

Well I hope you figure it out. Keep me posted.

GKimPrice

THX buddy !!

jrs_dodge_diesel

FWIW here's a picture of my filter cannister, with crud in the bottom. A few weeks ago I dropped my tank to change out the tank sensor and replace the fuel lines, and found the tank module screen was in great shape.

I think the crud in the filter cannister collects at the bottom over time. Looks worse than it really is. Every time I change the filter I wipe out the cannister, and whatever is there is very fine material.

GKimPrice

mine didn't look as cruddy as yours but something is causing the trouble keeping it running so my only option that I can figure is to drop the tank and see what's in there - Does anyone have a "best" option for buying the module / screen ? NAPA maybe ??

jrs_dodge_diesel

Grab one from a salvage yard, would be a lot cheaper. Dodge sells the entire module for around $400. I don't know of any aftermarket tank modules. And I don't think you can get just the screen portion either, but I don't know that for sure.

With reference to my picture above, that was about 5 years worth of crud at the bottom. I have since been wiping them out at every filter change. I do not see anywhere near that amount at all anymore.

When I dropped my tank and had the module out, there was some junk in the tank, but a lot less than I had thought would be in there after 13 years. Since the module is in the middle of the tank, the constant sloshing from driving keeps most of it off of the screen.

KATOOM

Google is your best friend in situations like this. You'll find many fuel modules that'll satisfy stock and I believe there's a couple performance versions as well.

GKimPrice

KATOOM - I apologize again for being a PIA but all I can find on youtube deals with the "in tank pump module", is this the same thing sans pump in my truck ?