I installed a new lift pump reloacated to the frame and upgraded the lines/banjos 10 months ago. Now fp is dropping almost in 1/2. It did it a couple times a few months ago and now its pretty constant. I contacted napa and I'm going to get a warrenty replacement, but I'm dissapointed. I had hoped the reclocation would have helped prolong the pumps life, but maybe not. Hopefully I'll have the new one on tommorrow.

I still think the Vulcan kit was worth it- keeping steady fp and easy access for swapping the pumps, but I was hoping I wouldn't be swapping this soon

Maybe 10 months from now I've have enough for a cam and mechanical pump

 

I did the same thing hoping the fuel pump would make it alittle longer, had to replace it with a warrenty unit later the same week. At least it was easy to change.

 

Factory lift pumps are junk no matter where you put them, get a FASS and you will never have to worry about it again

 

But the cummins pump is a great excuse to buy a cam =P

Well the new lift pump is working great. My 15 psi guage is pegged while cruising. Way past pegged at idle. So it works so well it is going to kill my guage

 

Anyone tried the FPs from Diesel Care and Performance?

 

Well you never know...Maybe your lift pump would have lasted half as long again as it did if you didn't have the relocation kit.

 

Part of relocating the pump working as advertised is to run it off a seperate power source. In my opinion, the Cummins implimentation of the VP44 and Carter lift pump is flawed because of powering the pump from the ECM. The failure of lift pumps and 0216 codes of the VP44 are directly related. The ECM power supply is the link.

The vast majority of lift pump failures is the failure of its internal pressure bypass. It is killed by fuel pressure fluxuations and fluid harmonics. The valve literaly beats itself to death, causing pressures to drop. If your fuel pressure guage is bouncing, and you need to snub it, you'll eventually have a lift pump and VP44 failure. If the pump motor is getting voltage fluxuations it will cause this to happen. I've personally witnessed rapid pressure fluxuations caused by an erratic running pump motor. Relocating the lift pump reduces this penonima because the fuel lines help absorb the pulsations. And the pressure fluxuations may also be so rapid and slight that the guage will not see it in the first place, but enough to eventually destroy pressure relief valves and bypasses.

Ironically, it's these fluxuations which also must be destroying the o-ring seals inside the VP44 causing it to loose pressure in the high pressure chamber, throwing a 0216 code.

Plus we've all seen what a plugged fuel pickup tube inside the tank will eventully do to the lift pump. So, I personally wounldn't be so quick to be blaming the lift pump, itself, as being crap, when there are so many other factors which will kill it.

One last thought. Who knows what is happening the sensative electronics of the ECM, FPCM, and sensors, when all that power used to run the lift pump is taken directly off the ECM. I can certainly envision electrical harmonics inside the circuitry building on itself, simular to the steering death wobble, if you will, triggered by some small event some where in the curcuit, or the high amp draw and static caused by a bush type motor attached to it.

 

Good post Bart. I'm not blaming the carter pump as there are other factors involved. I didn't experience any pulsing, but rather just a drop at cruise from like 14 to 9. If I got into the throttle hard enought the fp would jump back up. The last couple of days only higher rpms would keep fp up.

I had a drop like this a few months ago and it passed. I changed the FF and checking for any kinking in the lines. I tried leaving the cap on the fuel tank loose to see if it was a venting issue. I suspect the problem lies in either the pick up or in the electronics, but I'm thinking the solution is a mechanical pump.