I just bought the 24v in my sig (105k miles with stock IP) about 6 months ago and at the time didnt really know to much about 24v, all i have ever done much with was 12v's. Now that i have the truck and became a member on here i have learned all about downfalls of the vp44. I am very seriously considering selling my truck and finding a 12v just so i dont have to worry all the time about that $1000-1200 IP going out. Whats yalls thoughts, should i get rid of it or suck it up and just wait on it to go out

 

Just make sure to watch your fuel pressure. You can get a big line kit and a pump such as a Holley Blue or a FASS and you won't have to worry about it. Just make sure your fuel pressure is good. 14-16psi @ idle is good and as long as it doesn't go below 8psi or so @ WOT then you'll be good. The VP has been known to go out with not a lot of warning though. It's just something you hope you don't have to replace.

 

I understand and agree with what u are saying but i talked to a buddy of mine that work at a local dodge dealer (wish i would've talked to him before buying this truck) and he said that he has replaced many of them that are on stock or mildly tuned engines that have pusher pumps and fuel pressure gauges to monitor it, he said "thats not the only reason they go out, they are just flat out junk". That really kind of scares me

 

Heu Guys,
smknram,
My 98.5 is going to be getting it's 4th VP next Saturday. I bought my truck from an older retired guy and the truck was bone stock. He had the 1st one go bad at about 50k. Dodge replaced it under warranty. Then I bought the truck. I put on an Edge EZ and some mild injectors. The pump failed at 130K. I was convinced that I needed gauges and a better lift pump. So I had Scott at Mass Diesel Install a FASS pump with the big line kit. He also installed the gauges listed in my sig. He put on a new VP44 that had a 1 yr warranty. Well this pump lasted 1yr and 10 days. My fuel pressure is 17psi at idle and has never fallen below 12 psi.I have about 180K on the truck now. I drive alot and my truck is always got a load on it. I love the truck but IMHO these VP44 suck big time!
1st pump 50K
2nd pump 80K
3rd pump 50 K
Good luck,
Topper

 

The VP44 design is in all honesty.... JUNK. They can make good power, but they dont last for crap. With ANY 24 valve its only a matter of time before it goes out. Some last a lot longer than others. My buddy have a 98.5... His stock original one lasted till 200k when we put a comp on it. That is really good for a VP. If they all lasted that long it wouldnt be so bad. But he put an industrial injection hot rod VP on it after that. Ran it maybe 5k miles with the wire tapped, and it died on him. Replaced it with another II hot rod VP. And now it seems to be avting up. I hope to goodness for his sake it isnt the injection pump again, because this truck seems to stay in the shop, but honestly, the VP44 is ver unreliable, and unpredictable. Oh, and my buddies first II pump had a carter making 30psi on it never dropping below 15psi, and the 2nd one has had a 150 FASS the whole time. Unfortunately they are just a bad design

Eric

 

so he was right, fuel pressure is not the only thing that makes them go out

 

......well at least I know where your "Big Smoky" screen name comes from


I'm in total agreement with the other posters. The VP can/will die whenever it dang well pleases. True, it's good to make sure you have adequate fuel supply to it, but it's no guarantee that it's going to live. I love my 01 and the drivability, interior design, and rear disk brakes make it better than any 12 valve truck I've driven. I keep hearing the discussion that the "12 valve can be made to run just as good", but I personally have yet to drive one....and I have driven alot of them. Just not the right ones I guess.

 

VP44 failures are waaaay overblown on this site. If Vp44's
were failing like everyone thinks ,everyone would be selling
their trucks How about if everyday that your VP44
doesn't fail we start a thread that states : My Vp44 works great

 

Cause then it would jinx it and cause it to fail.

I'm at almost 121k on my original VP and it's been tapped and run ragged for the last 100k miles.

 

my pump lasted 199k miles and i know others who have lasted longer. one guy runs a drag comp and tows heavy daily and his went over 200k. when my pump went out it gave no notice and i was cruisin with 15psi and the engine just shut off. no cel or anything. electrical failures are what you really need to worry about.

 

Mine is running fine as well. Just has a hard start. Every now and then though I get a shudder out of it. I think it's on it way out though.

 

smknram:

The members are giving you some good advice on the VP-44 equipped trucks.

I owned a 2002 Dodge CTD 24 valve with a VP-44 that was "mildly" upgraded;
TST PM 3 "stacked" with Edge EZ, 125 H.P. Injs, HX-40/16 Turbo. I also had an auxiliary fuel (pusher pump) on it since new with bigger fuel lines and banjo bolts. In 90,000 miles, I went through five (5) lift pumps and two (2) VP-44 Fuel Pumps! That truck left me on the side of the road three (3) times between the VP-44 and lift pump problems! The second VP-44 was on the truck about six (6) months when I got the dreaded "P-0216" engine code!! Yep,...that VP-44 pump was going to quit too! So,.....I sold the 2002 and bought a 2006 Dodge CTD CR.

Now, I also own a 96' Dodge CTD 12 valve which is highly modified now, but with the STOCK fuel system I put 218,000 miles on that truck with absolutely NO PROBLEMS whatsoever before I decided to "upgrade" the engine. The stock engine didn't quit or fail, but it was beginning to have pretty heavy blow-by and the power had dropped. IMO,.....the 12 valve Cummins Engines are some of the best ones ever made for our trucks! I still have the original mechanical lift pump along with all of the original stock components! I had thought about selling or trading mine when I purchased the 2002 Dodge 24 valve but the dealer didn't want to give me anything for it, so I decided to keep it and build the engine in it! That was one of the best decisions I ever made. I am really glad I still have my Dodge CTD 12 valve truck!

I guess my advice would be to sell the 24 valve and try to find yourself another Dodge CTD 12 valve! My own saying about the VP-44's is this:
"There are only two kinds of VP-44s,.......the ones that have failed and the ones that are going to fail!" No offense to anyone here, just my opinion and experiences with the fuel pumps.

Good luck to you smknram

--------
John_P

 

I agree with John_P, & I think they are as bad as we make them out to be.

I started a thread a week ago and asked people what number VP they were on and what Hp level they were at. The results were all over the place. stock/dead, HEAVILY bombed/and still on #1.

I would like to see a report from DC stating the % of 98.8-2002 VP trucks, vans, and buses, who had a pump replaced under warranty, not counting at least that many more not covered.

Jamie

I hate my VP.

 

As we all know the vp-44 just did not meet the exspectations that bosch, cummins had hoped for. You read about all these failures but one thing has never been brought-up. Look at the production figures of 12 valve to 24 valve . There has to be 5 times as many 24 valve trucks on the road. You can see the production figures here but they are not complete.

http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/Facts/diesel_sales.htm

 

Hey Guys,
I wonder how my pumps are starting to fail and guys don't even know it. I know my truck runs great most of the time I just get a dead peddle once in a while. I put about 800 miles in the last 3 days and never got a dead peddle once. The last time that I did get a dead peddle it was only for about a 1/2 second. I hit the peddle and nothing hit it again and she was back to normal. I know alot of guys wouldn't even notice. I wonder how long they'll go like this. I know I don't plan on finding out.
Toppper