I was going to post this on the "General car/truck discussion" forum, but that area looked pretty empty.
Some of you use Dodge pickups with the Cummins Diesel as your two vehicle, so this may be of interest. Mine died on Wednesday evening with no warning.
Pulling away from a traffic light, the truck pulled fine in 1st and 2nd... but around 2500 rpm, just before shifting into 3rd, it died just as abruptly as if you had flipped a light switch. No warning, no coughing, no chugging.
I had read before that the VP44 injector pump was prone to failure on the 98.5 - 02 Cummins engine - partly due to poor quality control during manufacture, and partly due to the design itself. It turns out that the previous design was lubricated by engine oil, but this one gets it's lubrication from the fuel itself.
This means that if the feeder pump quits, as mine did, then your VP44 will have no lubrication.
The other reason I am posting this is as a warning. Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel is now prevalent in the market (100% in CA). Both manufacturers and rebuilders are stating that the lower sulfur means lower lubricity, and means more wear on parts that get their lubrication from the fuel. In other words, VP44 failures are expected to climb.
I am installing a remanned VP44, but am upgrading to an aftermarket high-performance feeder pump and a low pressure warning light. And I guess I will be buying additives now for my fuel - or using more biodiesel, which some have said has better lubricity than the regular stuff.