Need some help here!  2001 Dodge Ram 3500 5.9 cummins diesel.  Air Dog Original,fuel sump kit, New VP44, A&E Air Box Kit. Smarty S03 stacked with Edge Juice W/Att.  All of a sudden the truck start to like basically cut off all horsepower if i stand on it, so i have to back out of it and it takes off again.  I took smarty off and edge juice to see what the truck does.  With all programmers off the truck it has basically NO Power ever, feelings like im pulling a train!  I took truck to dealership they flashed both ecm,pcm back to stock and uploaded all updates including set my 35 in tire size.  Truck Did have a little bit of power but not really driveable.  Have code po501 and thats it besides po1693.  Please help send me in a direction that will solve this issue.

Edited March 16, 20178 yr by CSM

Yes i am referring to the stock fuel line coming from the vp44 T-adapter going to the tank.  My Fuel return line is going to the bottom of the basket, it just got me thinking that the fuel should flow easy back to the tank with no restrictions.I also noticed if that return line was drained of fuel I would have to prime the system by using the key bump to activate the Air Dog 150 relay.  

It doesn't have any sort of check valve if that's what you're getting at.

 

If it does drain, which is a common hard start problem, the only way I know of to 're-prime' that side of the fuel line would be to completely get the engine running again. I don't think you'd ever really get enough fuel everywhere it needs to go just by cycling your lift pump. Are you trying to drain it on purpose?

No i'm not trying to drain it. I had a small leak coming from the plastic to metal line on the return side. I just wanted to make sure return line was supposed to be in basket in the fuel tank.  I blew into the return line that goes to the tank and it created a vacuum and fuel came out the line.  I originally thought the line should go back to the tank but not touch the fuel sitting in the tank.  but Now I know.

Return line is going to self drain every single time the engine turns off. Return line in the fuel basket is not suppose to be submerged in fuel. It normal for the return line to drain and have air in the line. What is not normal is the supply line draining out and get air in the line. 

When I tried blowing in the return line halfway down the truck frame i really couldn't but did. After trying 3 times fuel started running back at me.So the return line is inside the basket submerged in fuel.  Should I take the tank down and cut the return line so its about 1-2 inches inside the tank? 

I don't think you're hurting it by having it submerged. I think I disagree with Mike here because I honestly think it should be submerged and it's what's causing my harder starts when my fuel gets below half tank and I'm on a hill. If the return line is constantly submerged it has no where to drain back, therefore no more harder starts. This is what my stock basket looked like before I modded it with the drawstraw 5 and it shows that the stock return line goes back into the bottom of the basket, probably right at the lip of the 'bowl' if you will.

 

 

^^^ Id like to agree, but I never had hard start issue so ..... here is my basket after draw straw 5 and home made 1/2" return from fass and smaller one is returned from head/injectors, I made sure they all went to bottom. Never had a problem, 

Edited March 17, 20178 yr by Dieselfuture

Yea because yours is going all the way to to the bottom after your drawstraw install. That pic was stock, here's after drawstraw installation. You can see how my stock return hose is just sorta floating up there in no mans land lol. What kind of metal hose/tube did you use? That might help solve my issue.

 

It's an aluminum tube, can't remember size but it fitted snug inside plastic tube, your can probably get it at hardware store in a roll and just buy a foot or so . I notched bottom of it so if bottomed out it will still flow. You definitely need to extend that down. I did a bucket test with my basket and if lines were not in fuel when returning,  it made that whole basket fome up.

@notlimah did your kit come with 2 fittings to go through top of basket?  And two plastic lines? That was my argument with them and that they needed to send 2 fittings,  because if you return fuel from lift pump through smaller factory line you will have bigger swings in psi.

Edited March 17, 20178 yr by Dieselfuture

Yes mine came with 2 1/2in lines, mine is from Vulcan, is yours? I have a 1/2in suction line the lift pump and a 1/2in return line for the lift pump. The 'floater' is my stock return line from the vp/inj 

5 minutes ago, notlimah said:

Yes mine came with 2 1/2in lines, mine is from Vulcan, is yours? I have a 1/2in suction line the lift pump and a 1/2in return line for the lift pump. The 'floater' is my stock return line from the vp/inj 

Ha ha, we'll good they must of listened. When I got mine they only gave you one for suction, you had to return through factory quickconnect and it didn't work worth of crap. I wasted whole day before I decided to get some jic fittings and make my own. Then I explained them the problem and recommend that they sell two fittings to go through basket. I'm really glad they listened. It really makes a huge difference especially on bigger lift pumps.

I think you can still only go with one suction line if you wanted, but the option to buy a larger return line is there as well but I 100% agree, no point in having a bigger suction line if it can't get the unused fuel back in the tank just as quick.

yes , after working on the fuel line today I noticed that if there was NO Fuel in the Return Line coming from vp44 than I had a hard start issue.  took 3 times for it to start and it always fires right away.  I'm going to leave the Return Line submerged in the basket.  For some reason the vp44 needs return pressure?  Like i said it wasn't easy blowing into the fuel line returning into the basket.    I did take off the Smarty today and set the edge on 6x5 with timing at 1,3 advance. The truck has very slow reaction time. And My Stacked programmers was working awesome.  I was thinking maybe the blocked return line was an issue but after today I realized its not blocked its just restricting fuel back.  Iam still at Vp44 is bad with my cutting out issue..

Just a reminder @CLAUS1, you are ramming alot of fuel thru a stock turbo. Especially an HY. HX  is not much better from what I understand.

The vp does not require any return pressure. Maybe the line is clogged. Not sure as to why. It should pretty much free flow.

Like dripley mentioned, fuel flows freely to basket it's just the line is smal in ID and if you blow through it, feels plugged but it's not. I believe it will run fine with return line plugged but you won't get cooling to vp, and heat is what kills that computer on top. As for Hard start with return line empty, somehow it's effecting pressure side. After it bleeds down it pulls fuel from pressure side and causing hard start. Try changing return banjo bolt, it has ball and spring that may be tired. Chances are your vp is acting up, but to say for sure..... I thought mine was bad, but after changing injectors and taking care of ac noise it seems to run fine again. Dripley is expiriencing same issue I did with random miss, and mine might come back also. We all could have a vp that is acting up, but I'm not wanting to change mine without at least a falt code that says so. Not sure on solution,  we can all drive around with a spear vp in back of the truck  you can be another guy to cause p pumps go up in price.

1 hour ago, Dieselfuture said:

I believe it will run fine with return line plugged but you won't get cooling to vp, and heat is what kills that computer on top.

 

I wouldn't suggest plugging the return line. Take a risk of blowing the front seal out without a return path. 

 

Heat is one factor but I'm still waiting to see summer heat. So far I've not seen anything temperature wise that would even be stress full to electronics yet. 

I believe there is a little restriction in the basket for the return line from the vp44, it is the way it was from the factory so, That is not the issue here. Now as for the fuel  emptied out of the return line and the truck not starting that is weird to me.1 line comes from back of Head and other line comes from return of VP44 and they meet together and goes back to tank.  I will change the banjo bolt just to KNow if its leaking. It would seam to me the vp is releasing the fuel

This sounds like the ofv is weak. Return line dry is just going to be a symptom of that imo. There is not much head pressure on the return with the system off. 

1 hour ago, jlbayes said:

This sounds like the ofv is weak. Return line dry is just going to be a symptom of that imo. There is not much head pressure on the return with the system off. 

 

I really hope this isn't the case for me as I've had a new one sitting on my bench for months and never installed it because everyone said it wouldn't be the issue and I didn't want to bother with it if I didn't need too.

How about throwing it in for giggles. I fixed a buddies truck that had a hard start issue after sitting. Had an extra ofv laying around. Happy as a clam now.