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Oh, That's why they call em a cumapart...

WarWagon

Well it hits on 7 of 8...
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Oh, That's why they call em a cumapart... And this metallic tapping is going to cost more than a used 6.5 complete engine. Suspecting valve guide or tappet issue. Capped fuel line to #6 and still no change, but, when we tighten down the valve lash on #6 to 0 it goes away.

Yeah Yeah, just a matter of time... :facepalm:


 
So the shop says Cummins engines don't normally use oil. (News to me. Esp with a 6.5 that can use 1 qt every 500 miles...) This one drinks Royal Purple (used it once and never again.) and not as much of other oil. 1 quart every 1-2K miles at least. Suspecting valve guides at this point. Exhaust manifold is done - look at #1 being so close to leaking from warping.

IMG_4472.jpg
IMG_4468.jpg
 
Somebody's been in there before. I see zip wheel marks on the iron.

Yes, the head was painted gray - not a factory color. Head bolts said to be not hard to take out aka not very tight, exhaust manifold bolts were loose - in fact they re-torqued them and verified it wasn't the issue before pulling the head. Misc stuff not put where it should be for harness hold downs etc.

Wish the PO would say "why" they were in there before. Rare for a 101K mile Cummins.
 
New pic of #6. Not sure if I am seeing the top ring, and if so it doesn't look good.

IMG-20150901-00805.jpg
 
The head is total and complete garbage. My standards may be *low* but, they are not THAT LOW!!!

Valve guides better than 0.020 loose.
Soot and oil on backside of most valves.
Springs bad.
Moisture pitting on the back sides of the valves.
And severe debris impact on the #1.

head.jpg
 
So one complete used running 6.5 pickup truck cost later... Used head from 5 cylinder 5.9 Cummins with lots of block ventilation, rebuilt the head, new Cummins springs, AFE exhaust manifold, new head bolts...

The fing noise is Worse!

You can hear it in the cab at idle and it clatters pretty bad with any fuel. Little bit off the throttle. Will do it without a load now too. Cut #6 injector and noise goes away. Swapped #6 and #3 injector and still the same with cutting out#6.

Shop took my oil samples and went down to the local lab I used and talked to them. Copper had flashed to 274 with Royal Purple use. 200 is about max for oil cooler washing they said.

So looking like a possible wrist pin bushing is the best guess at this point.

FUBAR black hole boat anchor Cummins! The Dodge is about to get a 6.2 ATT Military Surplus Detroit Diesel swap. :rage:

oil2003dodge.jpg
 
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But the almighty Cummins can never be out matched by the lowly 6.5!

Not sure I am sharing that opinion. This is the 2nd vacation I have been on with the 6.2 powered Patch because the Dodge has been in the shop with a "stump the expert" problem. This one is the 5.9 engine the last being a clutch and missing dowel pin. Parts cost... I could have purchased 2 running 6.5 trucks by now.
 
So the extent that people can go through to fix a Cummins is impressive. I was surprised to learn that this was the original head off this engine. Yeah that means:

The #1 was sleeved and an aftermarket piston put in. The pushrods were mixed up front to back having the #1 put in the #6. The rings were never loaded enough to seat properly. And nobody bothered to really check the pushrods.

Nevermind my half blind dad can see this!

pr1.jpg

Just in case rolling on a table wasn't a dead giveaway the witness marks, how can you miss that? :facepalm:

pr2.jpg

Yet again full power to seat rings. Grandpa driving results in these unseated oil burning rings:

notseatedrings.jpg

Looking close you can see the break in coating still on half of both the top and 2nd rings. Hard runs towing I gave it were too late to break them in.
 
Yowza, nice pushrod!

What did you do breaking in? How long did you baby it? And did you 60 degree cross hatch the cylinders? (Pretty sure I remember you having the ball hone from an old thread)
 
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