[Gravel Rat]

My brother brought over his Dodge Cummins 12 valve for some maintenance the engine oil had about 30,000kms (22,000 miles) on it :dizzy:

I don't think Dino oil is supposed to be run that long good thing it is Delo 400. It is not my truck so it is up to him to get the oil changed I keep telling my brother bring the truck over. He has been busy and I work full time.

The 12 valve engines are worse than a 2 stroke detroit for leaks everything is bleeding oil. I tried finding a air leak in the fuel system I couldn't find it the return line system is all tight the other fittings are tight. My brother revs the engine past 2000 rpm for any length of time it loads up with air and stalls the motor out so he has to bleed the air out. It happens when he is traveling down he highway it starts missing and stalls. It is a bosch inline pump not the s****y rotary pump. Our cousin is a licensed HD mechanic he can't find where the air leak(s) are coming from.

Today I tightened up what ever I could to try stop the oil leaks the back rocker cover boxes are bleeding everywhere. The road draft tube is pouring black oil everywhere. The front of the truck will never get rusty from the 12 valve bleeding oil out.

I'am lost on why it is loading up on air in the fuel maybe it is time for a injection pump. The truck has 280,000kms (174,000 miles) it has had the lift pump changed around 230,000kms (143,000 miles) that wasn't cheap the Dodge dealer charged my brother 350 dollars for the pump and 250 dollars to install it.

My brother is hoping to get another year out of the truck and get rid of it the transmission is about to go the engine doesn't like to start when its cold. The engine is reaching its lifespan many 12 valve engines around here crap out at 300,000kms (187,000 miles).

 

[WH401]

And you post this why? With maintenance and an owner like that no wonder it's got problems. Even a glorious Ford, rolleyes, would have problems in that situation.

 

[Moto52]

hmmmm 30,000km oil change intervals and your always talking like diesel engines are only good for 200k... i think i see now why you can't get a long life out of them... a farmer friend of mine has a 1989 dodge with the 12v cummins and it has almost a million kms on the engine? is he the luckiest guy in north america??

 

[Gravel Rat]

If my brother didn't still owe money on his truck he would have dumped it a long time ago. The thing has been a money pit he isn't looking forward to replacing the transmission. He said he will have it paid off in a 3 months and it will be heading for the auction. Nobody can figure out why the passenger side steer tire burns off he isn't the only one everybody with the 94-97 Dodge Cummins trucks have the same problem.

We are a Ford familly my dad and grandpa has been using Ford trucks for decades. Couple weeks ago dad was looking at a friends 09 Dodge Cummins he said the thing was a cheap POS. He couldn't beleive how cheap the interior is and how thin the sheet metal is on a Dodge.

With my brothers truck I have been telling him to get the oil changed in his truck but he was working 12 hour days 6 days a week he had no time.

The oil didn't look that bad when I drained it today the filter wasn't heavy either. Alteast it has 10.5 litres of new Delo 400 and a fleet guard filter.

I do the maintenance on my own truck the engine oil is changed every 5000 kilometers (3000 miles) I may run it a little longer. Truck does weigh 9800lbs empty and is traveling on 10% grades daily. In my mind oil is cheap ya it costs me 130 dollars for a pail of synthetic oil but it makes the 6.0 happy.

I was told the 12 valve Cummins are leakers and it is a loosing battle trying to keep the oil leaks sealed. Cummins never did design the engines for the long haul build them cheap and sell them.

 

[360ci]

Diesels require frequent oil changes, that's the problem right there:

Car, 5 quarts = 5000kms or so on cheap oil
Diesel, 15quarts = 15000kms or so on cheap oil
8V92, 40 quarts = 40,000kms or so on GOOD 15W40

A good consensus is to drive 1000kms per quart. Going over that is up to the operator, especially if the truck gets worked regularly, he should be changing it sooner. Synthetic oils can go longer, but even so without a bypass filtering unit installed, it's best to stick with OEM changes as the oil will break down faster.

I know THREE 12V owners who have had no major problems with their engines in well over 500-820,000kms. One does leak some oil but nothing drastic that it requires a top up between oil changes. Oil seals only leak when the oil becomes ineffective at around 20-25,000kms, as it gets too dirty to do it's job without adding a second filter, or by pass unit.

As for 2 stroke Detroits, they might leak (my 8V92) but at least they had an oil catch can so you can reuse most of the oil. If the engine stalls over 2000rpm, the engine has some serious problems, more than likely all due to his lack of maintenance.

I'd bet that the transmission that's about to die in his truck, has never been serviced, or perhaps it had once in the last 280K. Should be serviced every year if he works it hard, maybe every 2-3 years for personal driving at the most.

 

[KTM]

Your brother still owes money on a 12 valve with 174,000 miles? Then spreads out the oil changes 20k miles. You guys don't sound to smart.

 

[gtmorgan89]

I used to know my way around 12v's pretty well. Any stock auto tranny in any dodge is thin ice. Sounds like he paid a fair price for that lift pump, given it was from a dealer. He has a good chance of replacing the injector pump in the near future as well. A FASS fuel system is a great investment. I have had the FASS on 2 24v's as a precautionary measure. The first one is up to 350,000 miles and counting.

 

[Gravel Rat]

He paid 21,000 for the truck and has owned the truck for 4 years now it was a stretched out loan so the payments were cheaper. He bought the truck when he first started his business. The truck had about 180,000kms (112,000 miles) and my brother is the second owner of the truck. Truck belonged to a old retired guy it wasn't driven hard for most of its life and seen nothing but dealer servicing till my brother bought it.

In the 4 years my brother has had to put in 2 sets of ball joints, replace front axle shafts, it needs new axle U joints again. I checked the transmission fluid it is good not burn't but the transmission is starting to go.

 

[zak406]

He paid 21,000 for the truck and has owned the truck for 4 years now it was a stretched out loan so the payments were cheaper. He bought the truck when he first started his business. The truck had about 180,000kms (112,000 miles) and my brother is the second owner of the truck. Truck belonged to a old retired guy it wasn't driven hard for most of its life and seen nothing but dealer servicing till my brother bought it.

In the 4 years my brother has had to put in 2 sets of ball joints, replace front axle shafts, it needs new axle U joints again. I checked the transmission fluid it is good not burn't but the transmission is starting to go.

Sounds like he is a little rough on the goods...

 

[Gravel Rat]

There is a guy in the area with the same vintage truck as my brothers a 12 valve with the bosch pump. Turbo seals blew started pressurizing the oiling system and blew out a bunch of seals and filled up one of the cylinders and hydrolocked the engine. The engine had 270,000 something kilometers
(168,000 miles) on it the guy put a rebuilt into the truck for a cool 11 grand.
yep he got sucked in a rebuilt drop in 12 valve is 9 grand.

 

[Gravel Rat]

Sounds like he is a little rough on the goods...

The truck has 800 pounds of tools on its back 365 days a year and the truck does see offroad use.

 

[360ci]

He paid 21,000 for the truck and has owned the truck for 4 years now it was a stretched out loan so the payments were cheaper. He bought the truck when he first started his business. The truck had about 180,000kms (112,000 miles) and my brother is the second owner of the truck. Truck belonged to a old retired guy it wasn't driven hard for most of its life and seen nothing but dealer servicing till my brother bought it.

In the 4 years my brother has had to put in 2 sets of ball joints, replace front axle shafts, it needs new axle U joints again. I checked the transmission fluid it is good not burn't but the transmission is starting to go.

Abused trucks will see regular maintenance more often than cars, if that's what you would compare it to here. I abuse my durango, and it's not entirely meant for what I put it through at the best of times, but it still hauls a$$. I've had two sets of ball joints done in the last 185,000kms, original trans (fluid changed with filter every year - NO flush). I do a lot of my own work which saves me $95/hr in labour at a local shop, even more at the dealer.

There were some good deals on newer 6.7L Rams, but I couldn't justify it in the summer, as I'd be starting it and stopping it every 1-2km, and that's the worst thing you can do to a diesel. Gas engines can better tolerate the constant start/stop, but it's not always easy for them either. So, Durango it is for another year, and I really can't complain about the maintenance since I know it'll save me thousands down the road in repairs.

To get maximum life from the trans, be sure to change the fluid and filter. If your brother has never done it, it's no wonder why you would think the transmission is on it's way out. Chances are high that the original owner might have had it changed at least once in the time he owned it.

 

[Stonewellmark]

check the rubber line from the rear of the fuel filter housing that connects the the braided stainless line, they crack and suck air. (the return side of the system) On the delivery side check the fuel heater (located in front of the mechanical fuel pump on the drivers side of the block) their is a pre-filter screen that gets clogged and sometimes the electrical connection suck in air. and finally check the fuel lines along the frame rails and the steel lines that go into the fuel tank (they rot out pretty fast) If that little doohickey is rotted go to tristarradiator.com they make replacement metal line inserts for $150ish, way cheaper then dodges $470 for the entire fuel pick-up that goes into the tank. If all that is good then the return presure regulater is probably bad, its in the banjo fitting on top of the injector pump at the front of the motor, very common to go bad and will usually give you NO power above 2300 RPM (it returns all the fuel to the tank, starves the engine and eventually the injector pump craps out because the fuel pressure is what lubes that pump.) Go join dodge diesel forum great site for the cummins in the dodges. best of luck

 

[Gravel Rat]

check the rubber line from the rear of the fuel filter housing that connects the the braided stainless line, they crack and suck air. (the return side of the system) On the delivery side check the fuel heater (located in front of the mechanical fuel pump on the drivers side of the block) their is a pre-filter screen that gets clogged and sometimes the electrical connection suck in air. and finally check the fuel lines along the frame rails and the steel lines that go into the fuel tank (they rot out pretty fast) If that little doohickey is rotted go to tristarradiator.com they make replacement metal line inserts for $150ish, way cheaper then dodges $470 for the entire fuel pick-up that goes into the tank. If all that is good then the return presure regulater is probably bad, its in the banjo fitting on top of the injector pump at the front of the motor, very common to go bad and will usually give you NO power above 2300 RPM (it returns all the fuel to the tank, starves the engine and eventually the injector pump craps out because the fuel pressure is what lubes that pump.) Go join dodge diesel forum great site for the cummins in the dodges. best of luck

Thanks for the info I will have a look when my brother has some time. Ordering any parts from Dodge will be a nightmare my brother will have to license his Ford because it would be a month or more wait for parts. There is never any parts instock at any dealer in B.C. the Dodge dealer that is in the area also owns many other Dodge dealers throughout the province.

 

[Stonewellmark]

Go to ginosgarage.com for parts, they links to other aftermarket parts and ALOT of info on the cummins.

 

[CASEBoy89]

Ok first off I dont agree with pretty much anything you have said. the 12v Cummins engine is one of the best motors out there. They are bullet proof, everything is mechanical, and it has the bulletproof design of the Inline engine. I do agree these things tend to leak when they start getting into the higher mileage but show me a truck that is over 13 years old with over 150k miles that doesn't leak. Its called old age, but most of the time those leaks are easy fixes, spray the engine down with degreaser wash off well and inspect every day untill you find the seal that is leaking. I personally have a 12v and will never drive anything else then a dodge cummins as my personal truck. The reliability and ease of maint and design is what i like the most. There are 4 12vs in my group of friends and all those trucks have more then 180000 miles on em and all run like they are new and get 16+ MPG. All trucks have there issues but if one persons truck seems to be a POS it doesn't mean everytruck with the same setup is a POS. Maint. is key, if you take care of her she will take care of you.

 

[MikeKle]

I would try to find a junkyard tranny, there is plenty of Dodges in junkyards around here in that body style, back when I had a 99 2500 I found a few viable donors at a local junkyard, an automatic from a 98 2500 diesel that had major body damage, but the engine and tranny were OK. it had around 80K miles, they wanted $1900. for the tranny and $800 to install it. I would definitely look at some junkyards!

 

[MikeKle]

There is a guy in the area with the same vintage truck as my brothers a 12 valve with the bosch pump. Turbo seals blew started pressurizing the oiling system and blew out a bunch of seals and filled up one of the cylinders and hydrolocked the engine. The engine had 270,000 something kilometers
(168,000 miles) on it the guy put a rebuilt into the truck for a cool 11 grand.
yep he got sucked in a rebuilt drop in 12 valve is 9 grand.

damn!!!! You all are getting ripped off! You can get a used Dodge diesel engine from a junkyard in KY and/or IN and OH for around $5000. in pretty good shape, and usually they dont charge too much to install them either!

 

[SLR]

That brother of yours needs to look into buying bus passes! If he is so busy working all the time,well i have a chevy outback that has a full tank of unleaded gas in it from the 1970's..the POS won't start..any idea's anyone?

 

[becpropertymaint.]

no comment