Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Justice DOES exist - sort of...

[Gary - K7GLD]

WELL, I suppose I have a perverted sense of "justice"...



I was a bit annoyed that after 4 years of faithfully adding fuel additives and generally babying my VP-44 - added pusher pump, carefully monitoring fuel PSI and all that crap - mine STILL needed replacement at a bit over 40K miles!



One big source of annoyance, is the MANY guys, including my brother-in-law, who NEVER do anything extra or special for their pumps - and get rewarded with many years and thousands of miles with never a complaint from their VP-44's...



My BIL has a truck exactly like mine - same color even - and doesn't exactly abuse it, but dern sure never babies it either - and has nearly twice the miles on his I do on mine with no VP-44 issues.



Until this past week!



He was at the 50th wedding anniversary party for his brother that we also attended - who is also my other BIL (sisters married brothers), and started complaining that on his drive down to California from his place up near Pendleton Oregon, his truck kept bucking and giving the old dead-pedal bit.



A quick check delivered up the old 1693 and 216. He was supposed to take it in today for verification and hopefully a new VP-44. Unlike me, he hasn't done any mods on his - and his warranty should take care of any replacement.



I guess he still gets the last laugh...

 

[Bob4x4]

Gary,

After changing hundreds of VP-44's(and never owning one) and all our on-line discussions I won't say I told you so



Bob

 

[steved]

My dad doesn't do anything but drive his truck (and make sure the LP is working)... he has never replaced the VP44 with 250k on the ticker.



In fact, he has less than $2500 in repairs to the truck in total... I had more than that in one rebuild of the transmission...



steved

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Sometimes I think there's no justice...



THEN, I'm forced to realize and accept that there's probably more of it than I recognize...



:-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[kscheffler]

160,000 miles and nothing yet

I talked to a guy on memorial day weekend at the boat lauch and he had 160,000 on a 2002 and he was not aware of any of the lift pump issues and he has never replaced the lift pump or the 44. On top of it all he does not add any fuel additive either; go figure.

 

[Nate]

My 98. 5 has 162k on the stock VP44 and lift pump.

 

[Boondocker]

Don't y'all know it's bad luck to talk about your VP-44

 

[WestTN]

I have 107,000 miles on my original VP44 and I don't use any addditives either. From this thread it appears the shortcut to killing your VP is by using additives!

 

[tabell]

My LP lasted 120K. When the pressure droped I switched over to the FASS. I have gone through more trannies(3) then Lift pumps. I now have an ATS transmission, which they stand behind there 100K warranty so I good for 50K more.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

My sister has a 99 24v. It has over 250,000km's on it with the original vp44. She does not even know what fuel conditioner is. Has no clue she even has a lift pump. Goes almost a year without changing oil until the oil was so low in it that the truck stalled out. She added some oil and all is well... ... ... She drove it for about 6 months with a intercooler hose 1/2 off. So many things that make me cringe, but the ol vp44 has not let her down! LOL I might cough up the 60 bucks for a low fuel pressure light for her, but she would not tell me about it being on for months anyways. Go figure.

 

[steved]

I have 107,000 miles on my original VP44 and I don't use any addditives either. From this thread it appears the shortcut to killing your VP is by using additives!

Not entirely true... I had a 99 that went 200k (was still going when I traded) that got Power Service, Lucas, or Howes in EVERY tank... it even survived a 200 mile run in 110*+ temps while pulling a trailer with a dead lift pump...



steved

 

[Cummins Pilot]

Nothing would make me happier than to see my 44 die. I've got the ext warrenty so I want it to die before it runs out,,,, SOON! With my luck it will die the day after I have no warrenty. Once it dies it will get a FASS. It does get liberal amounts of PS all the time. Maybe I need to knock the LP off line. Two summers ago twice I had just a slight hesitation on hard acceleration (when fuel was reasonably priced). Nothing since. I was hoping.



From what I've seen from Cummins owners around me that don't pay attention they never have problems. But people like us that try to take of our truck are rewarded with failures.

 

[DirtyDodge]

Don't y'all know it's bad luck to talk about your VP-44

EXACTLY!!!

 

[FourBarR]

413800kms on origlnal vp-44. mmo and howes in every tank. so far so good.

 

[The Adjuster]

146,000 miles and original VP44 ... has had a steady diet of PS (Gray Bottle) and MMO mix since 70K miles when I got it. Also an occasional gallon of waste engine oil ... Wire is tapped



I think I am going to P-Pump this puppy if/when the VP dies though ... other than the VP these are pretty bullet proof and I intend holding onto mine.



Kevin