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Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) VP44 failure poll

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When did your VP44 fail?

  • Less than 36k miles

    Votes: 12 16.7%
  • Less than 70k miles

    Votes: 20 27.8%
  • Less than 100 k miles

    Votes: 18 25.0%
  • Less than 125k miles

    Votes: 7 9.7%
  • Less than 150k miles

    Votes: 3 4.2%
  • More than 150k miles

    Votes: 3 4.2%
  • Has NOT failed and I'm over 200k miles

    Votes: 9 12.5%

  • Total voters
    72
  • Poll closed .
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Having seen numerous complaints about VP44 failures, but no real numbers, thought a brief survey might help me pacify myself... doubt it, but it might! Let's see when the failures are occurring.



[NEW TEXT] - Yes, this poll excludes those under 200k with no problems and here's why. It is my perspective that the Cummins is a 300-400k engine (so I'm using 400k), meaning it should go 400k before needing a major overhaul. Failure of a critical component before the half-life (200k) therefore seems like an unacceptable component life. The Injection Pump ~$1600 from Cummins (retail $3000 from DC), plus $400 Labor on a good day... if it fails 3 times before 400k brings us to ~$6000. The cost of a NEW ISB 5. 9 230hp, 605 ft. lb. engine complete w/ starter, turbo, airpump, ECU and fuel pump, set up for an automatic SAE2 bellhousing is $7800. If more than 50% of the injection pumps fail before the half-life that to me is a wear-and-tear part. The cost of replacement of wear-and-tear items for this engine would then seem excessive and put ownership out of reach for a lot of people. Thus low mileage engines exclused from the survey... because I thought 200k was a pump life I'd be happy with.



If you're excluded by the poll responses just post a on line reply... current mileage (118k), status (VP44 just died or still going STRONG), year (y2k)... you get the idea.



118k while towing up a hill... is not a good time to lose power.



jm
 
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Death by LP. LP replaced at 39k, VP44 dieing the slow death. As of 8-28-03, 0216 code cleared 20 times, and the dealer wants more proof than the code that the VP is finished.
 
In all fairness

How many of these deaths are attributed to the lift pump though?



Mine is going strong at 51k but I caught an ailing lift pump at 30k.
 
5 dead lift pumps (#3990105, the 6th one, replaced a year ago hasn't failed yet) and at 120,000 miles on my 2001, the VP44 is still going strong.
 
Call me lucky, but 132,500 miles:

1. Original Lift Pump (15-16 idle, 9+ cruising)

2. Original VP44

I probably just doomed myself to a dead LP and VP in the next few thousand miles by telling this. :--)
 
VP44 is the injection pump on 2nd gen 24 valve CTD's. Electronically controlled and it's what the "pump wire" tap is hooked on to from the Comp and other fueling boxes to get more power. Some are strong as bulls, and seems others go out soon as they're tapped.



85k and my stock VP44 is still going ok... knock on wood.



On my 3rd LP though, and I can pull FP down to 1-2 PSI on WOT runs... looking for some upgrade, but haven't found what I want/trust yet.



Josh
 
Thanks for the quick reply. So ..... if I don't have an injection pump, is the lift pump doing all the work? and how much presure is the pump pushing on an SO ?
 
That question might be explained better in the 3rd gen forum, but I will try to help. From what I understand you still have an injection pump, it just works totally different. Instead of having to pressurize 6 different injectors lines at different times, it constantly pressurizes one line that supplies 6 injectors. This is called a common rail system. From there the injection timing is controlled by electronic solenoids, I think.
 
Lift Pump dead at 60,000

VP44 dead at 64,000



And now its still goin. hopefully that was the end of the nightmares. Yeah right I know Im goin to be seein it again
 
Pump failures

My first pump failed at 175k miles(I am pretty sure it was original) Now that I know I could have seen the signs, Smoke/bog at 2200 rpm under acceleration. My truck did this for some time 15k miles. It finally failed at high rpm, 3k on highway pulling 10k trailer. Here was the sad part continued to run at low rpm. Drove home 400 miles at 32MPH yikes. Pump 2 just failed after 20k miles. 2 Studs sheared/ 2 nuts missing plus return line cracked spewing diesel across the state of Ohio. I think the pump overheated with the leaking fuel.

Had
 
OEM still good at 87k

Put LP#2 on at 58k, added DDUFM shortly thereafter.



Just added the Wildcat high-flow, banjo-eliminating kit. Now I can't pull the supply pressure below 6-7 psi, and was lifting before when the needle hit ZERO. It takes pretty heavy acceleration to get it to 8psi, I have run the R's way up to get the pressure below that.



Dyno tomorrow!:cool:
 
539 views and only 39 votes! C'mon, lets get some numbers out there reflective of the membership. Does the poll need an extra couple choices like, I luv my 12V, my mileage is too low to count, or I'm happy I waited for common rail?



Anyone know what type of response is necessary to make this survey statistically valid?



jm
 
High mile trucks

Most owners of these trucks dont have upwards of 200k yet, if they are lucky by the time they get enough miles on for it to fail the pumps will be down to $300. 00 and they wont care about replacing it. I know I would have felt alot better paying $700 over the $1600 I did pay. Now for the real question: how many out there have functioning fuel guages? Hehe
 
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