Few days ago was driving then engine quit suddenly and never restarted. Gave me codes p1689 and p1688.
P1688 (M), Internal Fuel Injection Pump Controller Failure
P 1689 No Communication between ECM and injector pump module

Had it towed to my mechanic dad's house and near as he can tell the VP44 quit, he's tried all the connections and they are clean/dry and tight, the tachometer works as well when turning the engine over.

Anyways ordered a VP44 overnight from cumminsstuff and should arrive in the morning. The one thing my dad was not sure on was how to get the gear off, he said looking at the diagram he doesn't beleive he has a small enough gear puller.

Looking at this picture manual:

http://www.nwbombers.com/membersites/kent/vp44.html

This guy shows a small little gear puller and called it a blue chip diesel gear puller, I could not find it anywhere on the internet, snap-on didn't have anything that fit either though they said they were going to get back to me. Someone else mentioned using a steering wheel gear puller? Can anyone give me some advice along these lines?

#2 Question

The lift pump appears to be putting out about 12 psi according to a pressure guage he rigged up. Since reading this forum it would appear most VP44's die due to a lift pump problem should I just go ahead and replace the stock lift pump or just bite the bullet and get one of those blue holleys? Is there a place that has the whole set up purchaseable as a kit?

My truck is a '99 Dodge Ram Diesel Long bed, purchased it new but only has 40k miles on it. To say that least I'm a bit upset about getting a 1500 dollar bill just 4 months outside of the 5/100k warranty.

I need to get this truck running in two days otherwise it will have to remain down for over a week.

 

Zeddy,

That's the webpage I did when I changed a VP44 for a friend. I got the gear puller from Chip Fisher @ Blue Chip Diesel , the toll-free number is 1-888-628-7373 and he can overnight one to you

Sorry I didn't get a good picture of the gear puller in action, but I had gathered a small crowd of interested onlookers and just forgot to take a pic

Good luck on the project

BTW, 12psi from the lift pump sounds pretty good to me. What is the psi @ WOT?

 

Use a standard combo gear puller that you would use on a harmonic balencer get you some 6MM bolts with 1.25 pitch threads about 2-1/2 inches long when you remove the nut, and washer bar the engine over until the key comes to the 12:00 position remove the four mounting nuts on the pump, make sure to get the bolts into the gear a half inch or so and start pulling it is tapered and may pull hard, but when it lets go you will know it. good luck.

 

...also don't forget there is a bracket below the VP that requires a couple of bolts to be removed. When you remove the nut on the front of the injection pump drive I hold a pocket screwdriver on the end of the pump shaft so that I can remove the lock washer and know that it won't fall into the timing cover.

 

Received my new VP44 next day air just like cumminsstuff promised, Thanks Sharlynn (sp?)!

Installed the VP44 and new LP in under two hours, bled the system, it fired right off, all fixed.

Thanks in advance Rod for when my max-flow system, and FP guage kit arrives, I want to make sure this expensive repair never has to be done again.

Thanks alot to everyone that helped, and thanks to the board owner, I'd of been in the dark about this entire issue w/o DTR!

John aka Zedd

 

Last week my truck just died w/out any indications other than a check engine light after I tried to restart. I have 130k on my stock 2000' 2500 Long bed. About 3 mos. ago I replaced the lift/transfer pump after the same thing happened except I didnt' get a light.
i bought a code scanner and got a P1688 which I understand to be an Injector Pump Internal Failure message. I had a pretty sick feeling in the pit of my stomach until I read the posts that you guys wrote. I contacted Charlynn at Cumminsstuff and I am going to pick up a new pump Tuesday. If it hadn't been for you guys and Diesel Truck Rescource I would Probably be dragging my truck to the dealership and my truck being held for Ransom.
Thanks a Million,
(or just over a thousand since I found out about Cumminsstuff from You Guys!)
Thanks again,
Jimmy

 

A steering wheel puller works great for the pump gear.