Is there a way to test VP44 health when there is no codes? My truck ran like crap this morning. Very chattery and doggy. I’m wondering if my VP isn’t going south. It started pretty well but was pretty chattery for only 25 degrees. Scanned for codes and got nothing. 

8 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

I hate raping my truck in winter, I usually live some fuel in a glass jar outside and if it looks milky or like its gelling I don't even bother starting it, just drive my car.

That when I wish I had a car! I’m the same way. I started my truck when it was -30 and almost wet myself but I couldn’t cuz it was so cold. But she never failed to start this past winter. 

My truck tends to be parked in an unheated garage but since there is plumbing in both garages the temperature typically stays just above freezing. When temperatures outside fall to ZERO then I consider using the block heater. Not to make the truck start easier. It's to heat the garage up slightly to keep the plumbing from freezing. The radiant heat from the block is not wasted then. Very very rare to see temperature here at the house that cold. Now New Meadows, ID yeah it very common to see at least -20*F. Coldest I've seen so far passing through is -30*F. Wild part, is within 1-hour drive the temperature rises again so head from New Meadows, ID to Council, ID and it will rise nearly 20 degrees or more. 

 

For guys parking outside and attempting to use a block heater is a pure waste when there is blowing cold wind around the engine and heat is wasted to the air outside. Even if you have a tarp shed to keep the wind off the truck will heat much better than heating in the wind. 750w engine heater isn't powerful enough to combat minus temperature weather. 

Three years ago we had -43 F and I feel bad for anyone that had to start they’re diesel outside in that.

 

Even when I've got to travel where I go there is no option for plugging the truck in but I've never had any problems with getting started on cold winter days. I might keep the truck in the garage but once I leave anyone guess on how long it will be parked and how cold it might get. This is why I don't depend on the block heater at all. If you do then your just going be like the Ford Powerstroke that have trouble starting at the first sign of cold. 

1 hour ago, Dieselfuture said:

I hate raping my truck in winter, I usually live some fuel in a glass jar outside and if it looks milky or like its gelling I don't even bother starting it, just drive my car.

At the time all we had in Colorado was the 2001 Dodge Cummins, 1978 Ford F150 4x4, 2004 Mach 1. Since the wife refuses to learn to drive a manual transmission it limited her only mode of transportation to the Dodge. Now she's back to driving the Dodge since the crappy 6T70 transmission in our 2008 Pontiac G6 crapped out again after GM has already rebuilt it about 2 years ago under a recall. Hopefully I'll get time to fix that soon.

8 minutes ago, 04Mach1 said:

At the time all we had in Colorado was the 2001 Dodge Cummins, 1978 Ford F150 4x4, 2004 Mach 1. Since the wife refuses to learn to drive a manual transmission it limited her only mode of transportation to the Dodge. Now she's back to driving the Dodge since the crappy 6T70 transmission in our 2008 Pontiac G6 crapped out again after GM has already rebuilt it about 2 years ago under a recall. Hopefully I'll get time to fix that soon.

Just get a G8! Lol they are really nice cars

I drove my friends 01 ford for about a week. It would not start at 35* without being plugged in.

1 minute ago, dripley said:

I drove my friends 01 ford for about a week. It would not start at 35* without being plugged in.

I wouldn’t mind a run down of Ford vs Cummins. Not that I have anything against any other engine but out of curiosity. I work on 7.3s, 6.0s, 6.4s, and 6.7s every day and its rather obvious that they require more $$$ and maintenance than any other Cummins diesel around including common rails. 

1 hour ago, Marcus2000monster said:

I work on 7.3s, 6.0s, 6.4s, and 6.7s every day

What 

24 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

What 

Unfortunately yes. But I still love my job! I get to work on a Cummins occasionally but mostly Powerstrokes. 

What do you want to know. I’m fairly well versed in 7.3 and 6.0 speak (unfortunately on the second one)

43 minutes ago, trreed said:

What do you want to know. I’m fairly well versed in 7.3 and 6.0 speak (unfortunately on the second one)

Everything lol!

Personally, I love working on 7.3L Ford's but hate the 6.0L that was a stupid design. Ugh!

I agree I can handle the 7.3L trucks. Good engines they were. 

Well those two have HEUI injection systems that are a PITA if the IPR sensor screen gets plugged. 95% of the reason a 6.0 won’t start. If a 7.3 won’t start, it’s the cam position sensor 99% of the time 

Edited October 16, 20186 yr by trreed

Unless it blows the entire top off ICP sensor like it done to my fire chief.

Ha!  Did it get a new HPOP after that one? Or was there a plug somewhere? Or did the dummy plugs/stand pipes fail?

Nope. Just the top of the sensor blew off. Replaced it and put the truck back in service. I even drove it on this year fire.

We get a lot of 7.3L trucks with bad cam sensors. Iv done several sets of injectors as well. After working on these trucks I think any Cummins is as easy as an oil change to work on. 

On ‎10‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 8:54 AM, Marcus2000monster said:

I put a OEM intak back in becuase I wanted a quieter turbo and I got it. I’m keeping a very close eye on the filter and box to ensure no warping or cracking. If this happens I will switch back to BHAF.

 

I made my own silencer for the BHAF and now the BHAF is much quieter inside and outside of the cab than the factory air filter box and filter.  I used a ribbed 3" perforated plastic drain pipe as the silencer.  I modified a piece of my son-in-law's exhaust pipe from an '06 truck to make an airtight connection.  I sealed the plastic pipe inside  the modified exhaust pipe piece.

 

The turbo whistle is completely gone now (the one sound I liked) and the exhaust brake is much quieter now. It is amazing how much sound is generated from the intake side of the engine.

 

- John