Towing With Dodge Cummins Diesel, Improvements You Can Make for Power and Fuel Saveings Options

[Robie]

This is directed mainly towards the 98.5 to 2002 trucks with the VP44 fuel injection pump. If you have one of these towing your 5th wheel you might be interested in this if you have had an electric lift pump fail and kill your VP44 injection pump on your 2500 or 3500 Dodge Truck. I have a 2000 model 3500 Ram with 198,000.0 miles on the original VP44. In 2008 knowing all the problems with the electric lift pump mounted to the driver side of the engine. I had Dodge replace it with the so called improved lift pump mounted in the fuel tank. Cost, at that time, was $950.00 installed. I then decided to try to make some improvements to towing power and fuel mileage after the in tank pump mod. Having worked on cars and engines for some time I felt that step by step changes would be the best way to go with after market mod's. This way I could test how much improvement was gained, if any. The changes I made are listed below.

Step 1- Improve engine air flow by removing stock exhaust system and replacing with a 4 inch MBRP turbo back exhaust system. Remove stock air filter and intake system and replace with a KN cold air intake system.

Step 2- Install Auto Meter EGT gauge and Boost Pressure gauge on a drive a-pillar mount. Install Westach Diesel Fuel Pressure gauge on a steering column mount.

Step 3- Install Hypertec Hyperpack engine programer.

Step 4- Install an electric aux. fuel pump to help keep the correct fuel pressure at the fuel input to the VP44. This was something I found out when my new fuel pressure gauge told me that my, so called improved, in tank pump was only putting out 5 psi at idle and 3 psi at 60 MPH. The VP44 should have 10 psi min. head pressure at all times or it can be damaged by overheating as fuel flow is what cools it not engine oil.

I am not going into how all the mod's were installed as that would take to much space on the Forum. So if this might be for you send me an email and I can send you pictures of the mod's on my truck and more information.

Fuel mileage went from 10 to 12 mpg, stock truck towing to 14 to 16 mpg towing. After mod's non towing mpg went up to 23 to 26 mpg. This was using the level one tune on the Hypertec Programer.