flagmanruss

I don't know which year they started to do this but you can get some codes in the odometer window by turning the key to on (not start) back to off 3 times... stop with it "on". Any codes will flash in that window. The LP (Lift Pump) should run for a second to pressurize the lines when the key is turned on. The LP must keep a minimum of 10 psi to the IP (Injector Pump) when running. The IP is Fuel lubricatated... Not enough fuel pressure often precipitates failure of the VP44 IP. DO NOT try to start if you don't have fuel to the IP. I hope it's not too late already.It would be a help if you described your truck in the signature space in the user control panel section. Russ

With the information in my previous posts... The "headlight" is not just the "bulb" but the whole bulb / lens / reflector system with matched components. Working with OEM reflectors / lenses the best is the most powerful bulb of the OEM type. I'd physically compare OEM style with aftermarket in reguard to the position of the fiment within the lens. Really this is just orientation & depth of the bulb. What I don't know is if aftermarket lens / reflector assemblies were designed for OEM style bulbs or aftermarket HID type bulbs. These must be matched somehow... either bought in matched sets or given specifications for the bulb purchase. Before I invested my hard earned dollars, I'd be wanting to know some answers.Russ

I've been doing a lot of reading on headlight bulbs & found the following article useful. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headlamp The tech info is fairly well down in the article. I'm wondering if ADVERTIZERS are using correct terminology / descriptions. Ads are very confusing. Some exerps: "Automotive HID lamps are commonly called 'xenon headlamps', though they are actually metal halide lamps that contain xenon gas.... All HID headlamps worldwide presently use the standardised AC-operated bulbs and ballasts..." "The average service life of an HID lamp is 2000 hours, compared to between 450 and 1000 hours for a halogen lamp" "Scientific study of headlamp glare has shown that for any given intensity level, the light from HID headlamps is 40% more glaring than the light from tungsten-halogen headlamps." "The arc light source in an HID headlamp is fundamentally different in size, shape, orientation, and luminosity distribution compared to the filament light source used in tungsten-halogen headlamps. For that reason, HID-specific optics are used to collect and distribute the light. HID burners cannot effectively or safely be installed in optics designed to take filament bulbs; doing so results in improperly-focused beam patterns and excessive glare, and is therefore illegal in almost all countries."

I want to call attention to a thread over on CDF about headlights: Feel free to real all 8 pages of it. http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/98-5- ... hless.html I've copied my post below "Light Focus. Gentlemen... I suggest folks step back & think about this. I've not replaced the lights in my sig truck... However, I had "off road" Hella (hallogen) lights in a 68 Road Runner that would easily light up a mile of straight road. The point is the expensive German optics focused the light. I've been reading every post... buying lenses on Ebay, lamps from China. Mixing parts of unknown quality. Tons of power... Has anybody looked at the ability to focus the light? This may prove to be the solution." My thought was that the filiment might be in the wrong place in the reflector/lens assembly... assembling random parts like this. Well, it seems I was on the right track... sort of. Seriously I believe "Ashby"s link to DanielStern Lighting is very revealing: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... sions.html Combining info from this site & research: H3 bulbs are conventional Tungsten filiments... straight fore & aft horrizontal coils... in a H3 atmosphere... uses quartz instead of glass allowing the bulb to be much closer. HID filiments are a horseshoe shape. A horseshoe shaped filiment is not going to focus... is impossible to focus... with reflectors & lenses designed for a different shape filiment & position. When I do mine, I'll be looking for the best straight coil filiment... if it's "only" halogen, so be it. H3 lit up 1 mile in 1968... can do so now. Russ

I have a few questions / observations: Question... WHY was the lift pump replaced? Did the Lift Pump Fail? Observation: The VP44 IP (Injector Pump) is fuel lubricated and has proved to be somewhat fragile & especially untollerant to low fuel pressure (below specified 5 psi). Often LP failure (causes low fuel pressure) will damage the IP. Observation: The VP44 was designed for LS (Low Sulfer) Diesel. The sulpher acts as a lubricant. The ULS (Ultra Low Sulfer) Diesel available now makes the fuel lubrication situation critical. Many of us use of TCW3 (2 cycle oil) as an additive is an attempt to improve the fuel lubrication. Those whose trucks have been emission tested have found no difference with the TCW3. As TCW3 is intended to burn clean, it seems a good choice. Conclusion: If the LP failed, it's likely it damaged the VP44 IP. Sorry. Russ

I gotta agree slower is better & minimum trottle. I get better mpgs with the right foot than the Cruise control. For one thing I watch the crest of a hill & back off the oil as I'm cresting not after. Down hill, I can lift foot & coast as long as speed stays in my zone. I swear downhill with trottle on... even if doing almost no work... is still fuel out! With my 4:10 gears/stock rubber, I do best mpgs on local routes with speed 45-50. I'm doing good to get high 18's overhead (right on with my stock truck) On Interstates it's a balance between need to get there & fuel econimy. I try to run 60. I'm getting 16-17. Russ

This is good to know... so this is all electronic controlled if any box can alter it. Russ

Modern A/C doesn't have near the drag of older A/C's. I can tell you that. My old gasser (C30 454, built for towing) got 11mpg... loaded, towing 9000# or empty. The only thing that mattered was turning on the A/C cost 1 mpg. I don't know how they did it but my vehicles the A/C doesn't seem to affect mpg. I read tests where better mpg with windows up & A/C on than windows down & it off.I know this is not exactly what you asked... maybe something compensates in the programming. Odd fer sure.Russell

Depending on how you use it this is pretty close to spot on... still have you checked the coolant concentrations? Too weak or too strong? Fresh? Oil? Right stuff & enough of it in all the right places?MPG? Excessive friction is an old school cause of excess heat.

I don't know what to say. My 01.5 runs on the thermostat... running light, it's a needle width under 195. Moderately working, it runs up a needle width or 2 above 195 mark. It will climb on uphills & come down, downhill. I don't know what the tollerance is.Russ

There are 2 subjects...A ) one is the ability to filter (clean) the necessary volume of incoming airB ) CAI (Cold Air Intake)A ) IMHO, the stock airbox & pleated paper filter does a decent job of keeping dirt out of a stock engine. This is a balance of restriction & air volume that is hard to beat. There may be better elements... at extra cost... but this is the baseline. We don't want any more restriction & certainly not less dirt stopping ability.I had tried a drop in K&N oiled filter... in over 10,000 miles I never saw any increase in mpg. I disguarded it because of concerns of the ability to clean the air as well as base line & the occasional oiled intake that has been reported. This may not matter in a gasoline race engine that will be torn down at frequent intervals but I hope that's not in my future. As a test, I had run the stock air box with NO filter at all... and I never saw any increase in mpg. So my experience is that the pleated paper filter is not the restriction on the stock motor... perhaps the air box / turbo itself?? I am back to running a quality pleated paper filter in the stock air box on my stock engine. One of these days I plan to splurge on a drop in NanoFiber.Modded engines add fuel, need more air both in & out to keep the EGT in the proper range. Need upglades in filter capacity & exhaust. It's kind of futile to upgrade the air filter & leave the stock exhaust. I'm not planning to mod the truck, if I was I'd be looking to increase the airflow.B ) IMHO, the CAI is a hold over from generations of gasoline engines... where cold air going into the engine makes a real difference. Why NOT in the diesel engine? The diesel is different. The diesel engine fires on HEAT from compression. A winter cold engine, has to run rich & gets lower MPGs. See the posts on winter "Cold Fronts". The intake air temperature at the filter is of little consequence on a Turbo Diesel where the turbo compresses the air... heating it. If intercooled, like the Cummins TD, then the intercooler is more important than the air temp at the filter. As Mike points out, the manifold heat warms the incoming charge... as it's designed to do. I'm sure there is such a thing as too warm... but we're kidding ourselves playing with air temps at the filter.It seems to me that the CAI is a hold over from gassers & not applicable to CTD. A high volume filter / exhaust system makes a lot of sense.Russ

I didn't notice any mileage difference between before & after... running with back of stock muffler rotted open... maybe I got used to the noise. Remember, no mods to my truck! A lot of soot under the truck. Helpful to lift body (clearance for loop over rear axle) but wheels sure don't need to come off ground. Backhoe is just sitting in my way... hasn't been started in some time. My MS doesn't like the heat... I need to get a buddy over so we can jump start it. Russ

Well mine was the OEM system that rotted out. First the tailpipe devoluped holes, then the back of the muffler failed so the tailpipe & muffler flange were not connected. I removed the disconnected tailpipe as it was thrashing the underside of the truck... fearing if it jammed against the pavement, it could really tear things up. Russ

In the past, I've improved my mpgs on secondary routes by getting the auto to shift up into OD then using minimum rpm to keep it moving as traffic & road conditions permitted... running light, of course. Admittedly, the auto would correctly shift down for minor hills but that was expected. Buying the truck with wrong axle ratio was a blunder... Russ

Just made a little jaunt with the CTD, about 300 miles each way near all highway. Note: I have stock rubber & 4:10 gears as in my signature. (IMHO, 4:10 ratio is too low unless you're going to put big rubber on it, but I own it now.)At 65.... 2000 rpm... was getting 17.8-17.9. On the way back, I dropped the rpms to 1900 & speed to 60 & mpgs went up to 18.2 With my stock truck, the overhead has always been right on. These are running right foot on the pedal, trying to get mpgs... cruise control does not feather the crest of hills & gets a bit less mpgs in my truck. Russ

Great minds think alike! My thought, like yours is that it's from the A/C. But if the engine compartment drain works, you'd think it would not back up in the cab... Ideas Guys?Russ

We've had so much rain in the NorthEast, there was flooding. Average rain for July 3"... we got 4.5 in one day & 2 more the next. Minimal fire danger... though the fireworks we were front row, had one go sideways & hit a tree. I'd rather use cannon, I know where it's aimed! Russ

I bought a complete system... 2 grades of stainless. I bought the cheaper... not nearly that expensive. Turbo to tailpipe. I bought it because the stock tailpipe rotted out & took the rear muffler flange with it. I'll be d*mned if I'd put a plain steel system back on. Russ

Of course, I will have 10 selected striped flags from my collection flying proudly. At dusk, the flags will come down to a cannon salute. We'll be able to view fireworks, from our location. Russ

I bought a 4" SS exhaust... straight through with the center pipe small louvers (mounted facing down stream of course). It is a muffler but sure can't have much restricton. I seem to recall they're available in all sizes. I shopped all over & finally bought an exhaust kit on e-bay. Took a week to get here but was as promised.Russ

I sure hear you on that. Property values tanked but that just means they raise the tax rate... anybody want to guess what'll happen if the property values rise? Think the rate will go down? HA!

Yer right, of course, but don't be so hard on the newbie! He just got carried away with the zeros! No one would b*tch if our checks had an extra "zero".

I'm not the expert but that EGT sounds too hot to me!Russ

Deisel nuts (like me) are proud of their turbo whine... OEM intakes are designed to silence the whine... or at least tone it down some. Aftermarket is about power & efficiency... without regard to whine. Russ

I always liked the big block / low deck engines... 361 cid, 383 cid... They just reved nice, ran sweet. Over many years, I've had long & happy relationships with several.My Mom had a 9 passenger grey Dodge wagon with a 361 (it blended nicely with New England fog... according to the person who hit her.) Mom had a beige Chrysler with a 361/4bbl/push button auto... It looked like the abominable snowman in New England winters. It took a lickin' & kept on tickin...That was traded for a 68 touquoise Chrysler 4 door (1 year old). 383/4bbl/auto I bought the 68 Plymouth Roadrunner 383/AVS 4bbl/auto/3.23 rear axle. A brilliant car for the open road. I kept that car until 1976... If only I'd had a place to restore it!Russ