I imagine the spring they are talking about is in the wastegate actuator. Get some wire, turnbuckle or a j-hook and keep it closed off. If your wastegate opens early, it will knock down your boost and power.

But if your VP is failing, you won't have enough fuel to make the power to generate the boost in the first place.

Have you done the key trick to get the codes on the odometer? That will atleast give you a starting point for what could be wrong.

 

How do I go about finding out if it is the lift pump? I replaced it about a year ago. Back then a diesel shop put it on the computer and said that both pumps were bad. I was told to change out the lift pump and if that fixed my problem that was good if not I would have to do the other pump. Truck ran alot better. We never diagnosed it was the lift pump just lucked out by changing it out. Is there another way to tell if the lift pump is bad other than fuel pressure? I will have the fuel pressure numbers on monday but the dealer said they were good.

 

It is interesting that you brought up that if my vp pump is failing I wont make enough power to generate the boost in the first place. I was going to ask that tonight when I got home. When they did the tests they said the fuel pressure was good but the turbo boost was not.

Yes I did the key trick. The code was P1693 Generic fault indicating a fault in the bus or PCM/ECM interface

 

i'm beginning to think this also with the mention of loss of power (i hope not) as i have seen several mention this as a primairy symptom

this is your best bet...when my vp44 went out i went to the $tealer-$hip and they told me my fuel pumps were out and my turbo was shot...i went to city diesel and they hooked me up, good honest people...i'm still running my original turbo

another friend of mine bought a repo ford, he talked to the original owner and had mentioned that the local $tealer-$hip said the truck needed a motor 9000$ worth, he called me and asked if i knew where he could find a 7.3, found a low milage unit for 3500, But i started checking things on it and discovered it had three bad injectors, we fixed that truck for less than 800$ and he is still driving it today

what was your milage when you changed your first lift pump????...i have seen the factory ones go out way to quick...thats why i would insist on a low fuel pressure lamp like i suggested over on BBC or a fuel pressure gauge...i had a new cummings pump go out in less than 20k miles...luckily i had a fuel pressure gauge or i would have ended up buying another vp44

 

First get a real fuel pressure gauge installed on it like should have been done long ago so you can quit guessing about the pressure or having to pay for a test.

You have already spent more than it would have cost for a gauge.

Second get the codes read *1693* is a companion code that means you have a fault code set that you need to check so you will know what circuit is seeing something wrong.

Hard starts and low power could be a bad vp-44 = injection pump .

Low power could be a weak waste gate or a bad map sensor .

You could take the turbo completely off and would not make your truck hard to start it would just run like a pig and smoke

Find another shop this one does not seem to know what they are doing.

 

Appreciate the advice will seek a diesel mechanic tomm. I will also look into getting a fuel pressure guage installed.

 

This is a long thread, but if it hasn't already been said, don't EVER go back to that dealer!!! The turbo is NEVER going to be a problem with starting. It takes a fair amount of load to create boost.

The engine always starts at standard atmospheric pressure.