Happy New Year and conversation with engineer

[015point9]

As a new member just wanted to say thanks for all the help.  I really can’t contribute much.  Why? Well because I don’t know much.  Even though I’ve had my 2001 since 2005 I have only done the simple maint stuff like change oil and filters.  But that has changed after paying thru the nose for a bad install of fuel system.   

For last 3 years we’ve wintered in Yuma to get out of the wet of the northwest.  The RV park that we stay at word travels fast.  When our fuel system fell apart, the next day this guy I’ve talked to many times before walks up and asks what the problem was.   At the time all I knew was truck wasn’t running and the garage was supposed to be calling soon.  So we sat down, drank coffee waiting for garage to call.  He tells me he’s a retired Cummins engineer and if I have any questions, just ask.  I had no idea what his past life was, but we talked Cummins for the next 3 hours.   I’m sure when cut he bleeds Cummins colors.  Here is some of what he passed on, best I can remember.  Maybe you’ll agree or maybe not.   He said he worked  “in between” of dodge and Cummins. 

Oil…brand doesn’t matter but make sure “spec” is right.  Stay with dino oil.  Says synthetic while an excellent good oil, it just doesn’t pay for itself in long run as it only takes a fuel injector being a little bit off to make excess soot and soot a big killer of diesel engines.

Filters…He only uses fleetgaurd.   And buys in person so he can inspect before buying.  Gave me the whole history of why fleetgaurd filters for the last 10 years comes in plastic bag, inside of cardboard box.  Think storage and humidity. 

What has he done to his.   He says the psi in coolant system for the radiator is high in his opinion, so he runs next psi size smaller for rad cap.  Thinks the oil line from tubro to engine is too small so he installed next larger size.   Also when changing oil he disconnects oil line from engine and lets it dangle down to drain so he knows line is clear.  Oil line has a bit of belly to it and doesn’t want any oil coking up, so by draining the line, he knows line is somewhat clear.

He follows the maint book less 10 percent.  Which I didn’t understand at first, but here is an example,  if something is due at 100,000 miles he does it at 90,000. 

I could go on some more but that is jest of our talk.  He had lots of stories about Cummins and Dodge.  Some funny, some sad.

Just thought I’d pass it on.  Remember, I’m not saying any of his advice is right.

And thanks for all the help LAST year.

[CSM]

I like old engineers.  

 

If he keeps talking... you can offer for him to reach me here and i can see if he wants to write up some articles... a nerd and historical section could be fun.

[dripley]

As far as not knowing anything that will change the more you hang around. I drove mine for over eight years with no problem other than a failed VP. It was fixed under warranty so I did not have to learn a thing. An expensive lift pump install by a dealer after my OE pump failed broke me of returning to a dealer and them a failed ECM brought me here. I learned more here in the past six years than I already knew. That is mainly due to the folks here sharing their knowledge and giving me confidence to tackle a lot more. Sharing all of that with other members has been rewarding.

 I stay in a lot of RV parks over the years for work and you sure do run up on people from all walks of life in them. 

[01cummins4ever]

I know the feeling in RV parks, I do both boondockin and RV parks, and one thing about the parks is the old dodge always starts up a conversation with someone who just enjoys talking trucks. Or just complimenting on the looks.  You just don't get lonely in RV parks that's for sure.

[015point9]

5 hours ago, dripley said:

... I stay in a lot of RV parks over the years for work and you sure do run up on people from all walks of life in them. 

 We're still surprised about people we meet.  All the way from guy that installed all the radio gear on the Challenger space thing, to a guy that makes well over a $100,000 a year with a on-line business.  And of course other people wondering where next tank of fuel will come from.

 

Our biggest surprise so far,  was being 1200 miles from our house and the guy camped next to us lived the next block over from our house.

2 hours ago, 01cummins4ever said:

I know the feeling in RV parks, I do both boondockin and RV parks, and one thing about the parks is the old dodge always starts up a conversation with someone who just enjoys talking trucks. Or just complimenting on the looks.  You just don't get lonely in RV parks that's for sure.

 

Agree 100%.  Also how many say they should of kept theirs instead of buying newer.  One guy at our park pulls his RV from BC Canada to Yuma, AZ every year with his 1st gen. 

6 hours ago, CSM said:

I like old engineers.  

 

If he keeps talking... you can offer for him to reach me here and i can see if he wants to write up some articles... a nerd and historical section could be fun.

 

We're not in Yuma this year.  But in late Jan another couple that is really good friends with him should be.  I'll ask them for his contact info.  He would surly liven this place up.  He did have lots of good stories. 

Funniest one to me was how his wife hates Cummins.  Of course, I didn't want to put my nose between a husband and wife, so didn't say or ask anything.   Then he goes on to say his wife hates Cummins because she hasn't driven a car for over 20 years.  Reason is Cummins is the only thing he'll buy or drive.   Then he asks if I know how many cars with a Cummins in it. 

Edited January 1, 2017 by 015point9

[Killer223]

i don't know of any cars with a cummins in them.. know some trucks and semis, no cars though.

 

[JAG1]

IBM can find one... he seems to find anything on the net with pictures. lol

[Mopar1973Man]

1 hour ago, Killer223 said:

i don't know of any cars with a cummins in them.. know some trucks and semis, no cars though.

 

 

 

Actually I know of a older 1970's Dodge car with a 4BT Cummins in it. Ther was a page about the guy's install and how awesome it turned out. 

[dripley]

Ran up on a guy at gas station in south Alabama that had older land rover with a 4BT in it. Not car but not a pickup or semi.

[JAG1]

Happy New Year everyone.

 

Wish I had that old Land Rover. They are really cool rigs when they are the old ones.

[IBMobile]

Happy New Year

 

4 hours ago, Killer223 said:

i don't know of any cars with a cummins in them.. know some trucks and semis, no cars though.

 

 

3 hours ago, JAG1 said:

IBM can find one... he seems to find anything on the net with pictures. lol

 Here are a couple.

 

[JAG1]

Nice one... I knew you'd come through.

 

Coffee is good this morning... how about you?

 

Happy New Year all. It's trying to snow and 33 degrees in Oregon

[Royal Squire]

A Vette! Unusual swap!

[Killer223]

i think that's an RX7, maybe older Miatia mx5.

that would be a great swap...

i miss my rx7 and rx8's. very fun quick cars.

 

i should add those are two different cars. the first pic is not the same as the last 2.

 

[Royal Squire]

1st pic is a corvette 

[01cummins4ever]

 

that stingray emblem on that first pic, definitely says its a late 60;s or early 70's corvette, I guess if you can dream it you can build it

 

here is one in a jeep

 

 

[Haggar]

http://www.scheiddiesel.com/blog/the-result-of-installing-a-cummins-turbo-diesel-inside-of-a-66-chevy-impala/528

 

I also thought there was one of the big magazines (car craft, hot rod....) that put a cummins in a '65 impala.  But maybe it was the duramax..... grrr. 

 

Happy New year!

[JAG1]

Thanks for the link about the impala. That is one cool item, I'd be asking everything about trying to buy it off the guy.

[015point9]

On ‎12‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 1:18 PM, CSM said:

I like old engineers.  

 

If he keeps talking... you can offer for him to reach me here and i can see if he wants to write up some articles... a nerd and historical section could be fun.

 

OK, finally made contact with him (retired Cummins engineer)  and asked him your question, about he would feel writing articles.  He wasn’t even nice about it.  He said “no way”.  He said he used to post some agriculture or tractor site.   But doesn’t post anymore for personal reasons. 

Said he cut his teeth at Cummins working with Case (tractor?) partnership years ago.   And then when Dodge came around (late 80’s) he transferred into that.   Said when he started an engineer with a  “metallurgist” background could about write their own ticket.  But by the time he retired Electric engineer was the way to go. 

[SpaceHiker]

On 12/31/2016 at 1:27 PM, 015point9 said:

When our fuel system fell apart, the next day this guy I’ve talked to many times before walks up and asks what the problem was.   At the time all I knew was truck wasn’t running and the garage was supposed to be calling soon.  So we sat down, drank coffee waiting for garage to call.  He tells me he’s a retired Cummins engineer and if I have any questions, just ask.  I had no idea what his past life was, but we talked Cummins for the next 3 hours.   I’m sure when cut he bleeds Cummins colors.

 

I was sitting in the visitor center lot at Arches National Park, waiting on the family, when a guy comes up and mentions how much he likes my truck and starts asking about it. He later explained that he's the Cummins engineer that has designed the software for all the electronic injection trucks, vp44 and newer. When he's in development mode, he travels the U.S. with his family in the latest Cummins, with laptop and sensor wires strewn all over the interior. He was testing software revisions to the Cummins/Aisen setup when he was at Arches. Pretty fun guy to talk to.