I usually plug the block heater in when the nights get in the low 20s or lower, and my 03 always starts good with the grid heater. However I have noticed this winter when I start and let it warm up in the 32 degree range +/-  it tends to start "chugging" after idling a bit?? If it were a gas engine you might think it had a cam with some overlap in it... anyway.. drivability is still good, and after it warms up everything seems normal.  I wouldn't think much about it except that it did not used to do this.

 

No CEL, and I have not checked any codes yet.. just wondering if this might be symptoms of a sensor issue, or injectors starting to crap? 

How many miles do you have on your injectors?

9 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

How many miles do you have on your injectors?

Getting ready to turn over 180k. Now that I think off it, I have noticed it on rare occasions in winters past but its much more common this year.

It smells like it is running a little rich when it happens, which may be normal for a cold start. Sometimes it starts doing it again after a short trip and I leave it idling. I have noticed it at regular idle and high idle as well.

 

I can rev it a little and it cleans out, or if you put it in gear and just drive off it goes away.

 

 After it gets completely warm there are no more symptoms. I think I`m getting into the "great unknown" for CR injectors, but I don`t want to overlook something simple like a temperature sensor. 

You could be getting air in the suction side of your fuel lines. I've heard you can get enough air to make it run rough in certain areas on the tachometer but overcomes the problem when warmed or reved up. The leak is so small that not much fuel leaks out but will suck air when running.

 

I'm hoping after a new injection pump I find that this is my problem because at 900 rpm it shakes the whole truck then smooths out at 1,000 rpm. It Michaels fault for not drive 9 hours to my place and work on it.

It seems to just occur randomly for me?? I did change all the fuel filters about 6 weeks ago and managed to get the lift pump air locked... That took a little while to figure out

I'm thinking my problem could be in the tank. I have not been in there for 12 years... might find some green gelatinous substance near the draw.

7 hours ago, JAG1 said:

I'm thinking my problem could be in the tank. I have not been in there for 12 years... might find some green gelatinous substance near the draw.

I might need to look at mine as well.. I have the OEM draw straw, and then I have a short hose spliced into the metal line to my BD lift pump, and I had that line loose when had the air lock debacle.

13 hours ago, angus said:

Getting ready to turn over 180k.

 

 

Highly suggest you get those injectors tested. CR injectors typically only have a life span of 100-150k miles on average. 

54 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Highly suggest you get those injectors tested. CR injectors typically only have a life span of 100-150k miles on average. 

Good advice when a bad injector can ruin an engine. I did not know that till I put 450000 miles on my originals. This is on my other truck the 1992. No damage to the engine but left me stranded halfway out my canyon.

Edited February 5, 20178 yr by JAG1

Just like 2005 Dodge sitting here in my yard with an engine with barely 112k miles and the injectors failed and ate a few pistons. Common Rail engines are known for their expensive injectors and require changing somewhere in the 100-150k miles range.

On ‎2‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 11:00 PM, Mopar1973Man said:

Just like 2005 Dodge sitting here in my yard with an engine with barely 112k miles and the injectors failed and ate a few pistons. Common Rail engines are known for their expensive injectors and require changing somewhere in the 100-150k miles range.

Yikes!  I have inherited another daily driver, so I`m thinking of giving the Cummins a break until I get the funds to change injectors.

 

I see the BBi` stage 1 running around $3,400... What else does a guy need to complete the job right? Nozzles, crossover tubes,  what about the rail lines, and the valve cover gasket?  I know there is a special tool to extract the tubes.. should I go ahead and get a barring tool to rotate the engine as well?

22 minutes ago, angus said:

Yikes!  I have inherited another daily driver, so I`m thinking of giving the Cummins a break until I get the funds to change injectors.

 

I see the BBi` stage 1 running around $3,400... What else does a guy need to complete the job right? Nozzles, crossover tubes,  what about the rail lines, and the valve cover gasket?  I know there is a special tool to extract the tubes.. should I go ahead and get a barring tool to rotate the engine as well?

There are cheaper injectors by reputable people, DAP and Vulcan performance come to mind. all depends on what you are after.

 They will come with nozzles.

Valve cover gasket should be ok. They are reusable. Mine has almost 400k on it and been removed 4 times I think. Rail lines, I do not know about.

 

No special tools needed if the crossover tubes are the same as a 2nd gen. A large screwdriver will pop them out. DAP includes a nut for the purpose with their injector. Vulcan might also, not sure. 

 

You can bar the engine over with the nut on the alternator pulley if you have no barring tool. Never had one myself.

 

Changing the injectors is fairly simple and does not require a bunch of special tools. Now I am speaking from a VP engine and not a CR engine so I dont know all, others will chime in and correct anything I have misstated. 

 

Buying the injectors is the tough part of a CR engine.

Edited February 7, 20178 yr by dripley

You can pry the injectors out with a small screwdriver and being careful. Crossover tubes basically the same way they can be pried out with a small screwdriver. Basically, you just need the injectors.  

On 2/4/2017 at 8:10 PM, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Highly suggest you get those injectors tested. CR injectors typically only have a life span of 100-150k miles on average. 

You gotta be kidding me? Would that cause constant head gasket issues on my buddies 05' with 225K miles? All stock except for straight pipe exhaust...

3 hours ago, crf450ish said:

You gotta be kidding me? Would that cause constant head gasket issues on my buddies 05' with 225K miles? All stock except for straight pipe exhaust...

 

What kind of head gasket issues? 

 

Some get 80K and some get 400K out of their injectors. It all depends on filtration, fuel, and luck. 

2 hours ago, AH64ID said:

 

What kind of head gasket issues? 

 

Some get 80K and some get 400K out of their injectors. It all depends on filtration, fuel, and luck. 

Just keeps blowing them. Don't talk to him much and he's too stubborn to go on forums. 

Edited February 28, 20178 yr by crf450ish

I would guess either the head or block is warped, or they aren't installed properly. 

7 hours ago, crf450ish said:

You gotta be kidding me? Would that cause constant head gasket issues on my buddies 05' with 225K miles? All stock except for straight pipe exhaust...

I don`t see a connection between injectors and head gaskets. My real concern is melting a piston, or cylinder wall. Temperatures have warmed up considerably and my truck seems to be perfectly normal again.

I have good filtration but I`m not interested in pushing the envelope to see how many miles I can get on OEM. The cost of a good set of injectors is easily offset compared to a total rebuild on an ISB engine that still needs injectors.

 

Back to head gaskets.. I have a good friend who loves his duramax`s .. He has to have the 250hp tune and drive with his foot in the floor, unfortunately he knows something about head gaskets. Just Sayin.

2 hours ago, angus said:

I don`t see a connection between injectors and head gaskets. My real concern is melting a piston, or cylinder wall. Temperatures have warmed up considerably and my truck seems to be perfectly normal again.

I have good filtration but I`m not interested in pushing the envelope to see how many miles I can get on OEM. The cost of a good set of injectors is easily offset compared to a total rebuild on an ISB engine that still needs injectors.

 

Back to head gaskets.. I have a good friend who loves his duramax`s .. He has to have the 250hp tune and drive with his foot in the floor, unfortunately he knows something about head gaskets. Just Sayin.

And how many days does it take him to change head gaskets on that thing? Don't you have to pull the front nose clip off or something ridiculous like that just to change head gaskets?  

7 hours ago, crf450ish said:

And how many days does it take him to change head gaskets on that thing? Don't you have to pull the front nose clip off or something ridiculous like that just to change head gaskets?  

Something like that.. He got a price of around 5K to have it fixed, then he promptly traded it off. Now he has a 2015 with the delete, maximum tune, and still drives the same way.

Its his money and it makes him happy LOL!

10 hours ago, angus said:

Something like that.. He got a price of around 5K to have it fixed, then he promptly traded it off. Now he has a 2015 with the delete, maximum tune, and still drives the same way.

Its his money and it makes him happy LOL!

Indeed. I'm all about conservation. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the skinny pedal, when its merited lol. I'm more of a "have it in case I need it" kind of guy. I like horsepower but like reliability more.