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Thank you all so much for the information.this truck has 80k original miles. I went ahead replaced the stock lift pump with a new made in USA precision replacement pump from Orielys Auto Parts for $152.00 .Other than the scrapes on my forearms....I completed the fuel filter change and replaced the lift pump in an afternoon. Again thanks for responding.This is my first diesel and just trying to learn all cautions and maintenance to avoid the VP 44 replacement issue. I did fill the fuel filter housing to aid in initial start after bumping the starter. It fired in 3 attempts and is back running
now. HR 20




Don't want to rain on your parade, but if the motor ran for any length of time w/o a good working lift pump, then it may have starved the hi pressure injector pump and it may fail down the road. Fortunately the price has come down on the injector pumps but they are still a high ticket item, even rebuilt.
Best insurance you can do NOW is move the stock lift pump back by the fuel tank. There are kits that supply a bracket and new fuel line to do this. The reason your old pump died is because it's too far away from the tank, and doing mostly sucking instead of pushing fuel. The closer to the tank, the less suction the pump needs to make and the longer it will live. Electric pumps are better at pushing fuel than sucking it.