Great site, sorry about the trillionth vp44 question. I have been runnning bio-diesel from the pump almost exclusively in my truck. I have been noticing the truck almost bucking/cutting out recently. While towing my camper home I stopped and pumped full of dino-diesel. Immediatley after pulling out on road, truck starts acting like its not getting fuel, cant go over 35mph. I limped it to the dealer who changed the fuel filter first and now says vp44 is bad. Is it possible this is a odd coincidence that this happens as soon as I have my first tank on highway diesel in a while or is there some other direction I could be going. Or, am I kidding myself.

Thanks in advance.

Paul

 

well you don't offer much information, but i would suspect that the fuel had little to do with the situation. depending on the mileage and the condition of the lift pump i would say that you are having a typical vp44 issue. my first vp44 went out at about 30k because of a lift pump failure. my second was an electronics failure at 120k.

 

How cold is it there and what percentage of bio are you running?

 

I tell you first hand that Bio caused all kinds of goofy fuel readings. My stock LP doesn't like it at all.
Regular diesel i have 26psi idle with the Bio i had 10psi. I actually sat and watched my FP drop as they put the Bio in. I don't run it anymore. The Holley was fine with it but as soon as i pulled the power to it the FP dropped to 0. I'm running both pumps together.
You gotta get a FP gauge. It should be mandatory on these trucks.
The Bio probably killed the LP and then the VP.

 

When this happened it was around 65F, and I had been running B99. I just thought it was really wierd that the vp44 died the minute after I fueled up, but like I said maybe I'm just kidding myself.

Thanks.

 

Well i'm not an expert but i know that some of the concerns about bio was that it has a Cleaning property. When this gets into your fuel system it starts to break up deposits and can plug your fuel filter. By having the same year model truck I drove mine for a month before i pegged it as my vp44. I guess what i'm getting at is that the deposits could have been hurting your vp44 for a while and it finally gave up when you went back to the dino which has a lubrication value that is less than bio.

 

Bio is thicker and it is colder right from the tank.
Mine will read a little lower at first, but as soon as the tank starts to get warmer the pressure come right back up.
Bio also lubes better so I doubt it caused any failures. It may have plugger the filter.

 

I was told by the shop whom I bought my VP44 from that they repaired a lot more VP44s after Bio became widespread. They blame it not on the actual fuel but on that it is not quite as clean as regular diesel.
-P

 

My take on that is people with an already weak LP and no FP gauge starving the VP. Or clogged FF, when i examined mine it had a lot of waxy build up on it.
but as far as not being clean it is all clean after passing through the FF regardless of the fuel.

 

Where are you all getting the idea that bio lubes better?
I'm not being a smart,just wondering.

My little brother works on the buses here the university has and says that the bio they are running wastes the IP in no time...I've never run the stuff,I've tryed waste oil,and some 2cycle,but hear some not-so-good stuff about bio.
(run the great white north too...can't have the stuff turning back into shortening)
If I've been mis-informed let me know.

 

My truck did run quieter with the Bio and from what i've been told it has better lubricity.

 

Welcome to the "I have a dead VP-44" club.

I just re-uped last Wednesday.

VP-44 number 2 now sitting on the tool cart & going back to Utah for a rebuild tomorrow.

As for the Bio/Dino fuel......I think t's just a co-inkydink that it happened after you fueled up.....it was probably on it's last legs when it started bucking.

Mine (Both times) just died without warning while driving.......never a hiccup, or stutter....just

.