Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) I think that OAT* has a great deal to do with VP44 failure.

[rweis]

I think the OAT* has a lot to do when VP44's die. IF you ever had a VP44 die, please indicate what time of year it died. If you have had more than one VP44 die, then you may pick more than one choice.



Thanks,



Bob Weis

 

[PVanderlugt]

yep, first day it was above 90 degrees, 0216
Pete

 

[GarrettPetersen]

I was losein them like it was goin out of style but I do believe it was due to the comp

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I was losein them like it was goin out of style but I do believe it was due to the comp

I seriously doubt the Comp or other similar devices "take out" a VP-44 - but they surely can expose any weaknesses or pumps on the verge of failure!



My own failed VP-44 was due to a known mechanical defect and Bosch engineering flaw - a brass advance cylinder that typically wears and fails prematurely - absolutely NO fault of the Comp, and Bosch now uses and specifies a steel cylinder liner in that position that reportedly has eliminated that built-in weakness and design flaw.



My own OEM pump was rebuilt and returned to me with the original electronics reinstalled - checked out totally in spec after about 45K miles use.

 

[GTrent]

Well, mine started to fail hard during a trip to Arizona... 100+ degrees, long slow hills, etc. Dead pedal, smoke upon deceleration, sudden deaths, etc.



I'm thinking IP - and many of the posts here seem to point to it, but then again, I'll have a better idea once I get this OBD hashed out.



But the sudden problems with high temp operation seem to point to temp being an issue... .

 

[rweis]

My point exactely. I think of it as stress. You over stress the VP44 and it will be short lived. Which means we need to manage it's stress as much as we can.



Stress:

Possible solution



High temperature (thin fuel / tight fit tolerances):

VP44 cooling (OAT blower), fuel cooling, fuel additatives, return fuel to different location in tank



Water in fuel (pitting internal shafts at high pressure):

Filters



Particles in fuel (contaminents left behind internally):

Filters



Congelled fuel (winter):

Fuel heating, Fuel additatives



Lack of lubricity (tight fit tolerances):

Fuel additatives



Extreme high rpm's > 3k?:

Go pedal



Low input psi (intermediate pump not getting full charge):

Get lp psi as close to 13. 5# as possible



High input psi (intermediate pump getting turbulent charge):

Get lp psi as close to 13. 5# as possible



Low input volume (intermediate pump not getting full charge):

Change fuel pickup in tank, reasonably high volume lp, change lines



Small diameter fuel lines input (intermediate pump not getting full charge):

Change lines



Small diameter fuel lines output (actually less than 1/8" ID, I could not believe it):

Change lines



Taping the "pump wire" (interfearing with the already extreme demand placed on the PSG calculations):

Injectors, Smarty type programmers



Heat soak after shutdown (stressing the PSG board components):

OAT blower



Broken mounting bracket to engine:

Check yearly



Low voltage:

Check batteries, change batteries



Low current:

Check batteries, change batteries



Bad (corroded) connector from ECM:

Dielectric grease



Hot fuel:

Fuel coolers, return bypass fuel to different location in tank



Bob Weis

 

[sgoeing]

Mine is intermittent as of this week, temp has been a bit over 100 every day this week.

My trans has also decided that it's single speed as of today.

 

[CJNielson]

Well I notice that I was having issues in the winter after I got the truck. The problem got steadily worse and worse until I got codes. I asked the guy that owned the truck before me (friend of mine) and he did say that he noticed the same sort of issue occuring to him during his ownership but very rarely. So I marked winter, but it could very have been set into motion during warm weather. I didn't get codes until warm weather either.

 

[DPrew]

OEM lift pump grenaded my VP44 at 108K. FASS all the way now.

 

[mhenon]

Mine went at 70k miles after spending a winter in Mexico (it was hot). It held together for 4 months and probably would have gone longer. I finally got up the nerve to let the dealer change it out under warranty. Almost 30K on the new VP and completely rebuilt fuel delivery system (lines, LP, pressure, filtration. . the works).

Mike

 

[rkressg]

I think I have had one fail in every season on my truck now (I have had everything break on my truck many times). I have replaced them on other Dodges in every season also, although I think the majority of them have been when it was warm.

 

[RJWEST]

1st fail, late spring, worse in summer,( with Smarty Fuel saver )
No Codes with Stock program.

Rebuild results: No abnormal wear EXCEPT: Brass lining,
Picture to Follow ( I hope ). .

1st Test Drive: Not as touchy off Idle, Use to jump when letting clutch out
(stock Prog. ) Seems to have slightly less power , like less timing.
I wonder if advance piston was sticking slightly

Picures at " VP44 Rebuild " Sorry, Did not know how to copy link. .

 

[dnesbitt3]

Both VP44's I've replaced during the heat of summer. One at 183K, then this week at 285k



Losing the loving feeling for this Cummins... .

 

[turbo torque]

Mine went in the fall, 5min. after tapping the pump wire. (comp)

 

[BILLVO]

My original failed at 45k with an edge ez in the heat of summer. The replacement has performed flawlessly so far and was tapped shortly after install now has 45 k on it.

 

[Jefff929]

I will test this for you this September. I can't vote because my VP has yet to fail. I plan a trip to central and eastern Oregon with the trailer in tow. We did this last September with no issues.



I put the "Full meal deal FASS" on at about 50-60k when the LP started going to 7-9psi at hwy speed and 5-7 taking off from a stop. I rarely ever let the tank go below 1/4 in the summer. I use BioDiesel blended with #2 and when traveling pack a 5 gal container to add BioD to what ever I buy away from home. I have even used 2 cycle oil as an additive when I've run out of BioD. For the first 50k of the life of my truck I added Howes at every fueling.



One thing I realize is not in my favor is, before I found instructions on changing the stocky fuel filter I would run the truck till it died and then use the starter to prime it. I expected this would have caused me trouble long before now as I have learned a little since then.

 

[NevadaBackroader]

Summer. I have 50K on my third pump with in tank lift pump. I never let it get below 1/4 fuel level. I feel the VP44 needs the fuel in the tank to act as a heat sink. I think hot fuel hurts more than low fuel pressure.

 

[hilda]

Purchase truck with 110,000 it now has 180,000 with no problems. Trucks home is in Southern California, no extreme weather. Only breakdown was due to TPS.

 

[RJWEST]

Do any of you repeat IP fail guys know if the replacement IP's that failed had the Brass advance sleeve or steel sleeve. ?

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Do any of you repeat IP fail guys know if the replacement IP's that failed had the Brass advance sleeve or steel sleeve. ?

Supposedly, any VP-44 rebuilt in the last couple of years SHOULD have the steel liner...