lift pump? or not?

newbie here!, just bought a 98.5 CTD with 137k. Changed the fuel filter after it started running oddly. It stopped having power and would only go to about 2200 rpm. It would blow grey smoke also around 2200 or more. I had been lead to believe that the truck had set for a period prior to me buying it so I felt like the fuel had gelled, so I ran a full tank through it with some Diesel Kleen. Problem went away for about two full tanks and now its back. This is making me think its the lift pump. I currently have no way to check the pressure but just wanted some advise or experience.
thanx

 

Is it blowing grey smoke like crazy? In my experience when we have had turbo problems with trucks is that they have no power and smoke bad, I mean masquito fogging bad.

 

Running good and running bad have become very intermitant. Its like it goes into a limp mode or something. Start it up and it will rap all the way through but dive through the gears once and it only raps to 2-2300 then starts blowing grey smoke at 2300 only. Turn it off and start it up again its fine for the first few gears then back to no power.

 

you need gauges!! it could be a number of things find an autozone or some where to scan for codes. but knowing the fuel pressure and boost pressure will help with the trouble shooting.

 

going to get fuel pressure gauge asap then go from there. still very intermitant, took out fuel filter to check and it was clean but the o-rings were not tight anymore. the small round o-ring wasnt tight arount the top and the flat one didnt seem very tight either. could this make any difference? let it run for a bit this afternoon and went to drive it and it ran good for about 10 min. then started up again. i could push the clutch in and let the rpms back to 900 or so let out of the clutch and it was fine again. this is rediculous!! anymore thoughts?

 

If it was the turbo it would likely do it all the time. I am leaning towards an injection pump problem or even an ECM failure.

 

i guess your not getting any codes? it does sound like a fuel problem but i also am leaning towards a electrical problem or a sender, i had a speed sensor problem that was weird kinda like this.

 

pulled codes this morning.
p0462=low fuel level sensor
p0463=high fuel level sensor
p1693=sayed undetermined on scanner
p0216=" "
as far as i could understand the p1693 just means it has found codes but havent nailed down the last one yet.
ADVISE?????????????

 

1693 just means the computers are talking to each other about a problem.

0216 is the dreaded injection pump timing failure code, IIRC. thats a bad one, you need a new pump.

 

ya i figured my luck would take me so far. now i have another question. talked to my oh so friendly idiot at the dodge house and he said go with the kit that puts it (the pump) in the tank. is this good or bad. if i go through a friends work i can get the kit to put it in the tank and the pump for just over $200. or should i just keep it the way it is or what. i would like the FASS but its not in the fund right now so thats out.
THOUGHTS????????????

 

Stay away from the in tank pump conversion! It actually flows substantially less than the original block mounted Carter LP. I would not bother with any LP replacements until you can put a fuel pressure gauge on the truck and verify if there is indeed any LP problems at all.

The 0216 DTC is an internal mechanical timing failure which is typically the result of a worn piston or pump housing which is part of the VP44 injector pump and is not related to the LP at all. The timing failure can also be a failure of the PC board on the VP44 mounted ECU but typically shows up as a 0215 DTC instead. Unfortunately, either DTC signifies that the VP44 must be replaced. The pump could last another day or another couple months....it is impossible to know for sure but either way you can be sure that it will leave you stranded when it does fail completely as it's days are numbered.

 

fuel pressure is at 7-8 at idle and 2-3 at WOT. this is just after the fuel filter. got a LP on the way.

 

What LP did you decide to go with?

 

Cummins P#4090046. $70 aint too bad.

 

Yeah, thats not enough fuel pressure. You need at least 5psi at WOT. I don't have a pressure guage but my dad's Ram does, his runs 15-16psi at idle and will only pull down to 9psi maximum after a WOT stand of 10+seconds. His fuel pressure sensor is in the fuel filter lid.

 

Just another suggestion. Getting the pressure after the fuel filter is great for readings. Thats where I have had mine. I don't know how you checked the pressure, hopefully it was a new gage you installed. However you can check if you have a plugged filter, since you indicated that it sat for a long time, by buying a fuel gage mechanical and the replacement hose that they sell at autoparts houses used for air conditioning. It will fit on the schrader valve before the filter to see if you have the same pressure as post filter. This is only a tempory way to check pressure, get a gage hooked up! I have had a fuel pressure gage since day one and suggest that you get one soon if you haven't already. I would also still get the set up for checking the schrader valve, its cheap, just so you can verify thats its not a filter. If your truck sat for a "long" time then you could have stuff growing in tank. What did your filter look like when you pulled it?

 

checked it after filter and the filter still looks good. I do have one question though how tight are the O rings on the filter supposed to be. mine seem to be stretched even after a few hundred miles.

 

Apparently I dont pay very close attention because I didnt realize that the LP I thought I was replacing was an aluminium block. Which means its already been put in the tank. CRAP. So what I did was install the new pump in place of the block then piggy back the wires therefore running both pumps. I had to do this to get the truck to run. I dont plan on leaving it this way but wanted to ask how to get rid of the in tank pump. Also this made no difference in the truck. So its on to a VP44 I guess.

 

Vp44

Definitly a VP44 gone bad, our auxilary lift pumps work great with the silly in tank "fixes" :doah:

VP44 $1282.42 USD, no tax

Auxillary Lift Pump $ $265.00 USD, no tax

 

Im still not sure about what to do about the lift pump I have a new one on the truck which will be getting the Vulcan relocation kit and line but what about eh one in the tank. Its the one thats bad. How can i get rid of it or use it to help?