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I know its been long overdue to do some background code work to fix some of the server configuration issues. You have o remember I was working on the changeover from CentOS to AlmaLinux and the different control panels from cPanel to InterWorx. I've hit a few walls on getting the server cleaned up. I've got to build a whole new my.cnf for the MariaDB software. So bare with me I'm working in the background and trying to make this a fast server once again. The other problem is start getting people that want to write articles and build the site information up. Lot more to come soon.

Hey Gang, I've managed to get Thor running for the first time in 2 years. I opted for a stock fuel pump for right now since I'm missing parts yet for the AirDog 150 fuel system I've got I'm looking for a bracket for the pump. I have good positive pressure for the CP3 injection pump. I need to find out what the misfire and studdering are about. Cold start it's a bit long cranking not bad. Once it starts it runs rough and smokes white. I've got a set of @dieselautopower +50 HP injectors installed and had them sent back to DAP and found one injector had an issue and was repaired and sent back. Then I ordered a set of o-rings and replaced all o-rings on injectors and cross-over tubes. Once warmed up all roughness is gone. It runs good and strong for what it is. I can even do the oil cap test and the cap does not even move. I'm trying to figure out the cold idle roughness and warm up smoke them once warm it drives and runs great. Even yesterday I drove to town and got 50 dollars of fresh diesel fuel to make sure its got enough cetane and pour point depressants. Currently 39*F here. Last problem in this category is the grid heater light came on yesterday and dinged 10 times signaling its high flow rates of the CP3. It idles at about 7,9xx PSI of fuel rail. At 1,500 RPM its pumping up to 11,8xx roughly and appears the fuel rail is building good pressure. With Thor being my project I plan on writing articles as I get things figured out. So anyone give me a hand on this? Monday I'm going to put insurance and registration on Thor and he's going to become my daily runner. Why? Beast finally needs shop time and the rear main seal is leaking. Thor becomes the primary rig for now while I gather supplies for Beast and get my help here to remove the transmission and transfer case so we can access the rear main seal. Thor is also going to lose the heavy flat bed and front bumper soon. I'm going back to the lighter factory box and tailgate then factory bumpers and ditch close to a full ton of steel. Thor is fat at 9,300 pounds even empty.

This is an entirely new method of not just relocating the controller but making one from scratch. It's independent of an ECU. I made a github project with all the details https://github.com/Greatwrk/VP44-EXPLORER

We have pumps on the shelf. We also have seals. If that is a an option/ you can determine the part # you need. There is an exploded view picture and part #s here http://www.sparesbosch.ru/results_bosch.php?article=0460426114

Sadly. I would remove the injection pump and see about getting a rebuild kit and replace all the seals including the front seal too so the diesel fuel doesn't leak in the crankcase. Reman pumps are available from @dieselautopower . I would consider that being the governor spring and other internal parts do wear out. So before performing any repairs I would highly suggest removing the pump from the truck. That cover should have 4 Allen bolts holding it on. Be careful the Governor Spring is attached to the cover and could be replaced but be careful not to stretch the spring. Serioyusly I would just consider a reman'd pump at least then the pump is in good shape to keep running.

Another update. Medically I'm healing slowly. Finally made it past my first cancer check and still going. No medical appts except for PT which I need to help ditch my spare tire. I need more core strength to prevent having hernia anytime soon. Still a risk with any heavy lifting. Tidbit that is funny that my makeup and Goth look now has nurses betting with money what I'm going to be wearing. Yeah it true I just was down getting resized from 1 inch stoma to 7/8 inch stoma and change the Rx. The nurse was overjoyed when I was there with my black and purple hair and makeup.

First, and foremost, I was inspired to perform this modification by @Mace (a new member with lots of knowledge) who provided the idea - I never would have thought to do it on my own. I also want to thank him for providing the "how to do it " information as well as a list of parts. Well, I am finished, but I didn't do it the way Mace from Kamloops did it and in no way is my modification any better that what Mace did - in fact, some may prefer his modification over mine. After much of going this way and then that way and then repeating myself, I just finally came to a stand still. So, I stopped working and started thinking about what I really wanted - which was: * I want the engine noise that is being transferred through the throttle cable into the cabin - Gone! * I want the APPS throttle assembly removed from the engine. So, after re-thinking this AGAIN, I thought why not just remove the assembly from the engine and re-mount it elsewhere in the engine compartment? That way, nothing changes: * I keep my fast idle solenoid * I keep the adjustable throttle stop * I keep the 45° sweep of the APPS * I eliminate the transmission of engine noise into the cab. * I get the delicate APPS away from the pulsing, vibrating engine! So, that's what I did. There are no changes inside the cab. I just relocated the complete throttle assembly to a place between the brake master cylinder and the oil dipstick tube. I fabricated a custom mounting bracket and used two existing bolts on the the hydraboost / brake master cylinder unit for mounting the bracket. This photo shows the custom fabricated mount and its new location. Two more sets of bolts and nuts and the throttle assembly is mounted. Everything is easily serviceable. The throttle unit can be unbolted (either from the hydraboost or the APPS mount) with just two fasteners. The unit can be lifted up and laid flat for throttle cable disconnect / replace. The APPS can be removed / installed without removing the throttle assembly. The idle stop and the fast idle can be adjusted with the engine running. The fuel filter is easy to remove / replace. Now for the best news - the noise is gone! Absent! Doesn't matter whether or not my foot is on or off the throttle or if cruise control is engaged or not. I didn't realize it until now, but that rattly noise was always there to some degree at every throttle position - including foot off the throttle. When I turn on the Fast Idle switch now, the tach goes to about 1150 rpm and is steady as a rock (used to float +/- 50 rpm). Shoulda done this about 393,000 miles ago! - John

I truly believe that the amount of apps sensor failures are because of the vibration they absorb being engine mounted. Ram eventually went to a pedal apps setup in the later 3rd gens. Well done, looks good!

I would be more interested in observing rail pressure during the long cranking periods, not when the engine is idling. If the rail pressure is well below 4,500 psi during long cranking, then you know that you have fuel bleeding off somewhere. If it stays around 4,500 psi or higher during the long cranking period, then you know something else is going on. Either way, it offers information. As far as the chimes, are the "grid heater light" and the "wait to start light" the same item on a 2006 common rail truck? Here is what I am finding: WTS and 5 chimes - "The WTS light and chimes are a leak detection DTC, which means that the fuel calculation between the used versus demanded is out of range.." - John

I have both tools. Rail at idle and at RPM listed above. These injectors just came from @dieselautopower a year ago and truck has not been driven but one 70 mile trip and parked and sat for another year due to a bad lift pump had zero pressure and hard start. I'm going to put a Schrader valve in and be able to test the lift pump and verify fuel pressure. I'm also going to verify the crossover tubes are tight and seated correctly. @Tractorman if you find the wait to start chime numbers let me know. So far I've found out 5 and 10 chimes are different. I'm assuming 5 is grid heater issues?

My knowledge is fairly limited regarding the 3rd generation trucks. If you don't already have these tools, a couple of tools I recommend would be a scanner that can read commanded rail pressure and actual rail pressure, and an injector block off tool. I have used them in the past and they have helped me diagnose a faulty injector. I know that when the engine is cranking, if the fuel rail pressure is below 4,500 psi, the ECM will not command injectors to fire. - John

I haven't stacked tuners. That i know better than to do. Truck just feels like it's got way more power with the smarty over the edge. Maybe I'll have to plug the edge back in. I got both of these tuners with my 2 2nd gens I own. I'll check out the quadzilla. Just have a hard time justifying the cost with the condition of these trucks. Although I may start cutting apart and welding in new body panels this spring.

That's what I'm kinda trying to avoid. Got friends with software on laptop and connections to reprogram auto computers. But if it needs fixing prior to that I'm not sure if I'm able to source the parts. Soldering on a pcb isn't difficult for me these days. I struggle to pay others to fix things I can teach myself to fix. But I may end up having to break down and do this.

Chipped key required you can't start a 3rd Gen truck without chipped key near the ignition lock. Thor is that way and without the chipped key it will start and run a very short time like 2 to 5 seconds then the engine shuts down and a red light on the lower right of cluster. This is chipped key is required to keep it running.

It doesn't matter which return fitting on the pump the power steering or power brake return hose goes to; they both empty into the reservoir there for are interchangeable. As @Tractormansaid there is no benefit adding clear return tubing. I've seen it take 2days for the entrained air to vacate the system so be patient.

I think it will be good for you to take a break from this - should help to clear your mind. In the mean time I will attempt to offer an explanation of how the power steering / brake hydroboost system works. The power steering pump and its integrated flow control / relief valve are fastened to the reservoir. The power steering pump is a fixed displacement vane pump. The flow control valve portion of the integrated flow control / relief valve ensures that there is always about 3 gpm of power steering fluid flowing, regardless of engine rpm. This steady flow of fluid gives the steering a good feel under all operating conditions. The relief valve portion of the flow control / relief valve is set at about 1450 psi (not the 4500 psi previously mentioned). Its purpose is to set a maximum pressure to allow work to be done and to also protect the pump and other components within the system. Since pressure is directly related to resistance to flow, the pressure in the system will always vary and will only reflect the work being done by steering or brake applications at any given moment. Most of the time the power steering pump is operating at a pressure far, far lower than the power steering relief valve setting. Power steering fluid leaves the pump at 3 gpm and passes through the brake booster control valve at 3 gpm and then passes through the steering gearbox control valve at 3 gpm and finally arrives at the reservoir at 3 gpm. There is always 3 gpm of power steering fluid flowing through the system regardless of engine rpm and regardless of what components are being operated. The ONLY time fluid flow will be stopped is if the pressure of the fluid is forced to rise above 1450 psi - then the fluid will return directly to the reservoir via the internal relief valve. So, actually the pump will still be providing 3 gpm of flow, but the flow will be returned immediately to the reservoir. The brake booster has a small nitrogen pre-charged accumulator that holds a charge of hydraulic fluid in reserve to provide a couple of brake applications in case of power steering pump failure. The brake booster has a priority control valve to hydraulically charge this accumulator immediately with power steering fluid on engine startup - probably less than one second to charge. The brake booster also has a control valve that uses some of the power steering flow to assist with brake applications. As far as a description of the hoses, there are two high pressure supply hoses in the system. One high pressure hose leaves the pump and connects to the brake booster, the other high pressure hose leaves the brake booster and connects to the steering gear box. There are two low pressure return hoses in the system. One hose leaves the brake booster and returns fluid to the reservoir, the other hose leaves the steering gearbox and returns fluid to the reservoir. The brake booster return hose will flow very little fluid - some from calibrated valve internal leakage and the occasional spurt from the release of the brake pedal. The steering gearbox return hose will always be flowing 3 gpm. The main reason there is much mystery regarding getting the air out of the system when replacing power steering components is that the small amount of fluid in the system gets recycled very quickly. The power steering pump is flowing 3 gpm and there is only about 1/2 gallon of fluid in the system. So, that means that the fluid leaving the reservoir is being returned to the reservoir in about 10 seconds. Any large globs of air do not have enough time to get removed to the surface while in the reservoir if the engine is running. This is why placing the front axle on jack stands and manually turning the steering wheel slowly from stop to stop without the engine running is the recommended practice. Do you mean "out of the pump" or "out of the reservoir"? Is the fluid being forced out around the cap? Is the cap installed? Aggressive turning of the steering wheel will make the flow pulse because the abrupt additional displacement of fluid from the cylinder in the steering gearbox will be added to the flow. So, what you are seeing could be normal. Hope this helps. - John

The battery referenced in the diagram is the driver side battery. Let us know what you find. - John

Using a test lamp, did you check all the places that should have power? I would do some testing before replacing parts. - John

Very sorry to hear this, be well. W-T

Sorry for your loss.

Your father was very fortunate to have such a thoughtful and caring son. - John

So sorry for your loss. Really hard when you have a great dad.

I appreciate the sentiment Mike. I hope it’s not too long until you’re healed up and full of energy. I’m considering the hotshot route, getting in touch with a specific company is my preferred choice but so far all I can find is dispatchers and I’m trying to avoid paying them to be a middle man. As far as the truck, I’m not sure what’s going on. I got it way too hot a few weeks back 1600 degrees for maybe 3 seconds or so and shortly after that it’s been leaking and I think consuming oil. I’m not great at diagnostics and haven’t had a chance to look at it really close. So I’d like to get it to Illinois where I have knowledgeable friends and an indoor workspace. I work out of eastern Montana in summer and have to work on my truck on the side of the street. I’m not tough enough to do that during winter haha

I am sorry for the loss of your father; please accept my condolences. The memories he gave you will last a lifetime.

To add to what @Mopar1973Mansaid, @dieselautopower will have a reman that has been tested and calibrated properly. They're good people there and really know their stuff.

Again here we go... Ugh! I started PT today and trying to strengthen my core. I've lost a lot of muscle mass and control over some areas of muscles that are weak. My PT doctor is working on getting more info on my limitations. As for today was an intro to how am I doing. Well not too good sadly, but it is fixable. Just in a few exercises I'm sore already and need to keep going and working on building my strength and movement. Almost a full year since my start which was December 17, 2023 today is December 11, 2024. Now to try and build back some to get back to a normal life.

Not a prob. When parts have hundreds of thousands of miles a reman is best.

I did the W-T mod, I went with the 150amp breaker and did the fuse on the PCM while I was at it. I replaced the altenator when I got the pickup because it had a bearing noise, I used a Bosch replacement from orileys. I Didn't know anything about the ac noise or ripple test at that time. I went from .041 to .021 after doing the W-T mod. For future reference for anyone that reads this my 99 took a M6 bolt for the case grounds not an M5. I'll pull the Altenator and have it tested when I send the ECM in to get fixed. I got rid of that wire and it hasn't seemed to effect anything one way or the other.

In the new space for body/paint at "my guys" place.

Simple remove the alternator walk into a NAPA or similar and tell them you want it benchtested make sure you ask about having it tested for AC ripple. Then if you replace the alternator test the new one the same way before you leave the store.

Reverse. How about firing up a Cummins and driving 20 miles and still have little coolant temp because the engine doesn't make much heat even with 200°F thermostat from a 6.7L.

It is easy to test if there is noise being transmitted by the throttle. Set the cruise to about 65 mph and take your foot off the throttle. If there a noise, or a change in noise, or a noise that goes away (or gets worse) when you touch or rest your foot on the throttle, then you know there is engine noise being transmitted by the throttle. The noise is like a buzzy / rattly sound. Mine was there since the day I bought the truck. I just thought it was normal. Occasionally, my wife would ask me, "What is that noise?" and I would go, "Yeah, annoying, isn't it?" If this noise is occurring in your throttle, it is not necessary to re-mount the throttle assembly in the same place that I did, it just needs to be detached from the engine and mounted somewhere else. - John

Duly noted. There is sealant inside the heat shrink and I wrapped the wires full length with electrical tape. Just not shown in the photo. I just recently started using Deutsch connectors, so I will invest in the crimping tools. - John

It used to be mounted on the left side front of engine. The piece in the photo can be removed, as well. I left it in place because that is where my coolant filter is mounted. It uses the two holes on top. Very little additional cost. A couple of Deutsch connectors. - John

Awesome mod John! I'd like to do this to my 01. Can you please provide the length and measurements of your bracket? Can I do this without issue with my auto trans throttle valve cable?

I'm watching this I want to see how this turns out. also @Mace and @Tractorman, if one or the other of you guys maybe do an article step by step that would be awesome. (Lots of pics! I'm a visual learner)

In 2000, I was working in Vehicle Maintenance at the Copper Mountain Ski area in Colorado. We started using Wabasto heaters on our buses. Nothing like opening the doors on a 10°F below zero morning and stepping into an already warm bus. - John

I’m sure there is. Anything can be improved upon. I'm just stating what the ISB calls for. Those 3 are knock-offs. Just wanted to show a pic with a Cummins part number to show how crafty they’ve gotten. Just use what you have and you’ll be fine.

Well, Elvis (TODD) has left the building...off to paint!

I decided to open source my stand alone VP44 electronics project. I started a github repository. It's far from a bolt on replacement. It's just a prototype but it has been running reliably for a couple of years now. Unfortunately, it's not a project for beginners and requires good soldering experience and there is one surface mount part on the board. The circuits have some high energy parts and requires some testing before operating. The software is not simple and has time critical routines. An in depth understanding of the MCU internal peripherals (timers, PWM) is also required. Any mistakes in assembly or coding can cause permanent damage to the fuel solenoid or speed sensor. My project explores the electrical operation of the mysterious VP44. I included some diagrams and tutorial. The mechanical operation is described on various websites so I skipped it. It may help to review some of those sites. https://github.com/Greatwrk/VP44-EXPLORER

Thought I would take a minute and share why I've been a little absent from the site lately. I will try to condense this some as it has been over a year long process. My dad was in a bad car accident on Oct. 7th 2023 which landed him in the hospital for quite a long time between his injuries, emergency surgeries, various infections along the way and lots of rehab to finally get him back home to live nearly 1 year later. After about 3 weeks at home he passed away. He was on some pretty heavy duty blood thinners to avoid clips and the like but unfortunately he began loosing his balance again. We were discussing putting him back into rehab or assisted living since he had fallen a few times at home. Not bad falls, he would just loose his balance and fall on his butt. Sadly these small falls were a huge deal for him unknowingly. His Last fall as he was getting into bed he slid off the edge of the mattress and possibly hit his head (we don't know for sure) and this caused some bleeding on the brain. (We found this out later). The feeling rendered him unconscious shortly after and unresponsive. Paramedics were called and he was transported to the hospital. 2 hours later he was on life support. He had alway had a DNR in place so the choice was made to disconnect the life support and very shortly after he passed. We then had a funeral to plan and all the stress that goes with it. We were able to honor him in a fashion that he would have loved. He was a lifetime Pittsburg Steeler fan (as am I thanks to him) so we provided him with a casket in the steelers colors and team logos, custom made by a freind of the funeral home. We also honored his service as a United States Marine which served in Viet Nam. He was provided a military burial with full honors by the VFW that he had belonged to for some many years. It's a very somber and moving experience when you witness a military funeral. I miss you Dad Go Steelers! SEMPER FI Marine