Bafazane

Well, bad news. I'm getting a P0216 code now with the new pump. I've cleared the code twice and done a couple of lengthy drives, but it returns. What I'm thinking happened is: when I installed the pump, I knocked the gear out of the housing and could possibly have reinstalled the gear a tooth off. The key was installed the correct way and is seated nicely in the keyway, so it's the only thing I'm coming up with other than a faulty VP. I'm waiting for the truck to cool down so I can get the timing cover back off. My question is: how do I know the correct alignment of the pump gear with regards to cam gear? Also, does anybody know how the truck would run if that were the issue? Lower idle? Would it affect fuel pressure?

Ok guys, I bled the lines and it fired right up. It runs more smoothly and is marginally quieter than before. Not only that, neither the new crank seal nor the timing cover were spraying oil everywhere. Thanks for the help guys, hope I don't have to do that again for another 184,000 miles!

Good catch on those two differences @dripley, my "updated" case looks like yours. Maybe some others can chime in regarding their case version and whether or not the KDP bore is stepped or not. I've got everything buttoned back up on the truck and am waiting a bit longer for the gasket to cure. Then the moment of truth for my new crank seal and new VP!

If the case is the updated version, the outer end of the pin's bore will be 'stepped' to a smaller diameter than the pin, thus preventing it becoming a KDP. At least that's what mine looks like.

I did check and fortunately my my truck has the updated case, so no need for the KDP fix. I'm waiting for the new seal to be installed as we speak, so I went and got supplies to take care of the vent mod. Here's to a cleaner engine!

I'm having a hard time finding genuine Cummins crank seals around here, as well as finding out whether the other brands come with the installation tools that purportedly come with official Cummins seals, or not. I'm finding Mahle, SKF, and National seals. The shop that has the National seal said those definitely do not come with the install tools (for setting correct depth, and helping snout through seal when installing cover), as he had just installed one on an '03 cummins today. He offered to install it for me if I brought the cover down to him. Do I risk it? I know I can order the Cummins seal from out of the area, but I need to get this truck on the road tomorrow or first thing Saturday.

The good news is that I found the key (and installed the new VP44, so that if I knocked that one off too, I wouldn't have to repeat the timing cover removal)! Going to finish cleaning everything up, then break until I can head into town to pick up a new crank seal. Edit: The key fell out when I pulled the cover off, so I can't be sure of where it was laying. Even though this is a pain in the arse, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Thanks for getting back to me guys. I'm about to start tearing down the front of the engine to pull the cover off. Fingers crossed for a smooth key-ectomy.

Unfortunately, while removing my injection pump, I dropped the keyway into the gear case. I'm going to fish around a bit more to see if I can get it out easily, but I know I'm likely looking at timing gear cover removal. The two things I'm wondering about are: - Whether or not it's necessary to replace the crank seal while you're in there - What gasket maker people prefer to use when reinstalling the timing cover I've searched quite a bit but have not found any solid answers. What do you guys think?

Pump was full of fuel when I pulled it off. I swapped in onto the truck with the dead VP and it's been running well for a few days now. The difference in amount of noise between an HO versus an SO VP is noticeable. Either that or the fact that the HO pump was dying increased its noise level.

I've got a similar question. I've got a spare engine from a wrecked truck, and need to replace the vp44 on my truck. Is there anything wrong with using the pump from the wrecked truck? It's been sitting for about 3 years, but ran well before that.

My old '01 2500 5 speed had double overloads, my current '01 2500 6 speed has single overloads, both 4x4s.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a shot in the morning.

I'm placing the positive lead from my DVM on the B+ terminal on the alternator and the negative lead on the negative terminal of my passenger side battery while engine idles (warm with grid heaters not cycling).

I received my Nations 180 amp alternator and installed it today. I'm getting a fluctuating reading of .036-.042 VAC. For reference, the factory Bosch unit I replaced was putting out a steady .035 VAC. Is it possible I made a mistake somewhere on install?

So, as Mike stated, the alternator amp mostly exists the prevent frying everything in the PDC if some numbskull puts the jumper cables on backwards? Thanks for the input, guys. It seems like the 180 amp alternator is a nice middle ground between the keeping the stock alternator and going whole hog, re-wiring everything for a 230 amp or greater alternator.

If I can read between the lines, I believe you haven't put your grid heaters on a switch or disconnected them altogether. Now that you've had the Nations alternator on for over a year, are there any comments or complaints about it, especially as it pertains to starts in cold weather?

Those of you who have installed the Nations 180 amp alternator, did you replace the factory 140 amp fuse with a higher amperage fuse or modify the wiring in any way? All the alternator talk going on has piqued my curiosity on whether the factory fuse and wiring can handle the moderate increase in amperage (180) vs the major boost like W-T's 270 amp alternator.