JAG1

Might be a good idea to get a can of liquid nitro to spray, make the nut cold and then loosen with the engine warm? Or is that a bad idea? IBM, I promise not to 'fix' until I have to. Thanks.

So should I just leave them alone till the time comes to change injectors?

I'm sorry I can't answer your question. I hope others will jump on board soon with better advice. I know very little about power mods. I used to be in a lot of trouble over an impulsive lead foot. I had to quit that How come we haven't seen you around in awhile? You have a nice truck ....just like mine... a black sport lol. I just bought a matching black 2001 for my main work truck. Neighbors still think I have one truck with both being black like they are.

I think air is also getting trapped in the hand primer pump that's built in above the filter base on the Racor. I need to add a bleeder valve to get that air out, making it also easier to fill any new filter with the hand pump. I also see now how the two line system as I have can create it's own air with a wild gauge from cavitation. I thank you guys for the links and discussion. BTW, remember me saying I can't crack the injector lines loose as the P/O really hammered them tight. So till I get the right size crows foot I found that I can crack open the fuel line to the VP and bleed/prime that way. Never knew you could do that. I guess the VP tends to hold enough fuel when changing filters or just that it is close enough to the return to help itself bleed off the air.

Combined with changing the filter 2 times with dirtiest filter I ever saw in measly 700 miles, I'm hoping you guys right. That be nice cause I need a break from truck problems for awhile

Funny thing.... this morning I drove around to a couple places. Dang thing is starting to.... what I believe, steady itself. Will know for sure Monday, job takes me a lot further.

Is that test on the batteries or off the back of the alternator?

So all this discussion has helped me understand that the gauge swing (high and low gauge confusion) is from cavitation caused by too much restriction on suction side. So when the flow on the suction side is greater than the restriction on the pressure side, restriction being fuel pressure, the cavitation stops and the gauge should read steady and make it easy to properly adjust the regulator. The above is a simple way of explaining it, but is a 'lite bulb experience' to me. Thank you all. I think there may be a lot of dirt in the tank possibly clogging the pick up tube or too small of filter rapidly becoming clogged as discussed previously. Also the pre filter mounting base has a manual pump for priming the system which may have a problem. I will report back when I have time to do more tests/ work on the system in a week or so.

I am wondering...When adding grounding wires.. it hides the harmful AC ripple because it creates a more efficient route to the batteries? Why can't the DVM measure the A/C ripple thru the added grounds if one probe is on the negative battery post? I sometimes have gear hunting between 1st and 2nd. It's kind of like I'm cruising slowl,y no acceleration just letting the truck run a little bit above coasting, floating So to speak. I have not gotten rid of the issue and my A/C voltage with the Fluke is .01. So I'm cleaning existing grounds and the truck seems to be responding better in other ways but still have more to clean and tighten. Some were not snug and at worse only slightly corroded. I did have to add a ground from the alternator casing to the negative battery post because my dc voltage at the batteries was too low in comparison to the voltage at the back of the alternator. even though everything is clean tigh at the battery postst, the alternator ground was showing a poor ground connection thru the mounting bracket. Mike does not like me doing this even though it's my truck, LOL, so I promise to unhook this ground during A/C ripple tests.

The amount of insulation being thicker walls will have better framing possibly. Insulation R value will determine long term livability as my 1 inch insulated so called high end camper starts building up condensation everywhere between the outside skin and the insulation. At one point I got so much build up in winter that it ruined a circuit control board for the camper jacks. It became very uncomfortable to stay any longer so on an out of town job I brought it home and began commuting the long distance instead. Don't think cheap when buying, get the best you can insulation wise and frame wise. Don't ever buy on the spot, walk away and do your research on the unit with layout you like first. It's very easy to get very unhappy with what they are building now a days so do the searching on Google and ask loads of questions. It will sell better and loose less depreciation if you happen to change your living style. Heated tanks and plumbing is a must too. Look into every area of the unit most folks don't want to bother you'll see the good, the bad, the ugly and you'll know bud. If you want I can do a short inspection for you free of course, and give my opinion.

Joe most run of the mill RV chargers are not very good and can possibly ruin a good set of batteries. Be careful of the type of charge system before investing in good batteries. The charge controller for the solar needs to be a good one also. You can always add more solar panels and more storage capacity with the batteries but still.... I would not rely entirely on the 12 volt system. Best to have a back up plan in winter with propane and electricity hook up. You'll need a dehumidifier like said before or it gets crazy inside a damp RV in winter. I perk my coffee with propane over the stove it save coffee and tastes better. I don't like inverters much because you loose amp hrs in just going from 12 volts to 120 volts ac. I do have a small inverter for shaving and running the TV sometimes but mostly like 12 volt appliances instead. Sometimes the size and number of Solar panels is limited by the roof space on the rv or you can do like Mike..... Park in shade, yeah, yeah, and place the panels in the sun. Just some thoughts.

I think you are right on with this and will have more time to work with it and run some tests next week or so. It's interesting you came up with the term ' suction throttling' as I was thinking along the same line that causes an imbalance across the regulator. It's interesting also that my 02 truck with a 90GPH pre filter and the Raptor 100, the fuel pressure does not fluctuate and behaves normal. With the 01 truck I have gotten it to behave almost normal by getting rid of the dirt clogged 60 and going to a new 90 gph, but wanting to use up the 60's I have stored up first, till I get rid of the dirt in the tank, I changed back to a new 60 and it's behaving badly again but not nearly as bad as the dirty one. I had no idea there was that much dirt in the tank and is my fault for not dropping the tank when I changed to the 1/2 inch drawstraw and be able to flush it out.

I see then. I don't have solar and don't charge off the truck. Just use shore power and a quiet generator to charge batteries and they are only for lights, water pump, furnace fan and TV once in awhile. Everything else is propane which you need to check on once in awhile. the flexible hoses start leaking after around 10 years and the regulator needs changing every ten years as well for safety.

Mike, he's talking about his RV... how's going to fit and haul all that around rascal head?

Your 02 and my 02 act about the same with about the same set ups. Just wish I can get the 01 to behave/ stop going to 25 psi. At least I've stopped the constant pendulum action on the gauge by changing filters.

Did you guys pull the fine screen out of your Raptor lift pumps in let side? I sure did don't want a problem I cannot find. . What are they thinking anyhow? The right set up has a prefilter... always been that way too. I also pulled the basket screen and drilled the sides.

I know leaving it dump in the basket is a good thing in colder climates. I ran the return into a bucket to check the flow and was surprised how quickly it was getting warm even with the engine still cold and parked overnight. Next test is a clear piece of tubing to check for air in the lines.

Thanks Nick. The puke bottle looked like thick pancake batter oozing in big globs out the sides and all over the front. I sprayed degreaser and pressure washed and there no leaks at all today after driving. If it needed a new crank seal......... but, wouldn't it be amazing if a mechanic did that work and knew nothing about tabbing the KDP? I got a call into the P/O ,but he doesn't know anything about mechanics so I will try finding out the shop and give them the lic number and see what I can find out. Truck has same type of off white gasket sealer on both differentials, front gear case cover and cone housing on the transfere case. Truck might be a real honey of a truck. P/O said he always had fluids changed.

I noticed working on my 2001 tonight, I just bought, had the front gear cover pulled. What would be some reasons to have to do that? Truck had 190,000 on it when I bought it and other than a KDP tab, which I doubt on an 01 or they dropped the keyway down the gear case when they changed the VP44, I don't know any other reasons on a truck that is low miles in my estimation. Thanks to you all.

What about cold mornings isn't it a bit lower than average and then increases as it warms? Mine acts like that only a lot more radical.

Thank you matt it is acting a bit more normal with the new filters on there and adjusting the pressure down. I think when I go back to the 90 gph pre filter it will be better like before when I reported above. I need to get the return 'Td' to go into the tank fuel fill vent line which puts the hot fuel elsewhere and not into the basket as the draw straw. I think the hotter fuel makes for easier fuel flow and causes pressure to rise on acceleration. Combine that with weak batteries in the mornings and higher voltage when the engine runs, is contributing to the problem. I'm also going to clean more grounds which seems to be helping more normal pressure changes, such as going down when on accelerating.

Another update; I put on a 90 GPH primary filter and new factory filter and as said before, seemed to solve the problem since they were clogged with debri from P/O buying marginal fuel. I next got to thinking about how I still have dirt and debri in the tank and wanting to use up the only new 60 gph filter I have left... you know... a lot of junk in the tank will quickly clog another filter so I put the new 60 to use temporarily and help clean the fuel. So now the problem of fuel pressure immediately comes back with pressures going well above the desired 19 psi, it is jumping to 24 psi on acceleration. I do not understand since a slower flow filter before the lift pump should cause a drastic drop on acceleration rather than an increase. I'm lost on this one everyone. The only thing I can think of is having weak batteries, they are old btw, would cause low voltage at first until the charge system could build up the batteries and drive pressures up with engine revs. Another issue is the return fuel getting warmer and dumping in the basket where the pick up tube is..... as I accelerate the F/P increases as the fuel warms up, hot fuel getting dumped into the same basket as the pick up tube. I need to get the return dumping elsewhere, possible new batteries, and after fuel is cleaner change back to the 90 gph filter. But for the life of me cannot understand the amount of increase on acceleration with a slower flow pre filter.

That's what I do too, is get rid of screens down in the fuel tank so dirt will go to the primary filter where I want it and can get to it. Dave Ripley, just make sure you don't have more than 3/10ths of a volt drop in voltage when you go from the back of the Alternator and then see what you have at the batteries. I had 14.8 at the alternator and only 14.2 at the battery. Had to take a rest yesterday so I've improved that some, about half by cleaning grounds. might have Tuesday off and will finish cleaning PCM grounds and one other battery ground on the block behind the oil filter. I want to pull the pin connector off the ECM and inspect also. What's nice about this 01 truck is everything seems to be original. Lucky deal in my book when it's just minor things so far wrong with it. I'm amazed that the guy traded the truck in this way cause it's very nice with only minor stuff I suppose others would think are major if all you have to rely on is the dealerships.

Funny thing about wood sheds whatever is wrong it's plain to see what the problem is. Electrical stuff is slowly coming to me. The more I learn the more time it takes to sink in and get thru that thick skull of mine.

Just go direct to an injection pump rebuilder. Then you get it from the best source and not retailed/ handled/ up charged 3 times. I have mechanical retail shops try charging 1250.00 to rebuild a turbo with nothing but big talk and then I call the injection pump rebuilders and they do the actual work/ get it done for $362,50 in less than a third of the time. It now runs smooth as glass. Talk the price down on the truck you are buying with the cost and time to take care of the problem and then find an honorable rebuilder happy to do it for you. You just have to talk to the right people. .