1998 12 valve Oil Pressure sender

[markus]

I bought this truck sight-unseen from a little dealer in Hot Springs, AR. It's a basket case. It leaks oil everywhere (guy said it had no leaks :-laf).



Anyway I'm picking away at all of the issues and one seems to be common. After it's warmed up, the OP goes to zero on the gauge. I haven't checked it yet with a mechanical gauge, however I'm pretty sure it's a sender/electrical issue. There is a TSB (TSB 08-22-99 ) relating to my exact problem, however I've read that it's not the best way to resolve the problem. I'm going to try a Cummins sender first, however when I looked it up on the Cummins parts site, it shows the part number as 3932300 and between the block and the sender it shows an adapter with an o-ring seal to the block. (#3932302) The sender that was in it (aftermarket) was screwed directly to the block with tapered threads and I also installed an aftermarket sender the same way. I'm trying to confirm if I should indeed have the adapter or if I can install the new Cummins sender directly into the block. It has tapered threads as well. It's number three in the picture. Thank you!!!

 

[mwilson]

There is a part number split on those as I recall...one sender for Dodge applications and the other for everything else...
Please provide ESN and I’ll look it up when I get back to the dealership. I also have notes in the Parts records regarding the OP senders.

 

[markus]

Esn 56384948

 

[mwilson]

Esn 56384948

Thanks! I should be back there in about an hour, will check this out. It may be the 99 to 02 trucks I’m thinking of but want to check.

 

[BigPapa]

Not to steal Mikes thunder, but what you have pictured above and the part numbers you listed is what QuickServe calls for on that ESN. The sensors on the early 12V blocks had pipe threads. The oil pressure sensor was 1/8" NPT. I think it was in '97 or '98 they went to the "STORM" block. These sensors used metric straight threads with an o-ring. The oil pressure sensor is M10. From the looks of it, Cummins is now using the later model sensor with a thread adapter.

For what it's worth, when I moved my engine into the '98.5 truck it's in now, I removed the oil pressure sensor, plugged the hole, and moved it to the filter base. You would have to extend the wiring, but at least it will be where you can see it and get to it easily.

 

[mwilson]

I fear that someone wound a pipe thread sensor into an o-ring boss thread in your case.

STORM blocks (metric o-ring boss) were put into production sometime in May of '97. Your engine was built in October of '97.

So I say you need the adapter if the threads are OK.

Do you have a Quickserve subscription?? If so read the bulletin in the link below. It mentions the adapter at the beginning under reference #8.
If you don't have a subscription or you can't view it let me know and I'll e-mail it to you..

https://quickserve.cummins.com/qs3/pubsys2/xml/en/tsb/2011/tsb110265.html?q=storm block

 

[mwilson]

Plus that bulletin gives the characteristics of the Storm Block so you identify if you have it.

 

[mwilson]

Not to steal Mikes thunder

No thunder here, more like a silent fart.......

 

[markus]

I fear that someone wound a pipe thread sensor into an o-ring boss thread in your case.

STORM blocks (metric o-ring boss) were put into production sometime in May of '97. Your engine was built in October of '97.

So I say you need the adapter if the threads are OK.

This is also my fear, however, the replacement sender screwed in OK and doesn't leak. I think I'll just pull the sender and see if there is an o-ring boss machined in the block. If so, I'll order the adapter and hope it screws in.

 

[markus]

I fear that someone wound a pipe thread sensor into an o-ring boss thread in your case.

STORM blocks (metric o-ring boss) were put into production sometime in May of '97. Your engine was built in October of '97.

So I say you need the adapter if the threads are OK.

Do you have a Quickserve subscription?? If so read the bulletin in the link below. It mentions the adapter at the beginning under reference #8.
If you don't have a subscription or you can't view it let me know and I'll e-mail it to you..

https://quickserve.cummins.com/qs3/pubsys2/xml/en/tsb/2011/tsb110265.html?q=storm block

I don't have a Quickserve subscription and I can't view it

 

[mwilson]

Shoot me your e-mail and I'll send it as a PDF.

See next post for PDF, I figured out how to do it..

 

[mwilson]

Well maybe this will work....

View attachment ISB Block Parts Compatibility.pdf

 

[markus]

Got it. Thanks!

 

[mwilson]

Got it. Thanks!

We just took an 1/8" pipe plug and an M10 o-ring boss male and guess what.......if you were determined or just didn't know any better we say you could start it in there....thread pitch is very close...not right of course and it needs to be corrected but very possible that it is exactly what somebody did....

 

[markus]

We have some powder coat hoppers at work that came with M10 fittings and we had to adapt them to a different system and we did temporarily use the 1//8 fittings off the old hoppers and they did screw in, however not easily. After we got the correct ones (M10 with o-rings) they screwed right in so I don't think we did too much damage to the threads. Hopefully that's the case on the old Cummins.

 

[markus]

So according to this, I think I have a STORM block

 

[mwilson]

Yes, I agree.

 

[crabman]

There is a fix for the gauge going to zero. Take it to the dealer and they have TSB for the PCM to correct that problem.
TSB 08-22-99
http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1999/08-22-99.htm
Be sure to print out the TSB & take it to the dealer.

 

[markus]

There is a fix for the gauge going to zero. Take it to the dealer and they have TSB for the PCM to correct that problem.
TSB 08-22-99
http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1999/08-22-99.htm
Be sure to print out the TSB & take it to the dealer.

I have read that it turns the gauges into basically an idiot light. It either shows pressure or it doesn't. I've also read the it does the same thing to the temp gauge. Maybe someone on here can confirm or debunk that theory. I'll probably try the sender first. I definitely don't want to listen to the chime every time I stop. At that point, I'll get the flash performed and put in a manual gauge.

 

[crabman]

I replaced the O/P sending unit & it was good for about 2-3 weeks & then back to the dinging. Replaced it again with the same results. So I hooked up a mechanical O/P gauge and ran it into the cab for over a month to monitor the O/P. The oil pressure on a cold engine was +85 psi@ idle, at operating temp. it was +25 psi at idle. Those are on a engine with 380,000+ miles. The cluster gauge was 35-45 cold & 10+ warm & it still dinged & the red light came on. So I knew for sure that the cluster gauge was not giving me the real O/P. Therefore I got the TSB & the dinging & red warning light was gone.
My temp gauge did not change in the way it operated.