Ok, so I got the good ol' 0216 code a while back but nothing had changed on my truck as far as any problems noticed. A week later, the check engine light went off, a few weeks later, the light came on again and I had a dead spot in the throttle. Under acelleration. I know this is all standard vp44 death stuff but here's my question.
I had a FASS put in (to protect the soon to be replaced vp44) and now the thing has no dead spot in the throttle but it is hard starting when it is warm.
I assume it is all due to the doomed vp44 but is there anything else that would be a culprit here? I'd hate to replace my vp44 and still have a hard start issue.
Could it be the pressure of the FASS making it not want to start or the new fuel line injesting some air somewhere?

 

Once going over 15 pounds of idle pressure the starting does get harder. I always used to wait a couple of seconds after the pump shut down to start. The only other things is if you are getting air as I was. This cured it starts on first bump, cold or hot.

 

i had a hard start problem myself. turned out there was a tsb on fritz's dodge tech website or something. i can give you the link if you want. but i had to get my ecm re-flashed. it cured it. but that was after i spent alot of money on lift pump, new fuel lines and banjo fittings, new batteries, etc. i don't know if this is your problem but just sharing my experience.

 

So you were getting air in the system?

 

I am getting air in my system, from where I'm not sure, and it causes hard starting. Once the enigne fires up, the FASS takes a while to come up on pressure, but then it is over 15 psi.
I had an air leak when I installed the FASS, and had to eliminate the quick connector on the tank so my feed line is clamped on both ends.
I wonder where else it could be leaking now.

Chris

 

I am not recommending what anyone else should do, but... On mine I kept checking and eliminating, the air in the system kept getting worse where when starting this last engine I had a hard time picking up the fuel after being apart. I felt secure that there were no leaks in the system, so there was only one source left.

I bet the bullet and pulled the pickup assembley. I installed the bottom feed and it is a different fuel system since. The worst part is that I could not find any obvious reason for the air leaks in the pickup assembly.

If you are running a FASS you have no need for the screens and junk in the OEM pickup assembly. An easier route would be to do away with a bunch of screens and other stuff, setting up a direct pickup that just hangs there,. Either that or the bottom feed would work well.

Ran it out of fuel once with the bottom feed, put a couple of gallons in and key it, pressure comes right up, start it almost like it was not out. Makes a huge difference. My personal feeling is that the pickup setup is the reason for all the fuel problems that the Dodge has.

 

HID,
How did you do the bottom pickup? Was it a kit, or did you manufacture it yourself? If a kit, where did you get it?

Thanks,
Chris

 

Chris look in my photo's, I took a bulkhead fitting for air brakes were it goes through the frame. I braised a large washer to the head for a larger surface, drilled the hole through the tank with a smaller hole saw ( 3/4 ) and then opened it up for a force fit, another large washer, tightened it down good. You don't need a gasket as the tank is plastic. The bulkhead has 1/4 npt threads and just plumbed it up. Inside the tank it stands about 1/4 high and will draw fuel down to about 2 or 3 gallons, below what it did with the OEM pickup. Oh yeah, for planning purposes, the tank is about 1/4 or 5/16 thick on the bottom.

If you do off roading you will need a skid to protect it, be a good idea anyway. Works great though, no more air problems. When you hit the key, it jumps up to 15 right now. It also starts easier than before when hot.

 

Chris, forgot to add, to drain the tank, let the FASS pump it all out into a container. Pull the gage/pickup unit, use a battery powered drill and drill a 1/4 hole in the bottom where you intend to install the fitting. Don't put it directly under the gage unit so that it interferes. That will drain the rest of it. The hole saw will use the 1/4 hole for the centering. You get this bad feeling when drilling the first hole...

 

Ok, so yesterday I tried waiting about 20 seconds to crank and it seemed like it started right up when i did that. I say "seemed" cause there were a few times I just jumped in, went to crank and it wouldn't want to start and I forgot to wait but it seems to me that when I would wait, it would start.
Now what?
If it is too much pressure from the FASS, what can I do to remedy it and why isn't everyone having that problem?
If it is air getting in the system, what do I do? Take it back to the place that it was installed? Is that something that should be expected without a pickup in the bottom of the tank and if so, again, why isn't everyone having this problem?

 

I get the same feelings when starting my truck with the FASS. Yesterday it failed to start again unless I cracked the lines. I was expecting this when I run the truck hard (Mach6's), but I was just toolin' around between the junkyard and my house - no racing or hotrodding involved.

Took a look underneath (filling the transfer case again ) and my stock pickup looks like I'm leaking slightly from where the hose is clamped to the elbow coming from the tank cap. I've already eliminated the quick connect since I broke it on the install.

I got to thinking ... I would hate to tear off the pickup on the bottom and dump $60 of fuel on the pavement since I couldn't stop the leak. What about going in the side of the tank and using a loose hose inside connected to a bulk head at the lowest point horizontally available on the side of the tank? I'm fed up with hit-n-miss starting. This may eliminate ALL air in the line, plus any leaks. Also, it would eliminate the possibility of ripping the pickup off the bottom of the tank. I hopefully attached a picture of the modified pickup.

Whaddyathink?

brandon.

 

That might be the way to go. I think the bottom feed is OK, though, and I can't see how it would be yanked out of the tank. Correct me here, but isn't the frame rail lower than the tank bottom? What about the rocker panel? My truck is 8000 miles away, or I'd go out and look. (I'm in Italy, truck's in Wyoming)

I'd prefer to do the bottom feed, then just rig up some kind of skid plate to protect it.

The side feed might work as well, but you lose the gravitational effect. The lower side feed like Brandon rendered would be much better than stock, but still have to pull a very small siphon.

The ideal setup to me would be a -8AN bulkhead to -8AN line. Socketless hose would be just fine.

Justin

 

If you look at my pictures you will see the bottom feed set up. It is considerably below the tank and needs a little protection. It is not delicate though, the tank is over 1/4 thick and very stiff. Instead of a side feed, I would just modify the stock pickup with a replaced pickup in the tank that does not go through the filters and check valves. Should work fine.

 

HID,
I need to clear something up. You just threaded the bulkhead into the tank, using the tank itself to tighten against? What I am trying to figure out is if you used a nut or something inside the tank to hold the bulkhead on.


I'm also thinking about the other idea, a side mount. If I could meld these two ideas together I might be able to drill the hole in the side, at the lowest point I can find on the tank, and get the best of both worlds, and hopefully be able to get most of the fuel out. Isn't the tank lowest in the middle, at the sending unit?

Thanks,
Chris

 

I brazed a large washer to the fitting, under the head, put it through the tank from the inside, outside got another big washer and nut, tightened securly. The lowest part of the tank is a section of about a foot long at the gage unit.