I think my lift pump is slowly going. Usually i make a strong 14 psi at idle, and 11 WOT. lately i've been noticing around 12 at idle and falls fast. I checked it at the test port yesterday and confirmed approximately 12.5 psi. Today i changed my fuel filter which was not very dirty at all, and now i'm back at 13.

I dont want to let this go too far. Any suggestions on what to do next? I'm prepared to change the lift pump so if anyone has any recommendations, i'm all ears. Thanks

 

That's probably the easiest fix, just replacing the stock lift pump. I just got to look at my late brothers 01 4wd ECSB auto tranny truck as his wife just stopped in, over from Montana for a family reunion and she was driving that instead of her Suburu. It too still has the stock lift pump so I was more than happy to point it out for her and mention what she should do (like install a low fuel pressure light like they do at the Cummins shops) and what could happen if that thing goes and it trashes the VP-44. It's a nice truck and she uses it mostly as a snow plow as my brother had it fitted with a blade to help keep their long hilly Montana driveway open in all kinds blowing snow and ice before he passed due to complications from MS about a year and a half ago now. There's lights on it and it's a DELUXE setup for plowing snow....GLAD I DON'T NEED TO DO THAT TO MY TRUCK!!! Brrrrr, just thinking about it. It has 94,000 miles on it and has been taken care of. I was glad to see her and it again, though I miss my brother a lot too.
Anyway, good luck on that lift pump. There's permanent fixes available everywhere, you just have to decide how you're going to do it and what the pocket book can afford.

 

i have 11 psi at an idle and not worried..... 180,000 miles

 

Your pressure is still good. In fact a couple of cummins lift pumps that I went through did not do any better than that brand new out of the box. IMHO if I were in your shoes I would start researching lift pumps and plan on doing a relocation. That gets rid of the banjos and puts the pump back on the frame. Easy to change and less heat at the pump. Getting rid of the banjos is not important as long as you have good fuel pressure but when your lift pump starts to fail it goes a long way to keep enough fuel going to your vp when your pressure drops off. As far as what kind of lift pump to use that one is up to you. Everyone has their favorites based on expense and future mods. Personally for me it's Walbro. Good Luck

 

I have the dummy light monitoring my pressure and it went off last week under acceleration and load. Replaced my lift pump and all is good now. If you don't have guages, at LEAST get a dummy light.

 

Replaced my lift pump 30K miles ago. Light started flickering undar a load. I have a new VP44 and a BD aux pump. Shop just called and said they couldn't find anything wrong. They wanted me to installa pump in the tank for $800. No thanks. Having them put another lift pump on.

 

I had them check the pre heater and sure enough there were pieces of the lift pump inside so it appears that the lift pump was falling apart. Went with a Bosh brand instead of the Dodge OE. Also FYI. You cannot get a lift pump from the Dodge dealer anymore. they now sell an in-tank pump as a solution to the lift pump problem. Anyone else run into this?

 

GUILTY!!!

My truck had the mod when I purchased it, unbeknownst to me. I always wondered whether they caught it before the VP went away or there's a new VP on this rig but I don't know if one could tell. I just hooked up a TEST pressure gauge over at my friends and it idles at 9 psi and maintains 7 psi @ 2000 rpm's. I don't know what the spec'd pressure is supposed to be going into the VP but his gauge looked like it had seen better days and may not have been completely accurate. He said his gauge reads low. No matter, as I have a new COMPLETE gauge kit coming next week and I bought the new Dodge banjo bolt and a stainless line to make the install a bit easier. If I towed or had mega hp then I would go with the 3 gauge pod but I just use it as a commuter rig (that eats an occasional PowerStroke ), so I'm just going with the fuel pressure gauge.
The other thing that I decided to do was to purchase a new Holley Blue electric fuel pump and install that inline between my (pump in the) tank and the VP for some added fuel pressure. My friend, who I helped do the pressure test, is a professional mechanic and body man and just happened to have a pump in the tank setup out on his bench which he explained to me while showing what was what. That setup isn't really that bad overall though complaints state it may be a bit on the weak side as far as enough pressure to the VP, not that it fails. But that could be debatable. I haven't heard of one of these going bad/out, once in the tank but....there's better ways for sure. That being said, dropping the tank and installing a new Draw Straw while discarding the pump in the tank and doing all of that without a hoist seemed:

1. DIFFICULT - to do by myself
2. Kind of a waste. Hey it works. Can't we just add some pumping capacity without dropping the fuel tank??
3. EXPENSIVE - that FASS kit I bought was over $500 by the time the Draw Straw, fuel filter and upgraded fuel line was added.

So I decided to go the Holley Blue way and add a good, accurate fuel pressure gauge. The FASS kit is being sold (right now on the mega auction site....that's me ) and the Holley Blue pump is getting installed as soon as the gauge setup arrives.
IF the dealer's mod had NOT been done, then I would've gone with the FASS setup and wouldn't have had to drop the tank and all of that. But that tank dropping made a rather easy, interesting install into a tight spot nightmare for a big tall guy who'd really rather be doing something....ANYTHING else rather than laying on my back screwing with a diesel fuel tank. But the mod was done AND I DON'T WANNA DROP THAT TANK!!! My friend has all of the flaring tools, tubing cutters, etc for the fuel line and says this is going to be a PRO install and it's a piece of cake, comparatively speaking.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting this done the way I've finally decided on doing it. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was my truck....but I'm making (some) progress!!

 

my lift pump just went out on my 99 dodge. Trashed my vp 44. what can i expect cost wise to fix this. I have 163 ,000 and had no clue about this problem. Mechanic does recommend idiot light. he told he would just replace lift pump every 100,000. Does anyone agree with this.

 

Cost wise to replace the VP? That could run quite a bit. Rebuilt/remanufactured VP's can run up & over $1000 and then you still have to remove and replace the old one with the one you bought. The reason the VP went away is that it needs the fuel for lubrication and cooling and is not meant to be the primary "sucker" type pump. It needs that lift pump back there in good working order doing what it's supposed to do, feeding it fuel. While an idiot light isn't as good as a gauge setup, it's cheaper and would've told you about a low pressure condition existing at the VP, indicating a dead or dying lift pump, probably allowing you to save the VP before a total disaster.
Replacing the lift pump without adding the light or a gauge is asking for a repeat as those lift pumps can go at anytime. There are several fixes and range from just replacement of the lift pump to adding a complete FASS setup and everything in between. As you probably read above, I have a different solution that was done to my truck and my "fix" will be different than a rig without a pump in the tank like yours. Depending on how much you want to spend there are many options for you to pursue. Deciding will be your hard part....but just replacing the lift pump every 100k miles without adding the light or a gauge isn't the way to go IMHO. Good luck!!!

 

After owning this truck for about 10,000 miles and reading this great forum here is my conclusion.
If you own one of these trucks with an electric lift pump do not drive it unless you put in an idiot light (a pressure gauge is preferred). I have both, the idiot light alerted me to the fact that the lift pump was failing. Truck still ran great and the light would only come on once in a while. You wouldn't drive a truck without and oil pressure light or gauge because you could lunch your engine. Well this is almost as bad. VP44 is very expensive to replace and you don't want to do it unless it goes out on its own. Not because of a defective/weak lift pump.

 

ive got 12-13 psi at idle and mainain about 10-11 while cruising. standin on it WFO i can only pull it down to 7 on 3x3.

 

TX 2500, Maybe you should change your fuel filter!

 

I can pull my FP down to 0 psi and the dealer says that is still OK (Still under warranty).

 

I wonder if they'll say that after replacing the first one....
I've seen somewhere where Dodge quit mentioning a specific psi when talking about the lift pump(s) and instead says something along the line that as long as the lift pump maintains "positive pressure at the recommended flow" the VP will be fine. That may have not been exactly what they said but that was the jist of it..... long as the VP isn't the sole sucker pump and as long as the lift pump contributes positive flow, all's well in VP land, I guess.