Well I've made it home for the summer and it's time to start tearing this thing apart. I will begin tomorrow, but yesterday I took it to the dyno. Laid down 503 / 1215. I was very pleased with the numbers, but the knocking is getting worse to it's time to take it apart.

 

bout $1000 or a little under for the lower gasket set, timing cover gasket, head gasket, valve cover gasket and misc gaskets. i got mine from pure diesel power all genuine cummins

Ok so i have to ask what did you use to record the way your truck sounded before the teardown? I have an issue with a miss and originally thought that it was an ECM issue but after playing around with a DRBIII I dought its an ECM issue. So it's either injectors or VP...

Just my phone. It seems to have a pretty good microphone on it. Try the blue chip hotwire trick to rule out the ECM (MAKE SURE YOU UNHOOK YOUR WIRETAP!!!). From there probably injectors or VP. Mine did the same thing with 3 sets of injectors so I'm leaning towards the VP.

 

Randy here's the prices I'm coming up with for genuine Cummins gaskets... Not 1,000?? 245+300 puts it around 550???

http://puredieselpower.com/dodge-products/98.5-02-dodge-5.9l-24-valve-cummins-diesel-lower-engine-gasket-kit.html

http://puredieselpower.com/dodge-products/98.5-02-dodge-5.9l-24-valve-cummins-diesel-head-gasket-set.html

Alright I dropped off the head today... 140 miles up and 140 miles back. Way too much driving!!

 

So here's some info I got on the head: In 2001.5 Cummins decided to change the valve seats to inserts because the built in ones were cracking. On the new design, the insert was not made of a good material that could take high temperatures and retain its size. From what I was told the seat shrinks after it cools down, then will drop if it shrunk enough. The shop owner even showed me a head he just rebuilt that had an exhaust seat drop. The intake valve seats are fine because they don't see the high temperatures the exhaust do.  Now he said he could cut the head for larger seats and larger valves to help add more power, but I don't have the money for that. It was going to be $2,000+

 

So with that info, I am for sure having the seats taken out and new ones made from a different material pressed in. I forgot to ask what they were made of, but the owner said he has never seen a seat drop with this new style even when the EGTs are 1600+. I forgot to mention this place is located right next to ATS performance; I can only assume ATS uses them for their builds.

 

I called my local Cummins shop to see their pricing. The lower gasket set was $215 and the upper gasket set was $245. That's the cheapest I have found so that's where gaskets are coming from. Rings were 53 a cylinder if I remember correctly, which matches most other places so again I'll probably buy from there. 

As for bearings I am checking with the vendors who support this site. I feel they have earned my business by helping this place stay online! 

those gasket sets will do fine   i think i pieced mine a bit differently

You found a chunk of metal in the pan in a previous post so what was that from?

 

Did you ever find you knock issue?

You found a chunk of metal in the pan in a previous post so what was that from?

 

Did you ever find you knock issue?

No idea what the shard was. I believe it was posted earlier in this thread.

 

Knock issue is still unknown. I'm suspecting the VP as the root cause because all of the internals look perfect!

Well I got the pump hot wired and still had the same miss. So it just so happens that Pacific fuel injection (Mid-West Diesel) here in Portland has VP's on the shelf for $1050 exchanged. While I was at it I ordered a set of DDP 125's  . 

Let me know how it works out!

 

Well i found scuffing on my pistons so I'm going to go with a full rebuild kit. What are your guys's thoughts on the aftermarket kits?? Are they just as high of quality as the cummins and you're just paying for the name, or is there a real difference? I'll be going with the cummins seals, but the pistons and such I don't think there is much of a difference.

Tore into the HVAC system tonight.... Talk about a nightmare!! O well. I'll have it out tomorrow, and I have ordered a blower motor, AC evaporator, and heater core. That should get rid of the heat issues and small AC leak.

 

I will be buying the split-loom and loom holders tomorrow to clean up the wiring.

 

I talked to the machinist today, and he is going to have the head ready for me anytime next week. I'll probably pick it up friday.

 

Last I should be having a guy here soon to mic the bores to see if it needs bored out. I don't think so because you can't see where the pistons would have scuffed the bore but we'll see. From there I'll order the rebuild kit for the rest of the motor.

 

As long as there isn't any farming to do I might be able to have the engine together by the end of next weekend.

Wow, you really got in deep w/ your eng! i have enjoyed your show!   wish you well. 

 

 

As long as there isn't any farming to do I might be able to have the engine together by the end of next weekend.

FARMING?!! I AM NOT ALONE?!! WOW!

something like this??

Tore into the HVAC system tonight.... Talk about a nightmare!! O well. I'll have it out tomorrow, and I have ordered a blower motor, AC evaporator, and heater core. That should get rid of the heat issues and small AC leak.

I will be buying the split-loom and loom holders tomorrow to clean up the wiring.

I talked to the machinist today, and he is going to have the head ready for me anytime next week. I'll probably pick it up friday.

Last I should be having a guy here soon to mic the bores to see if it needs bored out. I don't think so because you can't see where the pistons would have scuffed the bore but we'll see. From there I'll order the rebuild kit for the rest of the motor.

As long as there isn't any farming to do I might be able to have the engine together by the end of next weekend.

Did you watch the video I did?

Yes sir I found it yesterday!

IWhat a pita!

 

Organicfarmer you aren't alone!! Although it is a secondary job for me not my primary

Got the HVAC box out... holy cow that was a pain. I'd rather tear the motor out again than do that. Thank you moparman for the video! Saved my life finding the studs to remove the box. 

There is definitely something wrong with the fan because it's not easy to spin. I expected that though, so a new one is already on the way! I'll update with some pics when I have a chance.

 

EDIT: Spoke with the guy who is going to mic the bores for me. He's coming tomorrow afternoon, and if the block is a go he'll go ahead and hone the cylinders for me. Then I'll order the rebuild kit monday along with studs, the cam, and pick the head up friday. Hoping next weekend I'll get it in one piece!!

Fan bearings are wasted and piled up carbon brushes in n the bottom. Just replace it. Mine failed the same death. Now JAG1 went through all the trouble of trying to bring it back from the dead and there is just no way to fix those blower motors. The only thing I can suggest is to cut you OEM lead as close to the motor. The new motor will not have the plug.

when my fan went for the AC no amount of cleaning made it better. it was gummed up with dust dirt hair cat poop who knows. just replace it and be good

Already on order and will be here next week.

 

BAD news. I pulled the crank today and found the thrust bearing was torn up pretty bad. Looks like a big piece of contamination?? Pictures show it all.

 

So thanks to that I now have the block completely stripped and it's headed to the machine shop. It will be bored 20 thousandths over, honed, then line honed, a new cam bearing pressed in, and of course cleaned.

The crank got torn up as well, so it will be going in to get turned / polished. 

 

This day has really sucked. On the plus side I spoke with a family friend who owned his own trucking business for 20+ years and has rebuilt countless big Cummins motors and he thinks the bearing was getting really close to galling and spinning.  I think tearing it apart may have been good luck.... Either way I am ending up with a pretty much "New" motor. 

 

Top of the thrust bearing

 

 

Bottom of the thrust bearing

 

 

Good bearing

 

I'll try to post up pics of the crank tomorrow if I remember.

Looks like you had a debris issue. Really possibly when filling the oil filter during oil change. Anything that gets into that center holes while you pouring oil in the filter will be instantly sent to the oil cooling jets and/or the bearings.

 

Possibly a oil filter went into bypass mode because of over extending oil changes? Cheap oil filter?

Yikes!

Looks like a lube issue, but hard to say with just pics.

Looks like a mix of adhesion and adhesive wear but hard to tell from pics totally. When looking for issues one needs to lay all bearings out from 1-6 both mains and rods to see the big picture of wear patterns which can tell a better story.

Abrasive is foreign debris entry into the lube system

Adhesive wear is the result of lube issues and can be caused by many different things including over speed, fuel or coolant dilution, oil level wrong oil  viscosity, additives, misalignment.

Looks like you had a debris issue. Really possibly when filling the oil filter during oil change. Anything that gets into that center holes while you pouring oil in the filter will be instantly sent to the oil cooling jets and/or the bearings.

 

Possibly a oil filter went into bypass mode because of over extending oil changes? Cheap oil filter?

I guess that's part of the problem with buying a used pickup... I don't know exactly what the PO did with it.

As for me I can tell you I change the oil every 5,000 miles, and I always use napa oil filters. 

A couple pages back there was a metal piece that I posted pictures of. That could have been it, or it might not have been it's hard to tell.

 

Yikes!

Looks like a lube issue, but hard to say with just pics.

Pics do make it hard. I don't know how to get them any better though!

 

Looks like a mix of adhesion and adhesive wear but hard to tell from pics totally. When looking for issues one needs to lay all bearings out from 1-6 both mains and rods to see the big picture of wear patterns which can tell a better story.

Abrasive is foreign debris entry into the lube system

Adhesive wear is the result of lube issues and can be caused by many different things including over speed, fuel or coolant dilution, oil level wrong oil  viscosity, additives, misalignment.

All of the other bearings look perfect. They may have a few very tiny scratches that are barely visible to the eye, but only the thrust bearing was torn up like it is.