After replacing my VP44(thanks to all who commented on my VP44 failure) I was told that a warning light to alert you when pressure is dangerously low would help in the future. Anyone know who makes them?

 

Switchgauge This is what I use, I mounted the gauge under the hood so I can check the pressure there and hooked the switched part to a flashing alarm LED. The switch is adjustable to alarm at whatever pressure you want. This also means no diesel line in the cab if thats what you prefer.

 

Why not just have a fuel pressure gauge in the cab like most of us do?

 

A pressure guage will tell you many things. An idiot light tells you "your an idiot for letting it go this long without preventive maintance."

 

What he said. If you put the guage in the engine compartment the only time you would be able to eyeball it would be sitting still at idle. The idle reading is ok but you need to see what the pressure is at cruise and WOT.

 

pressure guage in the cab is the best solution

 

I run both,,,,,, one under the hood to measure the pre-filter pressure and a Westach electric in the dash to measure post-filter pressure. It still would be nice to have an audible or visual alarm to get your attention. The set up that Bob is running still would be good if he can set the alarm at any psi. (say 12psi).,,,, he knows that as long as he doesn't get an alarm at WOT,,, the psi is still above 12psi. Even with gauges,,, does everyone check all your gauge readings when you mat the throttle? I'm usually too busy looking to make sure my opponent is in the rear-view and not the flashing blue lights!

 

Thanks for the expert advise Geico & DPG! If you guys had a brain in your head you'd realize that watching EGT's are where you edit eyes are when yer foot is in it! I just got this 24 valve and this is the first I heard about this problem, so, lighten up. I thought you guys are here to help not critisize

Thanks to the rest of you though for your advise, especially BIGBADBOB. That switch guage looks like the ticket.

 

A refresher course on the rules would be a good thing.
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/privacy.php halfway down the page.

They are helping.
A LED to alert you to low pressure would do one of 2 things:
Be on all the time if you set it to low but still safe,
or by the time it came on, the damage would be done.

What do you set the limit at? 11? 10? 5?

A fuel pressure guage lets you see the trends, if it starts dropping you have time to fix the LP before it takes out the VP44 again.

Fer instance.
I noticed my fuel pressure dropped when it got cold, used to idle at 14, now it's at 11.
I watched it for a week and it isn't dropping any more, so I attribute it to the colder temperatures and/or the winter blended fuel.
It doesn't go below 10 at WOT, so I know I'm still good.
This is my first winter with the guages.

When it starts to warm up, I'll see if the pressure comes back up.

There is years and years of experience with these engines found on this website, use it wisely.


phox

 

I have my pressure set to 10psi, post filter. The LED (bright yellow one at that) will come on when the truck is cold and I get my foot into it, but once the truck is warm no LED. So I figure the LP is on borrowed time (140,000KMs) I have a new one on the bench waiting for mother nature to send some heat up here so I can change it out. There must be thousands of trucks out there with nothing for warning the driver. I also agree I have enough to do in the cab to keep me busy let alone another gauge and more fear of something going wrong. I bought the truck to enjoy but there seems to be a fair amount of inherent problems that go with them too. When do you stop?? But it is also nice to read all of your valued and respected replys.
Bob

 

Problem I see with an idiot light is that it requires an electrical sender which are well known not to last on a diesel engine. An idiot sender could be broken and reading 100psi all the time and you wouldn't know it.

 

With a LED setup there is no electrical sender on the diesel engine it is inside a remote gauge. It gets tested/checked every time you turn the key on. The lift pump cycles off while you wait to start=LED on,, truck starts lift pump comes on=LED off. Does't get much simpler.
I have been in the communications business 30 years and don't recall seeing very many dead LED's. But working on todays autos I have seen lots of dead senders/sensors etc. This forum is living proof. IMHO
Bob

 

I run a fuel pressure warning light. I found it on ebay from BigDadyz somewhere in Nebraska. For $45 it comes complete and is simple to install, and my wife doesnt have to decipher a gage to know what it means.

 

Guages are great whenever you are looking at them but, most times I don't STARE at them while driving. I think a light would be a great idea - it would attract your attention wether you are looking at it or not - a guage won't do that no matter how good it is.

 

If you go with a gauge, and if you go with a gauge that has an electrical sending unit, then you could pick up a second sending unit, and install them both to the same gauge with a switch. Like rattlinram suggested, you could then measure pre and post filter pressures by flicking a switch. Only one gauge needed for both readings. It's a great tool to tell you when it's time to change the filter.

But of course there is the durability factor. These engines shake like a harley. If you go with a mechanical gauge, then you run the risk of fuel leak, even in the cab. If you do go with a mechanical gauge, then make sure you install a snubber valve (a shut off valve opened just a small amount) to cut down on the pulsations and it gives you something to turn off in case you get a leak. Kevin