Is it necessary to install a lift pump if you do the Cat 2 conversion?

I know Greg at Lubrication Specialist doesn't offer the kit anymore, I was wondering if anyone has had problems with the conversion, or with fuel starvation without a lift pump.

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In this war of lines, so many have been crossed. Where will it all stop?

2006 Deep Beryl Green CRD Sport *SOLD 1/22/12*
Provent, V6 Airbox, Fumoto, Samcos, GDE ECO & TCM Tune, Euro JK TC, Magnaflow Catback
245/70/16 Destination A/T's
Boiler's Radiator Skid Plate
Jeepin' By Al 2.5 inch Adjust-A-Strut Lift, JBA Gen 4.5 UCA's (6/5/10)

I ran mine for over a year before putting in a lift pump. Frankly, I probably got a little more leakage after the upgrade (due to having to disassemble/reassemble the puck) but in retrospect, I don't regret it. I just had to prime it a little more often. I still have the Cat 2 and am on my second filter. I'm mostly getting seepage around the heater plug, now. Sometime soon, I'll just go with a Racor unit, but for now the pump is keeping things primed enough for me not to worry about it and NEVER to have to prime it, even after a brand-new filter install. Yay! for self-priming air purge on the fuel rail.

PS. Do the pump regardless of what you do with the filter. I've had ZERO fuel or other strange throttle behaviour issues in the year that I've had it.

Dan

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2005 Silver CRD Limited
245/75R16 GoodYear Duratracs
Fumoto drain | ProVent CCV Filter
Stanadyne FM100 filter | Cummins fuel pump
GDE Eco | SEGR | BoulderBars | FrankenLift | Frankenskids

See that's the thing Dan. I don't want to bring judgment upon myself, but in the <1 year and >28,000 miles I've had my CRD, even with 2 filter changes, I have not had air-in-fuel problems. No hard starts, and except for when I have changed the filter, no priming. I would really like the added protection that the 2 micron Cat filter offers, (since I understand that the Wix/ NAPA is 10 micron, yuck) but I don't want to cause a problem where none now exists, you know?

Does anyone know why Greg at Lubrication Specialist stopped offering this conversion kit?

_________________
In this war of lines, so many have been crossed. Where will it all stop?

2006 Deep Beryl Green CRD Sport *SOLD 1/22/12*
Provent, V6 Airbox, Fumoto, Samcos, GDE ECO & TCM Tune, Euro JK TC, Magnaflow Catback
245/70/16 Destination A/T's
Boiler's Radiator Skid Plate
Jeepin' By Al 2.5 inch Adjust-A-Strut Lift, JBA Gen 4.5 UCA's (6/5/10)

Sounds like you have 2 options:

1) leave it alone. There are lots of people who have and they're doing okay. Granted, you've a little more exposed to fuel system damage.
2) get a decent aftermarket system like the Racor that many folks have put in. The swap is nearly bolt-on and the filtration options are much greater. Be as brazen or careful as you like.

I did the same thing for mine (got the conversion for the 2 micron filter), but I had already been priming the head about once a week. It's easy but IS a pain when you have better things to do.

Again, the pump is a no-brainer. If you have the funds, do both. Ultimately, anything else is a tradeoff (much like all of life's decisions).

Dan

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2005 Silver CRD Limited
245/75R16 GoodYear Duratracs
Fumoto drain | ProVent CCV Filter
Stanadyne FM100 filter | Cummins fuel pump
GDE Eco | SEGR | BoulderBars | FrankenLift | Frankenskids

I noticed something when I installed mine, the cat fitting was longer than the 0EM fitting and it was bottoming before it compressed the seal between the filter head and the heater properly. Also the OEM fitting is pretty taper when Greg's fitting is pretty square. I got out the hacksaw, cut off about the width of the hacksaw blade and made the fitting taper with a file. After that little adjustment, I noticed the seal was getting compressed much better. I don't think all the problems with the cat fitting are coming from the heater connector. The air in the filter head is not the cause of the connector getting burnt but the effect. The cause of the connector getting burnt is that the bean counters took a connector too tightly rated (ex: pin rated for 5 amps so let's pass 4.9 amps in it) when in electrical design, everything should be rated at about half of max rated power for durability and reliability. The result being that the pin is overheating causing the sealant to dry and crack around it therefore letting the pump suck air in the fuel system. I installed mine about 2 months ago with no problems whatsoever and if the connector give way, I will get the improved filter head with the proper connector and will modify it to Cat filter. I love caterpillar. They're everywhere and their parts are so cheap. I have a Racor CCV3500 on my KJ and I still don't know where I will get the replacement for it. I think John Deere is using that system also. I can imagine how hard it would be to get the Racor fuel filters in Montreal. Parker is not as friendly as Caterpillar. When came time to fit a caterpillar battery in my KJ, one of the rep, Ken in Pointe-Claire really went all the way to give me a hand. Much better service than you'll ever get with Chrysler or VM. That's the reason I'm sticking to Cat as much as I can.

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2006 CRD KJ, 245/70R16 A/T KO, GDE eco tune, ARB bull bar, OME lift, AVIC-N4, turbo timer, pulsetech solargizer, Racor CCV3500, Racor 245R122 fuel head, Caterpillar battery, oem light bar, KC lights, HID fog lts, cb, ...

the cat conversion has no water separator. Do it right and go with the racor.
http://liberty.eurekaboy.com/racor.htm
On my older 300sd i had no separator... but it also didn't spray quite as hard
Waters no good in a crd.

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2005 Liberty CRD
235/75R16 Firestone Destination's, Fumoto Valve
Boiler's Aluminum Roof Rack

Racor filters are easy to come by. Order a few online and you will be fine... they also have them at just about any marine store

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2005 Liberty CRD
235/75R16 Firestone Destination's, Fumoto Valve
Boiler's Aluminum Roof Rack