Tractorman

Always learning something new. Thanks @IBMobile. - John

Just curious as to why not coat with PAG oil. - John

My mileage didn't suffer because I went back to where it happened and shoveled up all of the soot the exhaust spit out and put it back into the fuel tank. @dripley, seriously, I do appreciate your input. - John

@dripley, I appreciate your response. I just don't want readers to think that EGT's would go to dangerous levels if the throttle and the exhaust brake were applied simultaneously. Obviously, it is not something that should be done, but there is a condition that can occur (and has occurred to me more than once over the years) in which the exhaust brake does not release and you will have to drive the truck some distance to get off the roadway. This condition could occur even if throttle and clutch switches are installed. Just want readers to know that they aren't going to hurt the engine to get the truck safely off the road. Yes, they do - typically up to around 500 - 600 degrees if I stay under 2000 rpm while using the exhaust brake. The highest I ever reached was just under 800 degrees one time when using the exhaust brake at about 2500 rpm with a heavy load.. It is normal for EGT's to rise during exhaust brake usage because the engine becomes an air compressor with a restricted outlet. It is just my opinion, but I can't see how EGT's could rise to dangerous levels (1300 degrees for example) under any condition using the exhaust brake. Thanks for hearing me out. - John

"That last is pretty important, you will send egt's thru the roof very quickly with very little throttle if its closed." I respectfully don't agree with this. In October of 2018, Mopar1973Man posted a similar statement. My reasoning is that when the exhaust brake is activated, only a fixed amount of exhaust gases can get through the orifice in the butterfly valve in the exhaust brake. So I am not repeating myself, I found the old post and you can click on it below to see more of my explanation. Click "Tractorman replied to a topic" - John

@Red Rambler, since you are going to the trouble of replacing the evaporator core and heater core, I highly recommend adding a cabin filter. Geno's Garage sells an excellent after-market one for abut $50.00 See photos. My AC system started losing refrigerant on a regular basis around 250,000 miles on the truck. I elected to replace the original compressor at 270,000 miles with another Denso unit just because of the wear factor. No more losing refrigerant after the replacement. At 283, 000 miles, I removed the HVAC unit and replaced the heater core with one from Geno's Garage. I elected to not replace the evaporator core because it appeared to be in excellent condition externally. Some people will think I am nuts for not doing this, but the AC is still working fine over 50,000 miles later. While I had the HVAC unit out, I did get some different sizes of glue-on weather stipping from the local hardware store to reseal around the ventilation doors. You didn't say how many miles are on your AC compressor. I don't think you can go wrong by replacing the either the compressor or the evaporator core first since both are likely candidates for failure. - John

I am still using a PacBrake that I originally bought new and put on my '99 truck when it was new. Then in late 2001, I bought the '02 truck and put the same PacBrake on the '02. It is a vacuum operated exhaust brake and I have replaced the vacuum operated cylinder twice. I have never replaced the control valve and the butterfly valve has been operating flawlessly. I have been using it for over 20 years and over 400,000 miles and it is still working fine. I know there is a PacBrake model called PRXB that is designed to produce significantly more braking power at low engine rpm's. - John

I am not sure what the correct answer is. I think anti-seize should work fine. I think the biggest cause of an exhaust brake butterfly valve seizing is that in many applications the driver does not operate the exhaust brake frequently enough. I have a PacBrake on my truck and the PackBrake has logged over 400,000 miles - 70,000 on a previous truck, and 338,000 on my current truck. I have replaced the vacuum cylinder twice, but the butterfly valve has never stuck or become sluggish. I attribute this to the fact that I operate the exhaust brake frequently every time I drive the truck. - John

Yes, this could be a possible explanation. One more thing to add to this step. After connecting the temporary jumper wire with a 5 amp fuse, use a test light to check for battery power at the alternator output terminal (via the 145 amp fuse). Do this before starting the engine. The test light should illuminate brightly. If the test light does not illuminate at all, or illuminates dimly, do not start the engine. There should be unrestricted continuity from the alternator output to the 145 amp fuse. I think you will get this figured out - just be cautious along the way. No telling what is wrong with a stolen vehicle with cut wires. - John

You are correct - it is still too tight. It should be effortless to move and you should hear an audible click when it reaches its mechanical stop in both directions. Just keep working on it. - John

@Florin1, could you make a couple of clarifications? Are these new batteries? Or, refurbished batteries? Before replacing the alternator, I would disconnect all battery cables and check battery voltage independently. The battery voltage will probably be around 12.5 volts because the alternator has not been charging the batteries. They should be within one tenth of a volt (.1 volts) of each other (this is important). I would leave the batteries disconnected and then recheck voltage independently about 24 hours later. The results should be the same. If one battery voltage is significantly lower than the other battery, then both batteries should be replaced. Is this fuse broken? Or, is this fuse blown? If that 145 amp fuse (alternator output) is broken, that could explain the alternator getting hot quickly as the PCM would sense low battery voltage all the time and would command maximum continuous output from the alternator. If this fuse is blown, then you will need to figure out why the fuse is blown. In either case, fully charged known good batteries should be installed. To protect the new alternator, I would do the following: Disconnect grid heaters at battery (driver's side) Replace the 145 amp alternator output fuse. Install the new alternator and connect the field wire connector. Do not connect alternator output wire at this time. Reconnect both batteries Fabricate a 5 amp fuse temporary jumper wire. Before starting the engine, install the temporary jumper wire with 5 amp fuse - one end to the alternator output terminal and the other end to the alternator output wire. If the temporary fuse does blow, then you need to find out why before proceeding further. If the fuse does not blow, you can connect the alternator output wire to the alternator and start the engine. Have a multimeter handy and check battery voltage immediately. Battery voltage should rise to about 14 volts and become steady. If battery voltage continues to rise (does not stabilize), shut the engine off immediately. Further diagnostics will be necessary. I would personally follow this procedure so I wouldn't destroy a new alternator. - John

I freed up a PacBrake butterfly valve on a '96 Dodge that had been frozen for years. I used carburetor cleaner and just kept exercising the butterfly valve until I could get full range movement. It took about a half hour, but I did get it working and it has worked fine thereafter. You will need a solenoid operated vacuum control valve with two working ports for the cylinder. Just provide a fuse and wire it to a switch of your choosing (I use a momentary foot switch) and you should be good to go. You may have to replace the vacuum cylinder. The cylinder barrel is so close to the exhaust that the seals suffer from the extreme radiant heat generated by the exhaust pipe, so the seals don't last nearly as long as they could - at least it is that way on my '02. The vacuum cylinder may bench test fine, but when you start driving the truck, the exhaust brake may become intermittent or stick in one position or the other after the engine is warm. The vacuum cylinder is about $150.00 - there is no seal kit available to my knowledge. - John

@dripley, I think he just hung the head from the wiper arm while he cleaned up the block. They don't make wiper arms like they used to. - John

It is not unusual to start having problems with third gear on a five or six speed transmission. It shouldn't happen, buit is not unusual and is almost always caused by poor driving habits. @Bafazaneand @Dieselfuture, the previous owners of your trucks likely caused the early symptoms of synchronizer failure in third gear. A poor driving habit example in this case would be of a driver slowing for a right or left turn in which third gear would be a good selection to complete the turn. Instead of matching engine rpm's to road speed when selecting third gear, the driver brakes, depresses the clutch pedal and lets the engine fall to idle. While making the turn, the driver pushes the gear selector against the synchronizer until the transmission goes into third gear. This effort forces the synchronizer to do all the work bringing the transmission input shaft up to speed to match the selected gear in the transmission. The correct method would be to use the throttle to control engine speed when the shift lever passes through neutral (foot off the clutch pedal) and bring the engine and transmission input shaft up to a matching speed before clutching and selecting the gear. The results will be that the synchronizer will hardly have to do any work at all and will live a long life. These poor shifting habits over time will take a toll on the synchronizer. Once the synchronizer fails completely, the driver will be required to match road speeds with engine rpm's to make smooth, seamless shifts. Think of it this way - anytime a transmission gear shift is not smooth, the synchronizer or the clutch will have to absorb all of the energy that made the shift not smooth. - John

Thanks for sharing the results of your repair. Sounds like you have a smooth operating machine again. I noticed some very hot spots on the flywheel in the photo. The clutch had some abuse at some point during its life, but you must have been treating it well since you got over 200,000 miles out of it. Here are some tips for anyone to keep a smooth operating clutch for the life of the clutch: 1. NO throttle when engaging clutch to get vehicle in motion - apply throttle AFTER the clutch is fully engaged. The high torque from the Cummins engine is more than adequate to get any load moving at idle. 2. Second gear starts are okay with empty or lightly loaded truck. 3. First gear starts should be used with heavier loads and / or towing. Second gear starts are okay if on slight downhill grades. 4. Match engine rpm and road speed when upshifting and downshifting. 5. Always shift to neutral for any extended periods idling at intersections (will increase the life of a pilot bearing). If you do all of these things, the clutch really has it easy and very little heat will ever be generated. Heat is the destroyer of clutches. @Bafazane, thanks again for sharing your findings and the results of your repair. - John

I would also double check the reliability of the multimeter being used. Test it on another vehicle with a known good charging system. Also, as @kzimmer has mentioned - wires just twisted together will get hot and smoke as the alternator will be charging at a very high current rate right after the engine is started (making up for high current draw from the use of the starter). - John

@Bafazane, I truly can't make a recommendation because I am taking a gamble with my own decision to not replace the transmission input shaft. The pilot bearing was completely gone as in all of the needle bearings had left the area violently. About one third of the pilot bearing area on the input shaft was badly damaged, enough so that only about two-thirds of the new pilot bearing would support the input shaft. So, with that said, you will have to make your own decision based on the condition of your failure. Hopefully, you won't have the problem that I had. - John

I can't help you with diagnosing your "no start" situation, but I do want to caution you on using ether to start the engine. Two very important things - the first is the most important: 1. The Cummins engine is equipped with two 100 amp intake manifold heaters. They ABSOLUTELY must be disconnected before using ether. 2. The ether should be introduced directly into the intake manifold while the engine is being cranked. Spraying either into an air filter housing makes for a long journey - the ether must travel through the air intake hose, the turbocharger, the inlet hose to the charge air cooler (CAC), the CAC itself, the exit hose from the CAC, and finally through the intake manifold to get to a cylinder. During its journey the ether will condense or pool up and if the engine did by chance start running, the collected either would suddenly be drawn into the cylinders with no control. Engine damage could occur and you could get seriously hurt. I only mention this because you may not be aware of the hazards. I think in your case your mechanic should be honoring his mis-diagnosis since his recommendations and repairs have not fixed the original problem. Just be patient and work though it. I do know these common rail engines can be very hard to diagnose. I am sure you will be hearing from others shortly with experience in common rail fuel systems. - John

I know what you mean. I was tempted to put in a heavier duty clutch, but then decided against it for exactly the reasons you posted. I am really glad I stayed with the stock clutch. My wife and I moved from the Salem, Oregon area to Baker City located on the east side of the state this winter. I made seven trips using the dump trailer to haul household and shop stuff. I also made many trips last summer hauling my equipment back and forth. I wasn't nearly as heavy as you were, but my gross combined weight averaged 15,000 to 18,500 lbs and I was pulling six 4,500 to 5,000 foot separate passes (6% grades) in each direction. Climbing most of those passes I stayed in 6th gear until I had to slow for curves, then 5th gear for the rest of the pass. The smooth, quiet clutch is worth keeping stock for what I do. - John

@Bafazane, I am betting on the pilot bearing. You have had good life being that it is the original clutch. When I took mine apart at 297,000 miles, the clutch assembly and the throw-out bearing were still in good condition - just at the end of their life. The failed pilot bearing is what caused me to do the repair. I highly recommend that you do a clutch job now. When my pilot bearing failed, it significantly damaged the nose of the transmission input shaft. I elected not to replace the input shaft, but that may not necessarily have been a wise decision. So far, at 38,000 miles later I have had no problems, but I know that I will be replacing my clutch next time around the 150,000 to 200,000 mile operating life and not wait for a failure to happen. Also, I replaced my clutch and flywheel with stock OEM Luk components. I have RV275 injectors and a mild Smarty tune and I tow a fair amount. The clutch is still very smooth and the transmission shifts well. - John

What you haven't said: How many miles on the truck? You mention a South Bend hydraulic system 43,000 miles ago, but you didn't say anything about a new clutch. How many miles on the clutch? Is this the original clutch in the truck? For example, my original clutch made it to 297,000 miles. The pilot bearing failed and finally spit itself out, but before it disintegrated, I had exactly the same symptoms as you are having. For awhile I also had to float the gears to shift. The hydraulics for the clutch could very well be your problem and there is a test procedure for this, but I don't recall the procedure. I would think if it was a hydraulic failure that the symptoms would be consistent and slowly get worse, not what you were experiencing - "but sometimes it felt like it was releasing just fine". - John

Definitely a strange problem. I would check all of your steering linkage and front suspension parts for something way out of whack. Still, even a severe problem in the steering linkage or front suspension components shouldn't be forcing power steering fluid out of the reservoir. So, the only other thing that comes to mind is that there is a very unusual problem in the steering gear box, such as mechanical valving failure or shaft / gear failure inside the steering gear box. @Tuck, in the early stages of your problem, did the steering wheel have excessive play? Was the steering effort hard? Did the truck still track straight down the road? I would recommend that you don't drive truck until it is fixed, but it sounds like you can't drive it now, anyway. - John

@pepsi71ocean, are saying that when you turn the ignition switch to the start position the starter does not crank and the lift pump does not run? If this is so, then maybe you disturbed a wiring harness connector or something like that when you were working on your wiring projects. I am assuming the engine started fine before you started your work on the wiring. I know that many times when I have had a problem, it was related to previous work that I had done that didn't seem to be related to the problem. - John

@Haggar, great post! However I do question the accuracy of the diagram. On my truck the front tires are farther back. @Mopar1973Man, I recommend that you turn off your vacuum operated wipers when you are going uphill. Ok, serious now, my '02 truck is an October 2001 (with CAD) and my brother-in-laws' '02 truck is a May 2002 build (no CAD). He was disappointed that I could not give him the 2WD Low Range function. @BDK, since you are having to redo all the CAD connections, this could be a good time to make your truck be able to have 2WD in Low range. Just putting it out there just in case it is something you want. On my truck I disconnected the lines to the transfer case and mounted a vacuum control valve in the cab that directly supplies vacuum to the CAD unit. - John

It sounds to me that you are describing the normal cycling operation of the intake manifold heaters . Combined, the two intake manifold heaters draw about 200 amps - that is why your are seeing the drop to 11 volts while idling. When the heaters cycle off, the voltage returns to around 14 volts. The heaters will continue to cycle until the engine coolant temperature rises to a specific value or when the truck has been driven over a specific speed - approximately 25 mph. - John