Looked at a 2002, 24V, Auto, 4x4, Laramie SLT, Quad, Short Box, low mileage, very clean truck. Comes with cloth seats, PW, PL, air, radio, manual 4x4 shift, 3.54 rear with anti-slip, 4 wheel disk brakes. Took it for a drive and drives smoothly and much quieter than my 92.

I have checked for the Block 53 number and could not see the 53 or any 2 digit number on either side of the block near the front just above where the oil pan meets the block.

I have not been able to determine whether the 4x4 transfer case is the 241 or the 241HD or do diesels automatically come with the 241HD?

It also came with the factory hitch and wiring harness does that mean it has the towing package?

I have noticed that quite a few second gen trucks have a round metal rod running along the rear end, this truck does not. Is this a tracking or stabilizing bar?

From dropping in on the second gen forum periodically I have become aware of the potential Block 53 and the lift pump problems. In addition to the normal fuel filter the truck also has a Racor fuel filter - will this cause extra strain on the injection pump?

I will have the truck checked out by a Chrysler Dealership which involves about a 120 item check and I will also ask them to make sure that it is not a Block 53 and to check the fuel pressure at the lift pump.

Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.

What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Al

 

Sounds likeyou might have found a nice truck....

I don't think the 53 block is in any 02's but I could be wrong, the latest I've seen is early 01.....

Have the dealer check it out or a good mechanic or find out who owned it and talk to them directly.....

Personnally I think the 02 is probably the best year so far,most all the bugs worked out. I've had my 02 for over two years and have not had to fix a single thing on it, not one trip to the dealer...

Good luck on whatever you decide.....Pete

 

I believe the round bar on the rear axle is a sway bar which is part of the camper special package.

 

My 02 has been flawless in the nearly 2 years I've had it. It's not been back to the dealer since I picked it up. To answer a couple of your other questions, I'm pretty sure you have the 241HD and that metal rod in the back is the rear sway bar. It usually comes with the camper special package. To confirm, look to see if you also have the overload springs. If yes, you got the CS package. If the hitch and wiring harness are truly OEM, then you got the tow package too. Sounds like a nice truck.

Jim

 

the swaybar is what you are seeing under the truck it is an add on for the camper pkg. look in the glove box for the info on the axles and other pertanant stuff. good luck on you hunt and purchase.

 

It sounds like you looked in the right area for the block number. The numbers should be about an inch tall. If it has a bunch of smaller numbers in the same area, then it is a Mexican block. Those are the best. My '02 is a #55.

If the transfer case has a PTO plate on it, then it is a HD.

Good luck on the purchase.

Boyd.

 

The 53 blocks ended before 02. The 241HD was a $100 option for 02, diesel or not. The "camper special group" comes with a rear stabilizer bar and rear auxiliary springs. Getting the fuel pressure checked is definately a good idea.

 

As others have said, I intentionally ordered my 2002 on the basis that it was the last year of the 2nd generation trucks and should, therefore, be pretty thoroughly debugged. Since taking delivery on August 15, 2001, my truck has never been back to the dealer for anything. If the truck you're looking at has been well maintained, I'd certainly go for it.

Rusty

 

The 241HD ($100.00) was an option as was the Camper Special($95) and Trailer Tow($275) Groups.

Camper Special Group includes: Stabilizer Bar-Rear and Springs-Rear Auxiliary.

Those are off the Windows Sticker for my truck.

The Trailer Tow doesn't go into detail on the sticker.

 

I'm pretty sure all the trailer tow group included was the hitch, wiring for the 7 pin and 4 pin, and the connector for the brake controller.

Mine has both the camper and tow packages.

I have since removed the rear (anti)sway bar to soften up my ride some.

The truck you're looking at sounds exactly like mine (stock), except the rear LS.
(I didn't know it didn't come stock )

Other than oil changes, mine has only been to the Dealer to have the injection pump replaced at 4,000 miles.
No block 53, no lift pump problems yet.


phox

 

Hey Phox, how much softer is your ride with the sway bar gone? Do you get a noticable ammount more body roll when going through corners? I've been thinking about doing this myself, but wanted to talk to someone who has before I did.

 

It helped a little, but not enough to make it worth the pain and suffering to get it off.

Not sure if it is common, but the driver side frame mount has the bolt put on from the fuel tank side, and the bolt is about a 1/2 inch too long go get out without dropping the tank.
I ended up mangling my frame mount and denting the tank ever so slightly to get it out.

I also removed the front sway bar 2 weeks prior.
That one I noticed, and I do get a little roll on clover leaf onramps and such.
Not really that much on normal low speed corners.
Well worth it if you do a lot of offroading.


I'd say go for it, but carefully.
Then if you don't like it, you can put it back on no problem.


phox

 

My rear sway bar is disconnected, not fully removed. Just remove the bolt that holds it on the passenger side, the one that's easy to get to, then wire that short arm up. Presto, it's disconnected. I do have a bit more sway, but that seems a lot safer to me than having the rear end hop two lanes over when it hits a bump in mid-curve.

My next mod is going to be Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks, which have some native anti-sway capability due to their design, so I probably won't even know the thing is disconnected here shortly.

 

About the Racor filter I asked Cummins about the fuel and it being too clean could be a problem and they responded boy they sure detail there answers a 1st class company ......

Summary: ram b/isb O&M fuel + aftermarket filters

Solution:
Thanks for your email Ken. No, the fuel can't be too clean, but non-standard fuel filter configurations can have their liabilities; we specify filtration requirements and configurations in the respective Application Engineering Bulletins (AEB's) for our engines.
Some of the pumps are fuel lubricated, notably the rotary pumps, both the VE-style and VP-style; inline pumps are engine oil lubricated except in the pumping chamber.

With a 2 micron filter only, this "secondary"-type resolution can lead to filter plugging. This will ultimately shut down the engine, but may starve fuel to the high-pressure injection pump first; this can cause some lack of lubrication issues, especially for the rotary pumps.

"and a pump went bad at 85K miles but
have good luck since then. "

You didn't say which fuel pump went bad, the lift pump or the VP-44. There were issues with both pumps initially, but especially the lift pump. We have nothing to say about Marvel Mystery oil, but believe it to be a "light weight 'top cylinder' oil" that some people add to fuel and some people add to lube oil. We recommend neither.
The Bosch VP44 electronic fuel pump has higher injection pressures, electronic controlled timing and fueling which allows precise, instantaneous control and provides greater responsiveness over the entire power range (extended from 2700 to 3200 rpm). This was a completely new engine design platform in 1998 that combined electronic engine controls with high-pressure injection as well as high strength engine componentry. The 24 valve design with cylinder centered fuel injection improves combustion efficiency which results in better emissions, fuel economy and performance.

The VP44 is a radial-piston pump with 3 pistons. The pistons are attached to the distributor rotor and the fuel pump shaft. The pistons ride inside a cam ring (think of a donut with a "bumpy" hole) so as the pump shaft rotates the piston carrier, the pistons are compressed towards the center, pressurizing the fuel. The pressurized fuel is then directed to the proper cylinder by the distributor rotor.

The cam ring can be rotated in a "retarded" or "advanced" direction; this is done using a solenoid valve, which modulates pressure to a fuel-pressurized piston beneath the cam ring. Also, the start and end of injection are controlled by a solenoid valve.

Although the VP44 was initially not as reliable as we would have liked, Cummins and BOSCH are confident in its reliability today. The VP44 is much less complicated internally than the P7100, and it has many fewer finely machined parts. We don't know for sure that BOSCH considered low-sulfur fuel when designing the pump, since the pump is fuel lubricated and today's fuels are low-sulfur.

The VP44 is completely fuel lubricated, as the VE pump is. It does not use oil lubrication like the P7100 does. The VP44 is expected to last at least a long as the P7100 in normal automotive applications. However, we obviously have much more "long-term" experience with the P7100 than we do with the VP44, so our knowledge base is still evolving. Soon after launch, the VP44 had its share of problems, just as the P7100 did when it was introduced, but we have worked closely with BOSCH to correct the issues with the pump, and we're confident that the VP44 will be a reliable fuel pump.

Fuels with low lubricity can cause increased wear or seizure of the VP44 fuel pump internal components. If you are not sure of the fuel you use add a lubricity additive is required.

In March 2000, we contacted Bosch and they advised us that the so-called "B-10" life of the VP44 is 2000 hours at full fuel rating. In other words, If a pump were operated at 100 percent rated horsepower for 2000 hours, only 10 percent would fail; 90 percent would be okay. As the typical duty cycle of the Dodge Ram is considerably less than this, the expected life expectancy is considered more than adequate to meet the needs of the Dodge Owner

The electronic controls on the 24-valve engine allow Cummins to control the power and torque very precisely across the entire RPM range. The mechanically controlled engines have their power and torque precisely controlled at torque peak and rated power RPMs, but between those two engine speeds, power and torque can often exceed the published figures.

You ask what your mechanic can do and the answer is just keep using good fuel filters( Fleetguard or Dodge).

Enjoy your truck and drive it anywhere you want to go. It should do you a good job.

Thank you for choosing Cummins power or products. Please let us know if you need assistance in locating the nearest Cummins-authorized distributor or dealer. Please feel free to use our International Dealer Locator: (http://www.cummins.com/partserv/intro.html) found on the Customer Assistance page of the Cummins website (www.cummins.com).

Let us know if have other questions, or if away from your computer, feel free to call us (toll-free, from North America) at 1-800-DIESELS (343-7357), or 1-812-377-5000 (toll call, worldwide, ask for 800-DIESELS).

Regards,
--
Powermaster
Customer Assistance Center
Cummins, Inc.
Columbus, Indiana, USA
Email: powermaster@cummins.com

 

Thanks guys, I think i'll try it disconnected, and if I like it, I'll probably take it all the way off.