Bad Weekend

[bschmidt]

Since I installed my gauges at 5000 miles my fuel pressure bounced between 12-14psi. At WOT gauge read a low of 5-6psi. On Friday my truck started to sputter when accelerating. I looked at my gauge and it was reading zero this looked like a good time to pull over. Check everything over and did not see anything wrong. I then shut down the motor waited a few minutes then started it up to see psi back up. Almost home and it happend again tried my luck again no good. Transfer pump dead with only 6700 miles on it. After reading Robert Patton`s article in issue #34 I knew what I had to do. Also with no time to spare I replaced the pump with one I ordered from cummins. The cost was $145. 00 and $4. 00 for the four banjo gaskets. This will make me install a pusher pump back by the tank,since this seems to be the only thing working. Thank you Robert for making this job so easy. Everything in his article was correct,I don`t know what I would do with out the TDR.

Thanks guys

 

[Whitmore]

yes the TDR is great

and all its members helping out when possible





welcome to the bad lift pump club, Ram on dude

 

[rdanley]

TRANSFER PUMP

YEA I LOST MY TRANSFER PUMP SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 5000 AND 15000 MILES I DID NOT RELIZE IT TILL I WENT AND CHANGED MY FUEL FILTER I KNEW IT WAS WORKING AT 5000 MILES THAT WAS WHEN I GAVE THE TRUCK ITS FIRST FUEL FILTER CHANGE. LUCKY ENOUGH I NEVER LOST PRIME

 

[jmeehan]

An '02 with a bad lift pump huh? I was hoping they'd gotten that problem fixed before mine was built. I'll be keeping a closer eye on my fuel pressure gauge.

 

[fredflinstone]

pusher pump

My question is why you replaced the pump yourself instead of having it replaced under warranty?? I understand wanting the job done right but I'm also inherantly cheap whenever possible! Just curiose Seth

 

[bschmidt]

Thats a very good question FredFlinstone, and in fact I argued about this question with friends and family all weekend! The first thing I did was call around to local dealers, none of whom had the pump in stock... but the real issue I had with the dealers was talking to the TECHS themselves. I told them what was wrong and what I needed, and I got replies like, "so this is a diesel truck???" and "what kind of pump was that again???" Not only that but the truck would have to be towed (flat-bedded) to the dealer as well and I just didn't want to chance anything going wrong with that process as well as the work process itself. So I tried to buy a pump from a dealer and they wanted $350+ for the pump since they only warranty stuff they replace! So I called Cummins in Newark and they wanted just $145, and now the pump is warrantied through them... if anything goes wrong with this one I can bring it back to them for a "free" new one. Money certainly IS an object for me, but I rationalized spending ~$170 and not taking any risk of scratches, grease, poor work, etc... and Robert's article was the topper... he made it so simple!



Of those I argued with about this, the majority still disagrees with me!

~brandon

 

[Briar Hopper]

I don't disagree with you, Brandon, I had to do the same thing, for the same reasons you did. There's a few of us here that found your way to be the easiest way to get it done.

 

[Challenger-II]

I may take this route also... ... My lift pump intermittently drops to low pressure immediately after or within miles of starting the truck then recovers after several miles. Mostly happens in cold weather and never occurs after its initial drop and recovery. It will be next to impossible to try and get a dealer to buy that I have a bad lift pump. :{ By the time I get the truck there, its back up to 13psi. No... it is not the sender, I verified with a mechanical gauge prefilter. I think I'll just cough up the $145. 00 and be done with it!! Anyone else have a Dr. Jekyl lift pump??

 

[TBrown]

There are some good dealers around

Since I put my fuel pressure gauge on I have had around 8 psi, not great but still working. The other day it dropped to 0 with no warning, kind of thought it could be the gauge since it dropped so suddenly. Checked it last night, no pressure at all, just a little flow out the test port with the pump running. Stopped at the dealer this morning at 8 to ask if it was under warrenty. They said yes, want it changed now? Was on the road half hour later with a new pump and 16 psi at idle, 9 at WOT. Oo. Will have to save the pump I ordered from cummins last night for the next time, have 96k on the truck and warrenty will be gone by then.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

Originally posted by Challenger-II

( Anyone else have a Dr. Jekyl lift pump??

Yes, I do! Not always, but quite often it will drop to a few PSI (4-6), but then be normal. This has been going on just about since I got my gauge in, last August. I am just watching and waiting, because I don't want to buy, and I doubt if this type of behaviour would show up on a dealer visit.



Shelby

 

[JFeeney]

bschmidt,



I wish I had read your port before I let the DC idiots touch my motor. Now I have a couple of issues. I posted in the wrong place,

2nd Generation Ram Forum (NO engine/drivetrain discussions),



but hopefully I can get some help.



Glad everything worked out for you.



Jim

 

[Challenger-II]

Shelby... ..... I am glad to hear that I am not the only one with a split personality lift pump. I just wish the damn thing would die!

I know if I try to get the dealer to witness it, it wont do it! I even thought of video taping it first thing in the morning hoping it would do it, but then I realized how ridiculous it would look!