diesel4life

I'm not sure why they even make a 180 degree stat, but I would run a 190. Your engine is not very efficient at all running 165 degrees, it's no where near up to operating temp and may very well be partially sticking or worn out. I've actually got a 200 degree stat in right now, it's amazing how much warmer the under hood temps are since I installed it.

There is a lower end and upper end version of MOOG parts (at least there used to be). The better quality MOOG is the problem solver line and what I ended up using when I did my balljoints a year ago. I had done alot of research trying to figure out what the best bet would be and did read some mixed reviews as well. In the end I chose them because of my prior experiences with MOOG. I used them exclusively in all my mud trucks which saw a ton of abuse and never had a failure. If they don't hold up satisfactorilyI will replace them with something else regardless of lifetime warranty or not. I wish some of the upper end balljoints were available for the 2nd gens like are available for the 3rd gens, I would have rather spent the money once and been done with it. I would suggest you buy something greasable whichever you choose, my old joints were so dry there was dust in them which I'm sure led to the failur rather then just wearing out. Also I'm sure most are aware but the proper way to grease ball joints is to take the weight off the balljoints and then grease them..

What do you consider a high end ball joint? I was not impressed at the selection for the 2nd gen trucks when I replaced mine last year... I believe you are right, offset joints are directed more so for lifted trucks.

It's very possible you never had one, mine didn't either. Just a hose hanging down off the vent.

This sounds very familiar to the issue my friend had. I will have to call him and ask, but I remember for certain aftermarket filters were at the center of his failure and the problem never returned once he had OEMs installed.

Smarty will not fog an intersection like you see some of these clowns with big shower heads and small turbos running around blacking the sky out. I'm a little hazy at idle if I stab the throttle at idle but if I'm rolling down the road and lay into it at best I can only see a small puff initially until I start building boost then I can't see anything.

The reason I asked about the filters is because I know a guy with a Dodge/68rfe that he did a service on and used aftermarket filters. He immediately began having problems with the trans and ended up taking it into the dealer. Turned out to be the aftermarket filters he used did not meet the OEM specs. I do not know what exactly the problem was or the type of filters, but all the dealer did was replace the filters and top off and problem solved. This was several yrs ago when the 68rfe was still fairly new so this may not even be an issue anymore. Hopefully it is an easy fix.

The pump(s) I was referring to have been out on the market for some time. One of the bigger names that comes to mind is the Fuel Labs. They are actually pretty big in the drag racing market and tried their hand in the diesel market. Brushless motors, internal varaible flow rate, all high end parts built for longevity. But they just havent really taken off except that upper end of the performance market with the big horsepower. There just isn't that many people willing to plop down enough cash to buy another injection pump, but spend it on a lift pump.

You don't sit still at a red light?

Sure, but at a $800+ price tag...could almost replace a VP for the price.

6 years isn't too bad for a motor that runs non stop while the trucks is running, depending on the mileage it's seen in that time frame.

I ordered my hoses through NAPA, the only questions they asked me was year, model, and front/rear abs.... The connection on the frame rail of mine was rather stubborn as they had most likely not been apart in 13+ years. Once I had the end off the caliper, I opened up the cap on the master cylinder and heated the fitting up with a torch (I have a pencil tip for doing small things like this) It spun right apart, and probably saved me from having to replace the hard lines as I'm sure I would have wound up twisting the line, or rounding the nut off, or something else.Once apart I just cleaned the lines up with a wire brush and applied a touch of anti sieze at the end of the line to prevent the nut from siezing up on the line again. I do that on all my brake line fittings and it saves me alot of headaches down the road, but being where you are it may not be necessary. I also flushed my brake fluid at that time.

For the price of a motor compared to another pump of similar capabilities I would personally stick with what you got. It would be interesting to know the percentage of pumps that actually did fail early. We always hear of the ones that do but how many are there out there giving years of trouble free service that you don't hear about...The majority (not all) of the failures were the lower end Raptor pumps. I had one of them as well for some time, started leaking fuel internally, and it was replaced no questions asked. They did not require that I send in the old pump and had a new one on my doorstep within 3 - 4 days. My experience with their customer service has been positive. If you choose to go that route filling the warranty card out and sending it in promptly is very important.

did you use OEM or aftermarket filters?

It should sit right at 190 degrees regardless of temp. If it's fluctuating you likely have a flukey stat. Once warmed up my truck will sit right at 190 whether its 40 degrees or -10. Aftermarket units are a crap shoot at best, you would be money ahead to buy a Cummins stat once and be done with it.

Double check your ground to make sure it's tight and corrosion free. If it pops the fuse again I would pull the round cover off and have a look at the gears to make sure nothing is caught in there, though I'm pretty sure it would pop right away again if there was. The motor is easy to pull, 4 long screws and it's off. If the pump is not warrantied I would pull the motor just to have a look and make sure nothing is out of place. Could be something as simple as a cheap seal allowing fuel past the shaft. Worst case scenario they do sell motors individually so you will not have to replace the entire pump.

you are right, it does take a bit of common sense when dealing with extended drain intervals, but at the same time it really is no different then running traditional mineral oils. Whether your changing at 30k or 60k (I don't know that I would be comfortable going 100k without some type of analysis considering all the towing I do and the torque of a diesel engine and for the cost it's probably better to just change it), you still have to periodically check for contamination, abnormal wear materials, and level. Even if you went 60k thats twice the interval of dino, and the cost is not double.

I understand what you mean. Fortunately its never been a problem for me. If I'm in an area where I think I may need 4 wheel drive, I'll engage it. I don't wait until I can't go any further and then attempt to get out with 4 wheel drive. Usually by then its too late anyway. With an 7000 pound truck, momentum is key and trying to crawl out of a hole you just buried yourself in in 2 wheel drive is going to have limited success.

Yes, fuse and relay Is to the right. You should hear the relay click when you cycle the key on/off.

I dont believe the mechanical pumps recomend pulling fuel through filter elements. Not only that, but your looking at tacking on an additional few hundred dollars to a system that already costs $600+, I just don't see the value in it. The upper end ADs and FASS pumps are quite reliable and come with a lifetime warranty.

If the dealer installed the VP/lift pump, I would bet money you have an in tank lift pump. The block mounted pump was replaced by the in tank unit, and the only way the dealership would warranty the VP is by installing an in tank pump. I'm not even sure if the block mounted pumps are available through the dealership anymore. I would prefer an AD or fass purely for the added filtration they offer

I guess I've just been lucky, as I've never had the issues people speak of with the CAD systems. The only thing I've ever had to do is replace the vacuum lines between the t case and the actuator. Even my former 00 which now has over 400k miles on it (now owned by a friend) has never had any problems with the system. It would be neat to see the differences (or similarities) of the new CAD systems in the 13 trucks.

I honestly cant think of one drawback to synthetic diff oil including cost when looking at the big picture. Some synthetic oil manufacturers recomend up to 100k mile service intervals compared to 30k intervals of the traditional mineral oils. They also offer more protection at both ends of the temperature range and will not break down as quickly (hence the extended intervals) Most if not all passenger vehicles these days factory fill with synthetic and is considered a "lifetime fill", meaning the oil is fine until service of the gear sets or seal replacement is needed (or contamination is suspected). Essentially all of the service intervals in the service manuals of our trucks are based off of the oils capabilities at the time. Oils are much more advanced these days and there is really no reason to not take advantage of them and enjoy the added protection and extended service intervals.

The injection pump on my 02 TDI Beetle is a Bosch pump with an ecm mounted on top of the pump...it looks suspiciously similar to a VP pump.Just a little bit smaller, and a few less fuel lines.

So are the transfer cases different between cad and non cad trucks? I'm just trying to picture how the t case would disconnect in 2 wheel drive while the front driveshaft is engaged?