As you may know, the Duramax-powered Chevrolet and GMC trucks aren’t equipped with a lift pump. These 6.6-liter engines rely on an internal gear pump to draw the fuel up to the fueling components. The CP3 and Cp4 pumps rely on a steady supply of fuel to lubricate the internal bearings. Because of the lack of fuel pressure support, when the fuel supply runs out or cavitates, the CP pumps will eventually fail. If you haven’t priced one of those high-pressure pumps lately, sit down before you do. They are not cheap.

To help combat this possibility, BD Diesel Performance developed the Venom Duramax Fuel Lift Pump. The BD Lift Pump is built in-house and uses ball bearings to reduce the parasitic drag within the pump allowing the pump to operate efficiently and quietly. A fuel pressure regulating diaphragm is used to improve fuel pressure regulation, allowing for more consistent fuel pressure and maximizing flow. Also, a military-grade type III hard coating is applied to the pump body to maximize durability.

BD’s Venom Lift Pump offers a drop-in solution that utilizes that ultra-quiet ball-bearing technology and with improved pressure regulation and efficiency consistently delivers enough fuel flow to support 900 horsepower fuel pumps. Rated at 165 gpm, the Venom Lift Pump will support a single large CP3 or dual-fuel kits with stock high-pressure fuel pumps (HPFP).

With that said, we knew of a local truck that could really benefit from a Venom pump. The truck features a pile of aftermarket parts with even more on the to-do list soon. Since more power is on its way, having a lift pump to keep up with the high fuel demand was a must. This was a perfect opportunity to see if the new Venom Lift Pump BD now offers was worth it.

What Is Included?

Excited to see what these new kits looked like, we tore the box open to see what was inside. On top of the protected pump was a baggie full of the hardware necessary to complete the install, a hose for your connections, a wiring harness to power the unit, and half of the bracketry to get this frame-mounted pump to the truck.

There are other options out there when upgrading to a lift pump, and with that said, one of the top concerns when purchasing a lift pump kit is how it is mounted. We’ve seen pumps that are mounted with a drill and tap mounting plate, two plates that are sandwiched together against the frame keeping the pump tight to the frame, and the Venom kit features a rigid aluminum bracket that will be strapped to the frame. Using their quiet vibration isolators not only allows for an easy installation but also, quiet operation. Previous lift pump models used straps against the electric motor, but BD has come up with a better solution to mounting it to the frame.

Underneath the hardware was the foam-protected lift pump. This kit includes an easily sourced 3-micron fuel filter and a 20-micron water separator filter. For those of you who don’t have a stock of filters to replace these, that is good news. Having the ability to go to the parts store and replace these filters is a huge plus.

Lift Pump Features

• 1-1/8-inch diaphragm-based fuel pressure regulation
• Preset 8-10 psi
• Updated pump mounting bracket
• Includes commonly sourced water separator & fuel filter
• 165 gph supports from stock up to 900horsepower
• Hard coat billet pump body (military grade)
• Quick connect fittings included – no cutting required
• Ultra-compact design
• Replacement fuel filter equivalent Donaldson P551315
• Replacement water separator filter equivalent Donaldson P550550

How It’s Done

Lift Pump Location

With the truck on the lift, we started scoping out an area to put the lift pump. Traditionally, lift pumps are mounted on the outside of the frame, but these are different. Since the Chevrolet’s emergency brake cable is on the outside of the frame rail, that doesn’t give you a place to put it on the outside.

The inside of the frame rail is recessed and makes for a perfect spot to mount this pump. The inside of the frame under most of the cab is open, so wherever you want to establish your mounting point is fine. Keep in mind, you have to plumb this to the tank so don’t get too carried away. You can, however, always get more hose and put it where you want.

With a spot found, the first thing to do was remove the pump from the bracket. We put the bracket on the frame and secured it tightly with the aluminum straps. Once in place, we put the pump back onto the bracket. With other lift pumps, sandwiching two plates or drilling into the frame would require more time and tools. This is almost too easy and doesn’t require a box full of tools.

With the pump mounted, the fittings were fastened to the pump and the connections above the fuel cooler and up to the engine were made. This upgrade couldn’t have been easier. With our connections linked, we made a small mess when the factory lines were disconnected, but that is to be expected. With the plumbing done, all that was left was the wiring.

Using the wiring harness, we ran the wires up to power and ground under the hood and utilized the provided relay that we fastened to the wiper cowl. With the connections made, it was time to check for power. A point of contention with many lift pumps concerns operational noise. With most lift pumps, noise is prevalent.

I can tell you that this ultra-quiet technology BD provides, works. This pump is extremely quiet. The fuel pressure was in check, the sound wasn’t overbearing, the mounting was done in a few minutes, and this truck now has a reliable fuel source.

We talked with the truck owner post-install as well as Ron Clift from BD. “These Venom pumps are legit. If your CP4 pump hasn’t failed yet, we have the solution. If you’re anywhere between stock horsepower and 900 horsepower, this is the pump for you,” Clift says. As for the truck owner, “I’ve used different pumps before and while they do the same thing, I love how easy this install was and how quiet the pump is during operation. I’ll definitely be using these in the future at my shop.”

For more information about the products BD Diesel Performance has to offer, head on over to their website here. What do you think about this new Venom lift pump? Would you have one on your truck? Let us know in the comments below. For more parts reviews, truck features, and event coverage, stay tuned right here at Diesel Army.