Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Good ole hard start!

[tractorface]

Had same problem

My hard start ended up being the VP. I was in denial for months because the truck ran fine and never set any codes just hard to start with a little white smoke at start up. Thought it was air related as well. but no. My theory is this: The fuel pickup assembly in our trucks is marginal at best. The FASS sucks hard enough to collapse this valve assembly and then releases it causing a fuel pulse that begins to destroy the VP. I think this happens on stock trucks as well, I believe it is the cause of mant lift pumps failing as well. Some units pulse more than others, the quality is not consistant. The solution is to eliminate the ridiculous suction in a bucket of hot fuel setup DC engineered. What other trucks run a setup like this? Not many, that is why the VP44 does well in other applications. Since installing my new restriction free Module I have easy starts and smooth Quieter power. The FASS is really quiet now as well.

Just my . 02

 

[SpicyJam]

Well upon inspection, this is what I have found again. Trust me I am so sick of this. Anyway, lines 5 and 6 were wet up by the head. So I tightened number 5 and 6 last night and drove it 40 miles to home. This morning, hard start... ... ... ... . ugh! So I just looked at it again and line 6 is still leaking. I am thinking that I am going to put a new line on 6. I have had nothing but a headache with that line and have checked it for cracks.

Tractorface, I am pretty sure the VP is fine. When I took the head off to put in fire rings the only lines I took off were the injector lines and of course I took out the delivery tubes and changed them out with new ones as well as new injectors. Hard start was gone then for a week. So I am sure it is just a stupid leak. You mentioned a loud FASS, out of the 4 trucks that are usally around me, mine is the quietest. I don't know why, but there is a 98. 5 that the FASS is just plain loud, a 99 that is just as loud, and an 01 that just delveloped the noise problem. So far so good with mine, very quiet. Anyway, if this problem does not go away soon, I am going to try a new injector line.

 

[SpicyJam]

Well I finally got around to given my truck some TLC. Here is what I found out.

After I found out that if I park on a hill nose down ,sitting all night, the hard start was gone. So I knew it was bleeding back. So today I took the injector lines off and tested all of them with my mighty max vac pump. All were good. Next was to pull delivery tubes again. All looked good until I got to number 6. After inspecting all the O-rings, number 6 had a bad one, it was almost tore in half. Best guess I have here is that when I reinstalled the new tubes I must have pinched it somehow. Even though I did lube the O-rings. So, so far so good.

Now to get the twins on my truck is next. Got the set on that Diesel Tim and I created are working like a champ. So good in fact that he now took out the 5 speed out of his '97 one ton 2wd (cause he destroyed it again)and threw in a Gorends Auto. Let me tell ya it pulls so hard it is scarry. Should be intresting to see what it runs for times in the 1/4 mile. As soon as we get some pics of the twin set up we will post them. We plan on making them for second gen 12 valve, 24 over valve, and the thrid gen trucks.

 

[GatorRam]

Did this fix it? I'm in the same boat!!!



Adam

 

[SpicyJam]

So far, 8 days now and not one hard start. No matter if I point the nose up hill to park for the night or not. Been so nice now that it is getting colder out.

 

[DNolan]

My eletric sending unit went south and caused hard starts. this was after changing VP!