My uncle just changed his fuel filter on his 24v cummins, and now he cant get it to start. We have a real good idea that the lift pump is bad, and so we think it wont prime because of that. Is there any way that we can get fuel back up to the engine to get it running, until the lift pump can be replaced? They tried cracking 2 injector lines, and cranking the heck out of the truck, but they cant get any fuel out of them. Will we have to change the lift pump before it will start again, or is there another way to get it to run until we can replace it. How much is a lift pump, and where is a good place to buy them. Thanks a lot.

Eric

 

My lift pump went out at 80,000 and no you cannot get it started with out it. You will have to replace it then prime and bleed your injectors.

 

Did you fill the filter right to the top when you replaced it? I use a turkey baster(don't laugh,it works) because you can't really get it in place full.

 

Well, now that i know you cant get it running without it, is there anywhere cheap online, or anywhere else that sells them cheap? No, he did not put any fuel in the filter when he put it in, but you cant hear the lift pump run anyway.

Eric

 

Try your local cummins dealer first, and I hear Napa has a repalacement now as well. Even if you manage to get the truck running with a bad lift pump, Dont do it!

The lift pump provides the fuel to the injection pump that also acts as lubricant and cooling. Running a VP44 on a bad lift pump is asking for it to go boom

 

check your electric plug connector......sometimes there is a left over pc of plastic there that stops the thing from getting all the way plugged in

 

Thanks for the help guys. I told him I thought his lift pump was bad a while back, but he never did anything about it. Now i guess he'll have to, but i think its probably a good thing. I really ought to get him to put a fuel pressure gauge on there. I know if my truck was a 24valve, i would have a fuel pressure gauge for sure. Thanks for all the help guys.

Eric

 

Eric,

Always fill your filter canister with as much diesel as possible after changing a fuel filter. If you do it that way, you should never have to bleed your injector lines.

 

There's a right and a wrong way to fill a spin on fuel filter, too.

If you just dump fuel in the center hole, you just introduced that amount of unfiltered fuel to the injection pump. No big deal IF the fuel is clean......

You need to fill it using the outside holes. PITA, takes longer, but at least then the pump never sees any unfiltered fuel.

 

Yeah, both of you have good points. I dont know why he didnt fill it up, but im sure it would have at least made it easier to start, even if his lift pump was good. Thanks for the help guys.

Eric

 

Thanks for all the help guys, my uncle put on a new lift pump, and the truck is up and running good now. Thanks again for the help.

Eric

 

I put a inline electric pump on mine with a on/off switch under the hood makes it real easy to fill the filter, just turn it on leave the filter cracked till you see the fuel then tighten it up that's it. the pumps are cheep.

 

Before you go and buy a new LP check to see if it working first. Open the water drain valve on the canister then bump the key. Listen to hear the LP running for about 15 seconds. Fuel should shoot out of this drain tube so you might want to add a longer drain line to a bucket. If fuel shoots out then while the LP is running (this might take a few trys) then shut the valve and listen to hear if the LP sounds like its under a load. More than likely you have air in the system and you cant start up. You can bleed the air by using the drain valve or crack open a injector line while the LP is running.

 

The truck WILL run with a bad lift pump... follow the turkey baster method. If the check valve is bad in the lift pump, the VP won't suck fuel through it. My truck ran with a completely dead lift pump, I used the turkey baster to fill the fuel canister. Since you've cracked injector lines, you'll have to crack them again to get the air out of them... the truck might only run for a few minutes once it starts, depending on the "state" of the lift pump. I don't know for sure, but the Cummins shop told me mine ran until the check valve locked in teh closed position - he said it was part of the lift pump assembly. Not recommended to run with 0 FP to a VP44 pump - but mine ran that way quite some time!