my service truck has said motor in it. Truck has 320k on the odometer and shows 21k hrs on the ecm. Motor is tired and I’m suspicious that it’s not original anyway. Low power, fair amount of blowby, oil consumption, gets warm in the hills, etc. it’s getting time to replace. The truck is from the south and it in very good shape for the year. Definitely worth a new engine. I’m not going to rebuild it. The motor doesn’t have removable liners and I don’t have time to pull it and get the block machined. I called cummins and they quoted me 14k with a 4K core. I’ve found a few engine outfits on the interweb that advertise these engines already rebuilt with a 3 yr 75k mile warranty for around $4500. I’m a firm believer that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Why such a difference in price and does anyone have any experience with buying an engine from an outfit like this?
My guess would be aftermarket parts vs Cummins parts.
Post the Ads for the 45 dollar engines so we can take a look, please.
https://performanceplusmachine.com/diesel-engines/59cumminscrate https://65ldiesel.com/product/cummins-isb-5-9l-24v-engine-remanufactured-long-block/
With Cummins, you can go to any Cummins authorized dealer. Navistar, Paccar, Ford or even Dodge and Cummins themselves for warranty and service. Don't know about the lesser known (cheaper) replacement. I'm guessing it's a 230HP model, getting used to less than half of its engineered power level. I'd bet a nickel, a set of bearings and re-ringing the original pistons would bring that old girl right back in line. That's just the cheap-@ss hillbilly in me talking, sometimes he makes a good point Timing chain? 3 angle valve job?
It’s set at 260 hp. I’m sure a set of rings would help some but I have a hard time convincing myself to put new pistons in oval holes.
https://www.npddiesel.com/isb-59-engines-for-dodge-ram-
There’s plenty of places selling them but I just wonder about longevity and if they stand behind their warranty.
Well at $4,750=$791 bucks per hole. $14,000=$2,333 bucks per hole. Either way for a small six banger that's steep, average parts cost to inframe a C-15 Cat is $11,000. I just installed a after market inframe kit in a Cummins Big Cam IV block-$1,200 bucks=$200 bucks per hole. I have a problem with companies that have racing or performance in their name when it comes diesel engines. JMHO.
I have used some from Jasper when I had basket cases and or was in a bind. I am not selling anything! Put an 8.3 in a Ford and the last thing to be done was remove the tape on top of the head and install the intake cover. It had the wrong head. They worked it out with an agreement. Had a tractor engine bored .040 ( Largest oversize ) but it still had oval holes. It is still running 15 years later just has some blow by. 5.9's often do not have bad cylinder wear at that mileage. Never know until the head is off.
Don't try to roll main bearings in a 8.3.
Why? never tried it, just curious.
Possibility of loose piston cooling nozzles?
Correct, the piston cooling nozzles are made of plastic and are fitted in the main bearing upper bosses. The plastic nozzles can shrink slightly from heat and time, if upper bearing is removed while engine is still in the frame the nozzle can slide down after the bearing is removed, blocking the way for the installation of the new bearing. Then its engine removal and crank out.
My father’s favorite adage of “Cummapart” rings true again. LOL This time however it’s now it has to come apart to fix it.
In their proper application, I think the 5.9 and 8.3 Cummins were/are about the best thing going. Sure they have their problems, but if you want an engine that just starts and makes money most every day, they seem to be the best choice among the choices available. What else are you going to use? Cat C7? Was a dirty word around here. Mercedes Benz? International? They make a kit to replace those with Cummins now.
Here's the thing about the 8.3 if taken care of properly, even with 300,000 plus miles the crank bearings are probably OK.
My experience is in vocational trucks and in my experience the whole truck will be falling to pieces and the 8.3 will still be in decent condition which is all the service it needs to give anyway.
Unless it's removed and installed in another frame and runs 200,000 more.
A lot like the early 5.9's in the 1st generation Dodge bodies. Dodge should have offered a glider kit.
And a tilt front end.
so to answer my own question- my engine is a cummins isb 5.9 24 valve. It is not the same as the 5.9 put in dodge pickups. That is why the engine is so much more expensive. I found a rebuilt one in New Mexico that a customer never finished paying for and the cost of that one is $10k with a 3 yr/ 75k mile warranty or the one through cummins which is complete including a turbo for $15k with a 2 yr/ 100k mile warranty.
Just curious. What is the difference??
Mine is the isb which apparently has the gear train for the cam on the rear which makes sense because I don’t have the big front cover on my engine.
I guess you answered your own question-with the New Mexico $10,000 3yr 75,000 mile warranty. IMO
Well the engine from New Mexico just got ordered and should be here in a week or so.
Update. The engine is in and running. Sounded good. Pulled out the motor and trans in one piece. Came out but it wasn’t graceful. Swapped parts over and tried to put back in with transmission on the back. Nope. Not happening. Tried severalteen different ways but it wasn’t happening. Pulled transmission off and set motor by myself with no issue. Went and borrowed a transmission jack. Had to jack my truck waayyy up to get it underneath. Got it installed but something isn’t right with the clutch. I got a ton of freeplay and pedal stays down. Got it started so at least I could hear it run. Think maybe I somehow got a clutch plate in backwards? Maybe the truck guys can help me here. I’ve done at least 100 clutch jobs but never ran into this. First time for everything I guess.
It does sound like a plate could be backwards. If the splined hub on one plate is facing the wrong way it will hold the pressure plate back. A serious oops I made years ago was throwing a new clutch at a 3406A that had a small flywheel center bore and the new clutch had a center that was larger than the bore. Same result.
That’s what I was thinking. The throwout bearing seems to be quite far from the pressure plate.
I've had flywheels that were resurfaced way too much resulting in the friction disc hub bottoming on the flywheel screws. Its almost like having a flipped disc. Just something to look for.
Severalteen...hmmm...a new favorite word, maybe?
It’s a few more than eleventeen
Alright, so here’s what my problem was. I went up early this morning and pulled the transmission back out and then the clutch. I had the plates in correctly but it’s an eaton solo clutch and apparently if you remove them with the intention of reusing them they need to be caged. I didn’t know this. I’ve never reused a clutch. Usually I remove them and throw them away. So since the wear indicator showed that it was half worn and I was told I needed a press to rest it I decided to just throw a new clutch in like I should have done in the first place. The truck now runs and moves but We had a major snow storm last night and don’t have electricity so I had no way to get it out of the shop. Hopefully tomorrow
at 13 oclock
Drove it home this morning. Runs and goes good. Doesn’t feel like it has anymore get up and go than the old engine but pulls the hills better. Only glitches I found so far was a fuel line that needed to be snugged up and my pto cable needed a small adjustment. Hopefully that’s it for a while.
Dodge thinks of everything. Even if it means pulling the dash to get to the #5 and 6 push roods. Me thinks pulling the entire cab and setting it on the bed would be easier? Maybe next time.
Ford F550 work truck blew the oil line on the turbo. Dealer pulled the cab off to replace it. Apparently Ford designed it that way and it's not as bad a job as one would think. So they tell me!
Ugh. And I thought mine was bad to work on. I’ve always avoided diesel pickups for these reasons
I had one apart in a 3500 and all you had to do was pop the plugs out of the cowling from the underside. There was enough room to lift the push rods up and out without touching the dash.
Learned something new. Gonna have to keep my eyes open for little helpers like that.