PUT NEW FUEL FILTERS ON IT. Two microns type, it will save your injectors. I also have the water separator.
Bought thru "Throttle up Industries"

Looks like a nice filter setup. Did you also change out your lift pump?

Injector issues are rare on early 24v trucks. Later common rail 03+ and up are the ones that require extreme filtration for the injectors to survive. No doubt 2 micron fuel filtration is a good thing but, not near as critical on your particular vehicle. Fuel volume and pressure should be your main concern to keep the injection pump happy.

Thanks '71. Sounds like the FASS system is the way to go then, high volume pump and good filtration. A big a** air filter and call it good?

No, on the lift pump, but good filtration can't hurt with the junk fuel at the pumps. To much crap goes by that stock 10 micron filter. Never fill up when the tanker trucks are refilling the station tanks,looks like a snow globe in the tank. Come back after its settled.

If you're planning on doing a retune for power upgrades yes. If you're leaving it stock, then I would wait until the stock lift pump starts to go. Like I said, first mod is the fuel pressure gauge. Those injector pumps are too spendy to risk.

I have FASS DRP02 lift pump with the Vulcan big line kit and relocation
bracket to mount it to the frame, from Geno's Garage, I mounted a good quality fuel pressure gauge just to keep tabs on the fuel pressure
it made a huge difference.

I bought my 02 2500, new. It is HO, 6speed, quad cab, short box, 2wd. I have put 66k miles on it now, put the FASS DRP02 lift pump on it, with in line filter ahead of the pump. Also the fuel pressure gauge from Geno's garage. That was with 28k miles on it . . . still took out the injector pump a little while later - arrgghhh !!! Only other issue was the hydraulic's going out on the clutch !! But that was repaired and all has been great !!! Stock air box/filter, stock exhaust . . . towed 7000lb of car & trailer, no problem . . . good luck !

i think that down under the G is silent on cummings---and the factory thinks 1% of the 53 blocks had core shift---other diesel sources think the number is closer to 5%-----if the truck(53) has significant miles on it it may be ok--use the 53 block to negotiate a lower price---heck you can find replacement motors for $2500 and less....

had this tractor since 03. It was purchased new at the dealer I work at, and I'm the one that serviced it. Original owner towed a pretty good size 5th wheel right out the gate so I knew it had been broken in right. They came in for a 30K service and left with a new 03 since it was "quieter". As they were signing the papers for the new truck, I was signing stuff for theirs.

By the weekend we were towing our race rig with our "new to us" CTD. Truth.... kind of disappointed on that first trip. Truck was equipped with 4.10 gears and it really buzzed the rpms when towing at speed which also hurt mpg. That and it really seemed to struggle to get going. Saw a lot of modded trucks at work and started doing my homework.

First addition was that I scored 3.55 gears from a V10 truck a co worker was trading in. We swapped axles and that made the drivability of the truck much nicer as I only had a 24ft trailer at that time. No trailer with the cruise set at 75 we'd pull down 18.

Second mod after research. Bought a used Edge EZ off a customer that was upgrading to a Comp box. While it doesn't add fuel, it brings the timing in earlier which once again, improved drivability.

About 6 mos after that mod we learned what a torque converter shudder was.... yep, damage done. Was too busy at work to properly address it, so I warrantied a converter and we got another 10K out of that one. In the mean time, I had procured a core (another perk of working at the dealer) and with a valve body kit and torque converter from Dave Goerend, built a good towing trans utilizing a stock mopar kit (borg warner). That build and lower stall converter was probably one of the best mods I did. The truck does stuff at 1600rpm that it never did stock. I have 134K on the overhaul and the fluid stays as red as can be. Money well spent. (I actually freshened my OE trans... all parts are new in box waiting assembly if need be).

Last mod about 100K ago was the addition of some Bosch RV 275 injectors. I absolutely love the drivability of this truck. Great power and runs like a dream. I also put a mech fuel psi gauge in the cab mounted on top of the steering column. For gauges I have the usual pyro, boost, and trans temp via a BD Diesel X-monitor. I still run the stock air box and oem air filter. Fleetguard fuel filter and I still run the stock style lift pump. I've never seen any reason to change. Dead heading fuel psi before your pump does nothing. Now that I have a larger trailer, and am hauling more stuff, I'm kind of wishing I had the 4.10 back . I'm actually looking for a 13 newer 2wd 3500.... it's about time.

On my ordered new 2001 2500 6 speed I moved the stock lift pump back by the tank with a vulcan kit years go @ 88k miles. At 129K I changed the lift pump just for piece of mind with a replacement stock pump. No other mods, still going strong with no hi pressure pump issues @195k miles. I do oil and fuel filter changes per the owners manual - 7500 on the oil, 15000 for the fuel.Moving the lift pump as close to the source is the key as electric pumps like to push, not suck; same principle on a drag car.

Where do I get a fuel pressure gauge?

http://www.ultrarev.com/Auto-Meter-2-1-1...nt=Auto%20Meter

this is the pod I used. I then took a hose from a fuel psi test kit, took it to a local shop where I had the ends attached to a 5ft hose. I ran that from the Schrader valve test port into my cab to a mechanical gauge. My disclaimer is to advise you only hook the hose up to the test port to check fuel psi and to leave it disconnected while operating the vehicle...

Check out Geno's garage . . . lots of good Diesel stuff there . . .

https://www.genosgarage.com/

Cheers

Mark