Well, here I am. !st. post for a newbie. Right off the bat, I apologize for any dumb questions that have probably been asked before. I have a 2001 I picked up a few months back from the original owner with 154,000 miles on it. I am told that it has had the lift pump replaced twice and the vp44 replaced once. The truck is all stock. It also had a dealer replaced trans at 127,000 miles as I have been told. I want to install an after market lift pump and stay as close to stock equipment as possible. After reading here and on the other forum I am thinking that the Raptor 100 in front of the stock fuel filter/fuel heater would be the way to go. I guess what I would like to know is about the relibility of this particular pump and or any pump that would allow me to keep the stock filter/heater. I will probably never hot rod this truck with any increase power mods. I would also like some suggestions as to a good quality (proven) fuel pressure gauge. Thank's for puttin up with a new guy, and thank's for your time and attention..........Hood Latch

Dan... Now you can see why the AirDog 100/150 or the FASS 100/150 is popular now...

[*]Lifetime warranty

[*]Pre-filter and water separator before the pump.

[*]2-3 micron filter after the pump

[*]All new hardware (fitting and brackets for relocation)

[*]All new 1/2" ID hose to replace all fuel line from tank to VP44

So now start adding up the part and kits and I bet you're going to come really close to the same price. But the other thing is the pump will not have a lifetime warranty...

So if you do a AirTex pump, Vulcan Big Line, a good pre-filter your weakest link will be the AirTex...

Probably a Raptor 100, big line to the stock fuel filter and a new sending unit in the tank with the 1/2" pickup. Have I got it right yet or am I still messed up lol? I might just have to get the Visa card out next week and order everything once I get my grocery list correct Also do I retain the banjo fittings at the stock filter or do I want them to be MIA?

Raptor comes with full hardware, plumbing, etc... It doesn't require a 1/2" drawstraw though... Stock sender is good enough for 100 GPH.

Since I need a new sender I'm probably just as well off to go ahead and get the 1/2" drawstraw at the same time

Since I need a new sender I'm probably just as well off to go ahead and get the 1/2" drawstraw at the same time

learn from me...don't cut the filler neck...get the upgrade straw

Well, maybe now I should be rethinking this project. I was sort of settled on the Airtex at the OEM side of the block location with a big line kit between stock filter housing and vp44 that will allow me to use "tee" fitting for my mechanical pressure gauge. But, I guess I should also have a pre-filter before the Airtex as suggested by Ed, which makes good sense to me. Do I understand correctly that the Airtex (even with a pre-filter) will probably not give me as long a service life of say a Raptor 100? If it will not, then maybe I should be considering going with Raptor. Would the Raptor also require a pre-filter to help insure reliability, or would the built in screen of the Raptor suffice? Again I would like to keep the stock filter/heator as it can get frigid here in my part of the world. Sorry if I seem to be asking a lot of questions about this project, but I really would like to do this one time and end up with a good reliable solution for a stock engine. Any and all comments are appreciated..........Hood Latch

I have the stock lift pump with a new rotor that I had made at a [EDM] tool and die shop for [$200] that doesn't have the plastic adapter in it that strips out so for now it's ok but I think that I too will be going with a Raptor 100 mounted on the frame rail by the tank. I thought about the airtex too but I don't wanna play this fuel pump game all year long. I just want a dependable system and the Raptor 100 looks like a good way to go to me for a stock situation.

I have the stock lift pump with a new rotor that I had made at a [EDM] tool and die shop for [$200] that doesn't have the plastic adapter in it that strips out so for now it's ok but I think that I too will be going with a Raptor 100 mounted on the frame rail by the tank. I thought about the airtex too but I don't wanna play this fuel pump game all year long. I just want a dependable system and the Raptor 100 looks like a good way to go to me for a stock situation.

Dan, the Raptor is $389. If you are gonna spend that much you may as well spend the extra $110 and get the Air Dog 150. In my opinion, there is no reason to have these Raptor pumps. They cost nearly as much as an Air Dog or FASS and are not nearly as good. It is likely something you will eventually upgrade to in the future. Why pay for it twice?

Man this truck is starting to make my race car parts look like a good deal, lol. I don't understand why any of these pumps are so expensive. Hopefully they are made either in the USA or here in Canada. What do the big rigs use for lift pumps?

That was my reason for suggesting the Airtex pump. For a stock application, they do just fine. Call Eric at Vulcan and ask him what kind of return/failure rate these Airtex pumps have. I did a year ago. At the time, he said he had sold 100's of them and of the returns that he had, there was nothing wrong with most of them and only a few had failed. For $162, you can buy 2 Airtex pumps. Install one and keep one for a spare if you want to really be sure to be reliable and you would STILL have less money spent and 2 of these Airtex pumps I suspect would last beyond the life of the truck or you. Is the Airtex pump as good as an Air Dog or Fass or even a Raptor.......heck no but they cost less than 1/2 as much and they get the job done pretty good on stock trucks.

Edited January 3, 201015 yr by LiveOak

I got a quote here in Canada yesterday of $199 for the E7153 Airtex pump but the woman that owns the parts store said that they have had alot of problems with some airtex products and wouldn't recommend it. That pump retails for $341.97 in Canada. It is $161 at Autozone in Detroit and i only live a few miles from the border which is why i buy most of my parts in the USA. Less $$ = more cents for me. The other problem on my truck is that the airtex requires removal of the stock banjo fitting from the quick disconnect at the stock lift pump location and after 8 years in salty winters that quick disconnect is rusted shut and won't release. I haven't looked to see how far back that line goes from the inlet of the stock lift pump. All the way to the tank maybe? If I did go with the aairtex pump would the stock location be ok? It seems like it should be moved to the frame rail too since I think these pumps like to push rather than pull.

I got a quote here in Canada yesterday of $199 for the E7153 Airtex pump but the woman that owns the parts store said that they have had alot of problems with some airtex products and wouldn't recommend it. That pump retails for $341.97 in Canada. It is $161 at Autozone in Detroit and i only live a few miles from the border which is why i buy most of my parts in the USA. Less $$ = more cents for me. The other problem on my truck is that the airtex requires removal of the stock banjo fitting from the quick disconnect at the stock lift pump location and after 8 years in salty winters that quick disconnect is rusted shut and won't release. I haven't looked to see how far back that line goes from the inlet of the stock lift pump. All the way to the tank maybe? If I did go with the aairtex pump would the stock location be ok? It seems like it should be moved to the frame rail too since I think these pumps like to push rather than pull.

if possible...you should try to move to frame rail...no matter what pump you buy. they won't be worked as hard(i believe thats why dodge started putting them in the tank)

Dan, the Raptor is $389. If you are gonna spend that much you may as well spend the extra $110 and get the Air Dog 150. In my opinion, there is no reason to have these Raptor pumps. They cost nearly as much as an Air Dog or FASS and are not nearly as good. It is likely something you will eventually upgrade to in the future. Why pay for it twice?

that is what i said...that is why i have an airdog, and not a raptor...my wife says i'm cheap...but i spent the extra so i would have to f*** with it later!

Edited January 3, 201015 yr by guesswho512
why...way..whats the diff?

I got a quote here in Canada yesterday of $199 for the E7153 Airtex pump but the woman that owns the parts store said that they have had alot of problems with some airtex products and wouldn't recommend it. That pump retails for $341.97 in Canada. It is $161 at Autozone in Detroit and i only live a few miles from the border which is why i buy most of my parts in the USA. Less $$ = more cents for me. The other problem on my truck is that the airtex requires removal of the stock banjo fitting from the quick disconnect at the stock lift pump location and after 8 years in salty winters that quick disconnect is rusted shut and won't release. I haven't looked to see how far back that line goes from the inlet of the stock lift pump. All the way to the tank maybe? If I did go with the aairtex pump would the stock location be ok? It seems like it should be moved to the frame rail too since I think these pumps like to push rather than pull.

Dan, the Airtex pump is a direct drop in replacement pump for the OEM Carter, engine mounted pump. It fits upto and uses the existing factory fuel fittings the Carter pump does. I used the exact same fittings the Carter pump did when replacing it with the Airtex. The only thing I had to do was to make a very small been in the fuel lines going up to the Dorman fitting by the pump to make them align with the slightly different position of the fuel pump inlet. When I changed the location of the Airtex pump I put on the wife's truck from the OEM stock locatation to the frame below the fuel tank, the pump made about 3 psi more fuel pressure. It was a very straight forward drop in, plug and play pump replacement.

Next time i'm under the truck i'll take a look and see what's up with the fuel lines at the tank just to get familiar with it. A better idea would be to do it on a hoist rather than working on my back all of the time.

Next time i'm under the truck i'll take a look and see what's up with the fuel lines at the tank just to get familiar with it. A better idea would be to do it on a hoist rather than working on my back all of the time.

Not to steal the thread... But that why you grab a beer and let you friends do it for you... (good ol' Taz to the rescue!) http://forum.mopar1973man.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=160&stc=1&d=1262616163 Seriously... That a good idea to actually crawl in and look and learn. Even in your get a creeper and lay under the truck and look at stuff for an hour is better than not knwning at all...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ OMG did anyone call an ambulance. Looks like a "Hold my beer and watch this" Moment.:thumbsup:

It looks like the floor that I usually work on except that mine is gravel, actually it's a driveway.

Hey,That's not a good place to be!!!!! I vote on an Air Dog II!!!!Later,Winslow

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ OMG did anyone call an ambulance. Looks like a "Hold my beer and watch this" Moment.:thumbsup:

1. Taz is the ambulance driver... (Seriously!) 2. The driveshaft has to come down to get the front band released. 3. The tank is completely empty. 4. I was the one with a beer and camera in my hand... I actually got a 30 minute video of us putting the truck back together and raising hell... But YouTube don't take big videos like that...:eek:

I actually got a 30 minute video of us putting the truck back together and raising hell... But YouTube don't take big videos like that...:eek:

chop them into pieces, like for that vp44 install vid