i noticed a rather loud whine coming from what i assume to be my fuel pump. is this a sign that its gonna go soon?

 

you can test the fuel pump pressure to see if its dying.

 

I can hear mine running with the key on/engine off, i assume it's normal.

 

how would i test it? its a constant noise with the truck running, loud enough to be heard over the engine.

 

get a fuel pump tester kit at autozone. and plug it into the fuel rail test port.

 

Being heard over the engine is definitely irregular!

 

agreed. Definately sounds like something's gotten worn down.

 

The pump should make a whirring noise, but only for the first few seconds when you turn on the ignition and/or start the truck. If it is making noise all the time, there is a problem in the fuel system somewhere. Fuel pumps will sometimes sing a death song before they finally quit altogther; some do and some don't.

For $16.00 you can buy this fuel pressure test kit at Harbor Freight Tools:

http://www.harborfreight.com/fuel-in...ter-92699.html

First, relieve the pessure in the fuel line:

1. Remove the gas cap
2. At the Power Distribution Center by the battery, find and remove the fuel pump relay
3. Start the truck, let it run until it stops. It will run rough for a few seconds before it finally quits
4. Crank the starter over a few times to bleed all of the fuel out of the fuel rail

Remove the cap off the Schrader Valve test port on the fuel rail, it is on the fuel rail on the left side of the engine right below the throttle body. Connect the fuel pressure tester to the valve with the hose and fitting from the kit. It's a good idea to use teflon thread sealing tape on the threads of the fittings on both ends of the hose to keep fuel from leaking out.

Replace the fuel pump relay, turn the ignition on and wait 15 seconds or so to allow the fuel pressure regulator to prime the fuel system again. Then start the truck and let it idle. The fuel pressure for your 98 should read between 44.2 and 54.2 psi. Anything less or any readings near the lower end would mean the fuel pump is bad or weak. Leave the tester connected and turn off the engine. Watch the pressure as it bleeds back down. If it drops below 30 psi within 5 minutes of turning off the engine, you have a bad fuel pressure regulator. Another sign of a bad regulator is if after the truck sits a few hours or overnight, you have to crank the engine for a long time, like more than 4 or 5 seconds before it will start. The fuel pressure regulator has a check valve in it that usually fails around 125,000 miles and it's a pretty common problem on Dakota fuel pumps. You could also have a leak in a fuel line some where, but if that were so, you would smell it. The regulator is an internal part of the fuel pump assembly, so you would have to replace the fuel pump anyway to fix it.

I replaced my own fuel pump on my 2001 about 6 months ago, it had the bad check valve problem. I bought an Airtex pump from Advance and used a 20% discount code off of their web site, bought it online, picked it up at the store and saved $40.00 on it. Regular price was $220.00, I paid $180.00. They even had it delivered from their Orlando warehouse the same day and called me when it arrived here. I have had no problems at all with it and I saved a bunch of money doing it myself. If I had paid a shop to do it, it would have cost anywhere from $450.00 $600.00.

If you wind up replacing the fuel pump, I would say have a buddy help you do it, the gas tank is cumbersome to remove and reinstall by yourself. I did mine by myself but I used a piece of plywood, 2 paint cans, some nylon ratcheting tie down straps and my floor jack to maneuver it around.

Some have also removed the bed instead of dropping the tank. That works too but you need some friends to help move the bed off and back onto the truck. Also be sure to align the installation mark on the new pump to the index mark on the tank when you install the new pump. This is so the fuel gauge float won't hit the sides of the tank and give a bad fuel level reading on the dash.

Jimmy

 

well, i decided to just replace the fuel pump, the truck isn't registered yet and i figured i have the time. i'm leaning toward just removing the bed instead of dropping the tank. all the posts I've read say its a pretty easy job. so far i can count 6 bolts holding it down. any removal tips?

 

When I did my fuel pump I tried to remove the bed. I had no one available to help me and once I got the bed loose I knew it was too heavy to do by myself. You have to have people on each side of it to lift it up over the rear tires.

But I did remove all 6 bolts holding it in place, plus the 3 screws holding the fuel filler neck in place. Before I removed the fuel filler neck mounting screws I put duct tape over the fuel filler neck hole so I would not drop a screw into the tank on accident and to keep dirt and anything else out of it while I replaced the fuel pump. I also removed my bedliner, spare tire and the tail gate. There are a couple of electrical connectors for the rear lights to unplug. Before I removed the bed mounting bolts I used a magic marker and made reference marks on the bottom side of the bed at the mounting bolt locations so that I would be able to line the bed back up in the right place and have it positioned correctly when I reinstalled it.

Other than that I would say have at least 2 or 3 friends and a 12-pack on hand before you get started. If the gas tank is empty, it is not nearly so hard to replace the pump by dropping the tank. Mine was difficult because it still had about 15 gallons of gas still in it when I removed and reinstalled it.

Jimmy