Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Unique cause of VP failure with FASS

[Tinman]

I just finished replacing my VP with 93K on it. Wire tapped the whole time. FASS the whole time. 2 issues during VP life. 1. ) Bad wiring to FASS with interment zero fuel pressure. Happened about 3 years ago. Was run total of about 5-10 minutes w/o pressure. (About 3 episodes of a few minutes each before I figured it out). I don't think that was it. 2. )This winter I had a fuel leak from the water/air separator cartridge that leaked while engine was off but didn't while engine was running. It was due to corrosion thru the cartridge. It was leaking about a week until I got a new cartridge from Geno's. I am wondering if the FASS was sucking air in the separator and pumping a lot of dissolved air to the VP, killing it. What do you think?

 

[rivercat]

Do you realize what your asking? Thats like saying: My grandpa died at 92 of a heart attack today . Doc, do you think it was the country ham at breakfast or the greasy burger at lunch that did him in? Nobody knows what makes these things tick or not just like our hearts some add 2 stroke oil some dont its all a coin toss in the end. Good luck with the next one.

 

[Geno's Garage]

Keep in mind that the VP44 can fail in at least 2 ways. First the better known low fuel pressure not cooling & lubricating the pump, and the 2nd is the computer on top of the VP44 can fail due to heat & vibration just like any other computer can fail. The 2nd usually happens out of the blue & I have been lucky enough to experience both types of failures, but the end result is the same. I talk with guys every day that find after installing a fuel pressure gauge that they have no fuel pressure & almost allways comment that the truck runs fine. Who knows how long they have had no fuel pressure, but the VP has not given up yet. We can only do so much to prolong the life, but eventually every pump will fail. Scott

 

[Tinman]

Yeah, I know and am speculating. The vp issue has been beat to death but I haven't seen anything quite like this. I was just wondering if anyone had seen something similar, or if it made sense. Plus I just wanted to let folks know of some else to look out for. My theory is that there might have been a large amount of air in the fuel from the leaking air separator causing a functional low fuel pressure situation (starved pump). Who knows

 

[Rattler]

Like Scott noted, they can die different deaths. Mine died the electronic death at 189k. It acted up one night, then died the next day. I don't think thier life span is any more predictable than ours. Randy