Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) vp44 cover or strip the wire?

[SEmerson]

vp44 cover or strip the wire? I just put on a new vp44. I had sodered the wire before. But on the new pump I was thinking of a cover. What is the best?

 

[Bob Wagner]

blue chip pump cover works perfect.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

... on the other hand, NOTHING beats soldering for a long-term, no-doubt-about-it connection. I see a fair number of comments over time here from guys with "mysterious" intermittant engine behavior that disappeared once a permanent connection was made.

 

[Bodybomber]

I had problems with my Blue CHip cover. If your not worried about warranty issues solder it. Then there is no question about the connection.

 

[78repowerwagon]

I have 105,000 miles on my pump cover with no problems.

 

[WadePatton]

I had trouble with the BC cover once, but running the screw in a little further fixed it. I have a similar trouble now, but it ain't the cover--as it has been removed.

 

[rubberneck]

Cover works sweet, installed 50K ago, no problems. Way too clean of an install not to use it.

 

[Hohn]

Originally posted by Gary - KJ6Q

... on the other hand, NOTHING beats soldering for a long-term, no-doubt-about-it connection. I see a fair number of comments over time here from guys with "mysterious" intermittant engine behavior that disappeared once a permanent connection was made.

My thoughts exactly. Soldering is going to be your best long-term solution if warranty considerations allow. Then again, I'd say that "you are your own warranty station" no matter how you tap the wire.



Just make sure you are careful with your soldering, taking time to clean the area with alcohol or similar. DON'T TOUCH THE AREA WITH BARE HANDS; this will allow the oils from your skin to contaminate the solder joint. Use rubber/poly gloves.



If you avoid excessive heat or a "cold solder", then you should have NO pump wire problems at all. A 15W soldering iron will give you plenty of heat



Justin

 

[amillstream]

I'm running a TST grabber and so far has worked flawlessly, plus I can unhook it in a second for those times I have let friends borrow the truck and don't want them horseing around with it.

I like it but haven't heard if anyone else has had problems with theirs or not. Not much to go wrong with it and the tap is very descreet.

 

[jkern]

brother had some pump cover issues, and when we took it off the screws and connections were rusty and corroded after about 40k miles. i would vote for a grabber or solder the wire. if you are gonna void the warrenty, might as well do it in grand style!!

 

[TnLRacing]

I have been thinking about this for sometime and here is the question I have been pondering:

A good portion of VP44 failures are electronic failures, not mechanical. If I understand correctly the electronics overheat. Now the original pump cover is cast aluminum which dissipates heat very well, but the Blue Chip cover being of a thick plastic seems it would act as a insulator. Is it possible that the use of a pump cover may actually be a contributing factor to failures?? Of all the failures out there how many of you guys were using a Pump Cover?? Just some food for thought.....

 

[TnLRacing]

TTT

 

[RobbyRam]

I used the 'Grabber' only I bought them at 'Grangers' for about $30, not from TST, and BTW, it comes in pairs for that price, a red and a yellow one. I measured the ohms on the plug-in connection before the 'grabber' broke the skin of the 'VP44 wire', and then again after it sank in to make sure it made a connection before I turned the key on.



It worked perfectly from day one, ... only the 'Edge Comp' fried my VP44 when I went 5x5.

Bob in Sacto



PS. FYI: I highly recommend the 'grabber!'

 

[Diesel Freak]

Originally posted by Hohn

My thoughts exactly. Soldering is going to be your best long-term solution if warranty considerations allow. Then again, I'd say that "you are your own warranty station" no matter how you tap the wire.



Just make sure you are careful with your soldering, taking time to clean the area with alcohol or similar. DON'T TOUCH THE AREA WITH BARE HANDS; this will allow the oils from your skin to contaminate the solder joint. Use rubber/poly gloves.



If you avoid excessive heat or a "cold solder", then you should have NO pump wire problems at all. A 15W soldering iron will give you plenty of heat



Justin

BINGO... anything other than a solid soldered connection is CRAP!

 

[Rman]

soldering is the way to go. Tin the wires, clean it up good, and off ya go permanently.

 

[SEmerson]

I did solder the wire.



But life got bad after that.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=106364



I do think that soldering is the best way though.

 

[Ramafid]

I used scotch locks ( I know not the best) but then proceded to use liquid electrical tape to completely seal the connection. No problems in nearly 80K miles. ( knock on wood).

 

[PZech]

Just a quick not if you use a grabber, Make sure it's somewhere it won't wear through and short out your electronics in your pump. Mine did and it cost me a new pump and tow in from the middle of nowwhere. I've gone to a pump cover and have been trouble free for over 40k now