Piston Lift Pump Questions

[slingshot]

I guess I should clarify, the only o-rings are between the filter bowl and heater, then heater and filter head. But they are just like any other fuel filter seal. Sorry Pete, didnt understand what you were talking about at first.
Good news...
I did get my cast off of my right leg yesterday, so now I can go back truckin.

[PToombs]

Yeah, those are the ones that dry out. I pressurised my tank today and couldn't find any leaks. I had to have the boy blow air in the tank while I pumped the LP to get it to bleed to the IP. Not happy. I'll start bypassing stuff until I get it to start good, that'll find the leak!

Congrats on the cast! Now try not to break anything for a while!

[slingshot]

I got a little more info from a guy that I know and trust. He has been a mechanic his whole life(hes in his 60s), has hot rodded a few ve12 valves and he used to work at the local Case/IH dealer when I hauled their tractors for them. Now he has his own shop, and works on mostly Cummins stuff.
I stopped at his shop and was shooting the breeze,He saw the lift pump and filter head, and I told him what I was going to do. He said the screen was the best thing you could do for the piston style pump. According to him, the reason they started putting the pre-pump strainer on there was because, by design, the piston pump will not live if you get trash in it, where as the diaphragm pump would pass everything.
I asked him about the possibility of it being a leak problem, He said he has never had one leak. So I will be putting this on mine. I hope this helps.

[PToombs]

That makes sense. The old pump is a diaphragm type, and the piston is metal to metal. It wouldn't take much in there to scratch the bore and lose pressure.

I've seen quite a few posts on the heater cracked and leaking air thru the plug area, or the o-ring. They don't usually leak fuel out.

[T.winegar]

ok, just got done reading the thread and am starting to wonder if I need to do a lift pump upgrade... hmmm....

I haven't seen a price though, and how much will it help if I have stock injectors???

and where do I buy these parts?

[slingshot]

Any stock or above truck will benefit greatly from the upgrade.
There are part numbers flying all around this place, its kind of hard to know the latest ones but if you search this site for lift pump you will be entertained for hours. Plus you will find the part numbers.

[peobryant]

ok, just got done reading the thread and am starting to wonder if I need to do a lift pump upgrade... hmmm....

I haven't seen a price though, and how much will it help if I have stock injectors???

and where do I buy these parts?

Like slingshot said, even a bone stock truck would benefit from a piston lift pump. Plus, if you ever do turn the pump up, you won't ever have to worry about starving the VE.

The best place to buy all the parts is either a Cummins or Case dealer. Call both and see which is cheaper. Some find Cummins is cheaper, some fine Case to be cheaper.

[T.winegar]

100, 200, $300...? is there a ballpark guess...?

I'll have to try and find a cummins dealer around here(boise)

and if I was to find one, do I just ask for a piston lift pump for a 5.9 cummins?

[PToombs]

Nope, it's a special Ag application. If you ask like that you'll get one for a P-pump, which is the high pressure version. That's if the parts guy is nice and doesn't want a CPL number or engine serial number.
Just get the part numbers from one of the posts, and use them when you call or stop. Parts guys like numbers. They don't like to figure stuff out, they have to think and that hurts them.

[T.winegar]

the pictureat the start of this thread with the part #'s is all the things I would need correct? so I just write all those down and find a dealer

Sweet!!!

now, as far as leaks... is there a lot of trouble with putting this piston pump on the ve?

[T.winegar]

ok, so I called up rocky mountain cummins here in boise and gave the piston pump number. he said that number has been changed to #4898751. but, he still recognized the number I gave him.

as far as specifications on the piston lift pump- 30psi, 32-43gph.

is this the right one?

[Richie O]

NO.

[T.winegar]

ok, then will someone find a cummins shop that has this and give me the number!! although, you'd think they'd all be the same...

why is this pump not the right one?

[RumbleFish]

too much pressure. iirc the ve can only take 15-16psi before it pushes the seals out. you want the low pressure pump. i dont ahve the number handy, sorry

[PToombs]

I think he screwed up. That number should cross to the new version of low pressure LP. Ask him if anyone still has any of the old number, he can check on the dealer locator. Gotta be some out there yet.