KATOOM

85-145 is a little thick unless you're towing heavy or live where summer temps are regularly over triple digits. Most people dont know that thicker oil runs hotter than thinner oil too because of the hypoid friction. You may also notice a little loss in mileage as well running the thick stuff. If you dont tow heavy then you'll be fine with 80-90 or even the 110 weight. But whatever one you choose, I'd always suggest running synthetic. Todays trucks are bigger, heavier, and run more HP than older trucks and thats not even accounting for the additional HP we add over stock. Thats not to say that regular oils cant handle that but giving the extra edge of synthetic in drivetrain is worth the money.

I have a set of Fast Coolers sitting in my garage waiting to install on my NV4500. Just cant seem to get around to installing them but I have good intentions. I wanted them because I did quite a bit of research when I was looking at buying a 5th wheel and found that running the Fast Coolers can lower the fluid temp considerably, and allow for a couple more quarts of volume as well. If you tow then I feel that anything you can do to help keep the fluid temps under control is very important. Not only for fluid life but because of the damage which can occur when the fluid gets to hot while towing. Remember that to rebuild the NV5600 is around $3500 minimum. Thats a lot of money. You see guys running around with Mag-Hytec differential covers all the time and the Mag-Hytec's real reason is for the additional fluid capacity.....but then again, everyone can see that money spent on the differential where as the tranny coolers are hidden.In saying that, I also understand that both the NV5600 and the NV4500 respond very positively to running one quart over the max fill hole capacity. That means getting the extra fluid in there through the shifter hole. But regarding the extra quart, the NV5600 should always run an extra quart over because the factory fluid level is to low for proper lubrication. The NV5600 can run just about any fluid brand as long as its the right viscosity weight where as the NV4500 must run factory lube. I've heard of guys using friction modifier in the NV5600 too which supposedly helps with shifting, but that would be up to you. So my opinion is, yes, get the coolers. I'm not sure Geno's still sells the Fast Coolers but you can get them directly from Fast Coolers or Geno's sells some other brand thats supposed to be nice too.

I understand that the HO injectors run at higher pop off pressures and have a different nozzle to accommodate the higher pressures coming from the HO VP. This is the reason HO motors react more positively to larger injectors then SO engines do. Will they work?.....maybe, but I'm thinking that they wont work as well.

Everything you need is here: http://dodgeram.org/tech/specs/Ramspecs.htm

Biased opinion.

Being straight piped, there really isnt anything to go bad unless there's holes or cracks or unless maybe there's something up with one of the hangers where maybe the rubber is shot. Since you've narrowed it down, with the engine off, you might just want to try getting under the truck and tapping on the exhaust with a light hammer from the front to the rear, listening for any strange rattles or odd sounds.

What exhaust setup do you have?

Is this a serious question? --- Update to the previous post... Why would you get funny looks? There's nothing wrong with those numbers.

AH64ID is exactly right on why it happens. All that pressure has to go somewhere so it tries to go back out the way it came in. Turbos will "howl" when the pressure pushes against the compressor and manuals are more common to hear that too while shifting gears since auto's dont generally chop the throttle. The higher the boost, the louder the howl. But.....wind up the turbo too high and chop the throttle to harshly and that howl will turn into a "bark". Barking is the extreme pressure shoving its way violently back through the compressor and can actually cause the impeller shaft to stop and spin backwards. Very bad and will eventually cause damage depending on the level of boost created and how far out of the turbos map. Given your your truck year and tranny, I believe you have the HY35 which is good to about 30 psi before your out of map range and the turbo is spinning to fast, creating more heat than its doing good. If you're pushing that kinda boost or more, this is why your hearing the turbo bark. The HX35 is capable of a little more boost (35 psi) but the real difference between the two is the housing size. Most diesels dont have an intake venturi so therefor using a pop off valve or blow off valve isn't common, although guys who build big boost may install one to help give the pressure an exit. If you watch the pulling trucks, they run a spring loaded gate which shuts off the turbo intake opening upon cutting the throttle at the end of the run.The only reason your problem would be connected to the wastegate would be because the wastegate isnt opening properly and allowing you to build too much boost. But if the wastegate is working, then its not the problem. Most guys want high boost numbers since they think its cool or thats how to build HP so they J hook their wastegate.

Even though fuel basically wont escape and air is allowed to enter, that doesn't mean that a little diesel wont work its way out. Thats where baby powder can help. Clean the fittings with warm/hot water, dry completely, apply baby powder, look for leaks.

Read my previous post (#6) in this thread and that should answer your question.

Welcome. If you ask what you "should" do, you're bound to get a lot of responses but what do you "have" to do is probably more what you're after. As mentioned, the fuel system needs attention and the tranny is weak. Whether or not you need to change anything yet is up to you but knowing is half the battle. As long as you keep your HP no more than the EZ you'll probably be just fine towing 9k but in saying that you MUST have gauges. Everything on your truck could last forever but when you ask more from your truck than it was designed for then you have to monitor the vitals. You could spend thousands upgrading the fuel system and tranny but unless you're watching whats going on things could still easily be damaged. EGT, boost, fuel pressure, and trans temp are what you'll need. Keep the EGT's under 1250*, boost must be "normal" which with the EZ should be about 25-30 psi max, fuel pressure ideally should be between 15-20 psi all the time but the stock LP will rarely ever get above 15 and most likely will drop well below 10 (which is bad), and tranny temp should never get above 225*.

Filter flow isnt the problem. You can run through the OEM filter housing with an Airdog if you choose but its not really necessary. One reason to utilize the OEM filter housing would be for the fuel heater. I've even heard of guys not using the OEM filter but just running through the empty housing. Others have argued that you could cause fuel flow turbulence by doing that but I cant imagine this remotely becoming an issue. But back to the hard start issue..... Just know this, if the fuel system is not retaining that necessary prime then it will cause a hard start issue after the engine has been sitting for a period of time, like all day at work or all night. Just try parking the truck nose downhill and then see what happens.

Now u cn txt ll yr buddies diesel lingo LOL

Sometimes the only way to find noises which aren't easily identified is with the help of a mechanic stethoscope. Looks just like a doctors stethoscope but with a stick like pointer end instead of what you'd normally see on a stethoscope. I've never had to buy one because a cheap piece of wood (like a dowl rod or thin broom stick) works just as perfect. Length would be personal preference too. Simply hold one end of the stick with your fist covering the end, placing your fist up to your ear, and touch the other end of the rod to any part of the truck, engine, or transmission, etc..... You'll be amazed how noises only pertinent to whatever you touch will travel through the rod/stick. It works so well that you can even single out noises of components under the hood while the noisy Cummins is running. Just be careful around moving parts.

jasvan10, because of what you described, I fairly positive that you have an air leak. Not too uncommon for this to happen and there is a few common places to start looking. The return line banjo bolt at the back of the cylinder head and the T fitting just below the banjo can come loose. Along with those, you really should look at ALL fuel line connections, especially if you just worked on the fuel system. If you live where corrosion is an issue then look at all metal fuel lines for pits and cracks. As mentioned, a leak doesn't have to constitute fuel visibly leaking but merely letting air enter. The fuel system MUST stay completely sealed and retain a "prime" otherwise the fuel in the lines will escape following gravity to the lowest point, which means it will try to run back into the fuel tank. For that reason a indication of a leak is tested by parking the truck for say overnight with the nose pointing downhill so that the fuel tank level is raised which means that the fuel remains in the fuel lines and starting should be normal. This is also why the truck will start if the fuel pump is allowed to cycle before starting, because the pump is re-priming the system. Depending on the severity of the leak, sometimes its not that easy and cause a longer extended crank. If you cant find the leak then I'd splash warn/hot water on all the fuel fittings, let them dry well, and then try baby powder.dripley, I cant say for sure why you have the extended crank problem since your description isn't as definitive. You mentioned it happens all the time and for an air leak to cause a hard start only after short stops would mean a severe leak which would also mean obvious leaking which should be easily identifiable. Is there ANY specific time it hard starts or is it really just all the time? If you think its possibly the fuel tank quick connection then when parking with the truck uphill, you should see fuel trying to escape at the fuel tank. Maybe not a lot but when all that fuel is bearing, you'd think you'd see a little wetness. You might want to check the fuel line places I mentioned above too. I have also heard of guys replace a small section of supply fuel line up close to the VP with clear hose to see if there is bubbles in the fuel. I know thats not something easy to do with JIC fittings and the fuel line you probably received with the fuel pump but I thought I'd throw that out there.

Exactly when do you experience the extended crank? After it sits for awhile like over night or after all day at work, or only after you drive it and shut down for a short time like a gas station and re-start, or all the time? Have you done ANYTHING else to the truck? What fuel pump are you running? Do you have a fuel pressure gauge?

I agree, although 75k miles seems way excessive. I know oil isn't cheap these days but I'd be a wreck running oil that long.....no matter what the analysis stated. The combustion process is just to contaminating for me to think that any oil would last for so long and not deplete important fighting agents, along with polymer breakdown and shearing, eventually leading to a loss in lubrication. But no matter, my opinion on oil life isn't the point here. You simply have to do the math and decide if the potential savings you hope to gain would be greater than the cost of the bypass unit, the analysis's, over the cost of oil for a calculated period of time and miles.

There are plenty of Dodge Cummins on the road with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of miles on the odometer using regular oil and regular oil filters. I know you're simply wanting the most care for your truck but I'd spend money on other items.

What would make you think you harmed the crank?

Sounds like an air lock. You might want to just drain everything out, refill with a a few gallons of fluid and remove the thermostat. Run it to make sure you get full circulation and then put the thermostat back and top it off. You may loose a little fluid putting the thermostat back but at least you'll know its working.

If you noticed this only immediately after changing the coolant, there is a specific process of replacing the engine coolant whereby you have to completely fill (or mostly fill) the coolant system "before" running the truck otherwise you can build an air gap. If you read the service manual, it refers to something called a "jiggle pin" which is the reason for this process. Asking what the jiggle pin was, I could get no one who knew but some thought it was the two small pins on the side of the OEM thermostat.

"Not safe for the engine at any rate being the oil pickup is at the rear of the engine.", is an interesting consideration. Saying that, I wonder if anyone knows what is the maximum decent angle one could drive before the pickup was no longer in oil?.....given oil level was normal and the engine vent was upgraded as not to allow oil to puke out.

Not a bad idea. I cant imagine the 12v cover not fitting the 24v but others may know better. As for the vent tube, my biggest concern was IF the oil did make it into the PVC line then how long would it take before internal pressures caused seal problems if leveling out wasn't soon enough. Other than that, I think its a great idea and I'm going to try it as soon as I get a moment to mess with it.