BTW, what kind of wear and tear should I expect after running the truck without a lift pump for 4 to 5k miles? I would love to find something in writing.

 

Yeah, I gathered that much from the posts. Unfortunately, they will run without an LP as long as it is removed from the system. They just don't run well and are self destructing at the same time. I am afraid you have an uphill battle to prove they did not install the pump. It will your word against theirs even if you have pictures and witnesses.

As far as damage that might have been done, the CP3 uses excess fuel for cooling and lubrication just like the VP44. The poor performance just indicates the fuel flow was lacking and all the fuel was going to feed the rail and nothing to feed the cooling\lube function. As a guess I would say pump, fuel rail, pressure sensor, relief valve, and injectors are all suspect. If the pump was deteriorating it has probably shed metal all the way thru the system and probably back into the tank. If you took the truck in for warranty work and metal was found it would more than likely be blamed on bad fuel. So sorry no warranty, that will $6000 to replace all the pieces. On the other hand you may get lucky and nothing was hurt.

I feel for ya. I am afraid you are going to have a long unhappy search trying to recover the initial cost let alone the possible damages. Just one reason I make a pest of myself when I do take my truck to a dealer and do as much work myself as possible. All I can say is good luck.

 

Well the saga continues. After my invisible lift pump saga I noticed an in creased injector noise. I took into the Dodge house to have it checked out and they said everything is to spec and it won't hurt anything to go ahead and drive it. I was on my way to Albuquerque, NM last weekend pullin my empty horse trailer that weighs about 7k empty. About half way up a hill I got a bad shake in the truck, I let the fuel off and the shake stopped, gave it some fuel and the shake re-appeared. I pulled off and when I pushed in the clutch and let it idle I got a real bad knock and a rough idle. I had the truck towed in to a Cummins shop and found out I lost an injector and a piston, metal in the exhaust manifold and turbo. Bottom line they found a used engine out of a 2005 with a turbo, etc and it is going to cost me 11,500.00 to get it swapped. Moral is if you hear increased injector noise, then have the injectors pulled and inspected/replaced. Evidently mine had partially clogged and changed the spray patern burning a hole in the top of the piston. My EGTs were running around 800 with it climing to 1180 on the hills. boost was between 20 and 35 pulling the long hills. Would not have expected a burned up piston watching the gauges.

 

That really bites, Jimmy - sorry to hear about it!

The EGT is not as important as the piston temperature, for obvious reasons.
Doesn't seem like an altered spray pattern would cause a piston to melt, but rather improper fuel quantity, timing or both. That one cylinder could have been scorching hot while it's exhaust gases blended with the other 5 to give "normal" EGTs.

Bottom line is, sounds like a dealer screwed up your truck again... I would be incensed!

 

I guess I am still in shock to be incensed! I am unhappy that I paid the 85.00 to have the diagnostics run and they found nothing and had no suggestions at all. Not really sure what their liability would be on this? I had thought about getting a set of aftermarket injectors and replacing them, the 700.00 for that doesn't sound very expensive now.

Live and learn......some lessons are more expensive than others.