firewall holes

[Flagman]

Hi all with greater knowledge than I: I pulled the plug on the left side of the firewall, the one with the big bundle of wires coming out by the steering and going to the battery, and inserted my wire for my my new fuel pressure guage. Long story short, I can't get the rubber plug back on the firewall. There is a lip on the firewall and a grove in the plug and I can't get them to "hook" together. It makes the cab a bit noiser. Any thoughts? On another note, my fuel pressure sits at 13 idling and 9.5 WOT. I bought the DDRP by FASS but I think I'll sit tight until it gets worse. The borgeson box didnt solve my wandering problems nor did my caster adjustment but its now liveable. I'm enjoying my truck, it has 65k on it, 2001. Mark

[LiveOak]

The firewall plug, I am not gonna be much more help other than you are going to have to rassle with it until you make it join up right. Sometimes a bit of silicone spray lube helps the rubber/plastic lip slide into place easier. Your fuel pressure is on the bad/weak side of marginal. On the wife's truck, I don't like to see ANYTHING below 14-15 psi. I replace the filter first and if the pressure does not improve, then the pump. I am running a Airtex pump on her truck. If I were you, I would replace that lift pump yesterday. A couple of other areas to look at on the steering that may help improve steering wonder is the track bar: http://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/p-4728-solid-steel-industries-non-adjustable-track-bar-94-02-59l-dodge-cummins-25003500.aspx http://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/p-4727-solid-steel-industries-adjustable-track-bar-94-02-59l-dodge-cummins-25003500.aspx or you can go with this upgrade kit to the newer 2003 style track bar with rubber bushings: http://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/p-4731-solid-steel-industries-track-bar-conversion-kit-tbk-94-02-59l-dodge-cummins-25003500.aspx the steering shaft joints: http://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/p-5073-borgeson-steering-shaft-95-02-dodge-25003500.aspx and the DSS: http://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/p-4729-solid-steel-industries-steering-stabilizer-dss-94-02-59l-dodge-cummins-25003500.aspx made a noticable improvement on my truck. What condition are the ball joints of truck in?

[Flagman]

thank you so much for your input. I know this isnt a post for lift pumps and I hate to continue to talk about the issue but in all the talk and all the "opinions" I never see any facts about how many times the lift pumps fail when running below 10 psi. In other words, everyone says not to do it but how many times does it actually fail below 10? I know everyone says the VP44 is what is damaged but in multiple posts I read, the high mileage vehicles talk about how many VP44's they change and how many lift pumps. Its usually a dozen pumps and one or two VP44's which tells me the lift pumps arent damaging the VP44??? thots. Mark

[LiveOak]

Mark, The lift pumps (and I use the term EVER so loosely with Carter pumps) DO indeed damage the VP-44. Aside from supplying fuel to the VP, the lift pump's secondary but just as important mission is to cool the VP with adequate fuel flow. The VP can fail is various fashions, the rotor seizes (engine failure), timing failure (rupture of the diaphram for the timing piston), and VP-44 computer failure (typically due to overheating) http://www.bluechipdiesel.com/fassinfo.html http://www.bluechipdiesel.com/vp44diagnostichelp.html http://www.dieselpumprepairs.com/#/vp44-failures/4533030669 The VP-44 even in the best of operational conditions is not immune from failure but ensuring an adequate (read inexhaustable supply of clean, good quality fuel, at a minimum of 12 psi or higher) will help to keep the pump cool as well as properly lubricated and thereby provide the best chances for long life. Yes, some of these articles say 5 psi is really all you need. In my opinion, you need much more than that. Enough fuel pressure and volume to not only feed the pump, lubricate, and cool it, but to have enough to open up the excess fuel return back to the tank. This in my opinion will provide the maximum amount of protection. Marginal or bad lift pumps don't damage or take out the VP-44 all at once or in any one failure event but DO so over a period of time and number of events not supplying the proper amount of volume or pressure. Originally I balked at the idea of spending $500 and the work to install my Air Dog but finally did so after I replaced my 3 lift pump and my VP-44 failed with a P0216 in the LAST month of warranty. Now my fuel pressure stays NAILED to 18 psi once the engine has warmed up and the heater grids stop cycling. With all of the money I spent on lift pumps, pump relocation kits, larger fuel lines, etc. I could have just bought my Air Dog and installed it being money ahead of the game and very likely might still have my original OEM VP-44 installed. I agree that it shouldn't be this way and the Dodge should have stepped up to the plate, recalled ALL of these trucks and installed either the Air Dog or FASS or similar pump as soon as this problem appeared......but welcome to the "New" America built on "Crowney Capitalis", "screw the customer or the next guy just as long as it gets you ahead", and "the ends justifies the means" business model and general thinking process.

[rburks]

Hi all with greater knowledge than I: I pulled the plug on the left side of the firewall, the one with the big bundle of wires coming out by the steering and going to the battery, and inserted my wire for my my new fuel pressure guage. Long story short, I can't get the rubber plug back on the firewall. There is a lip on the firewall and a grove in the plug and I can't get them to "hook" together. It makes the cab a bit noiser. Any thoughts? On another note, my fuel pressure sits at 13 idling and 9.5 WOT. I bought the DDRP by FASS but I think I'll sit tight until it gets worse. The borgeson box didnt solve my wandering problems nor did my caster adjustment but its now liveable. I'm enjoying my truck, it has 65k on it, 2001. Mark

Put some liquid soap like Joy or Palmolive, that's what i do and it works good... Richie

[guesswho512]

I agree that it shouldn't be this way and the Dodge should have stepped up to the plate, recalled ALL of these trucks and installed either the Air Dog or FASS or similar pump as soon as this problem appeared......but welcome to the "New" America built on "Crowney Capitalis", "screw the customer or the next guy just as long as it gets you ahead", and "the ends justifies the means" business model and general thinking process.

you forgot, "Greed is good". -Wall Street