Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) A so called "Dirty" engine

[jtek]

My tired bombed 1995 2500 4x4 needs a overhaul after 218K.

I been having a loss of oil from the dipstick and a good drip from the crankcase breather. (Thread about a week ago)

Local talk and the web says from a head gasket to bad rings.

So now lets say I need to do some major repair on the 5. 9.

How much should I tell the wife it may cost while she is sitting down

Can a teardown to replace the sleeves / pistons be done in the truck or will the block / engine have to be removed.

Or somthing more suttle like just replace the head gasket?

The truck runs strong still and no smoke while idle and even at full throdle it is smooth (black from the mods) but no hesitation.



Any sug. would help



Alan

Houston, TX

 

[John - K5AWO]

IMO unless the engine overheated at some point in its' life, I doubt seriously that the rings are bad. Gaskets, yes, you may have over pressured the head gasket and be loosing oil that way.



How does the oil color look? Black, or is it white and foamy? Still black, no water in the oil.



Is the headgasket bad now? have you done a leak down test on it? I would get some diagnostics and then use that as a basis for what needs to be done.



I don't think you will need rings or bearings... . maybe so, but I don't think so.

 

[HBrunton]

Our engines do not have sleeves, if there is too much taper in the cylinder wall they can be bored once. If the amount of taper is too large they can be bored and a repair sleeve installed. Cummins does offer a repair sleeve.

 

[jtek]

Is there a compression test that can be done?

 

[TravisG]

Jtek, unless a professionall has said ya got bad ringsand what not I wouldn't sweat it. Have you sent your trucks oil off to be ananlyzed? That can help check out some of your engine wear. My '0l 97 has 299500 on her (would have have been 3k but I've been laid up all week) and runs great. If ya want I can post some of my oil analysis or i could e-mail them to ya. Just my two cents.

 

[Snow man]

If youve kept your oil clean,and the air filter/filter seal has been good, the rings will be fine,id try a head gasket first,it is most likely your problem.

 

[ndurbin]

Yes there is a compression test that you can do. I did one on my truck about 6 months ago and it was fine. And my blowby is worse than yours, so I think I'd look elsewhere. Mine needs some work I'm just riding it out tell I can get another truck, then this one goes down for repairs.



Just my . 02

Nathan

 

[JohnE]

I slowly lost oil from a dipstick measurement, but everything checked fine.



Finally got oil in the coolant after rewarding an idiot driver for cutting me off INTENTIONALLY. I hope his caddy still smells from the cloud sent in an open window.



Head gasket. I had blown 2 or 3 oil passages, but the biggest part was the opening into the cylinders. 2 cylinders were talking and the oil sludge confirmed the same. We knew the oil into coolant was recent, but the oil into the cylinders?

BTW, I went to head studs in the gasket job. They aren't cheap, but a broken head bolt is far more expensive.

 

[jtek]

BTW, I went to head studs in the gasket job. They aren't cheap, but a broken head bolt is far more expensive.

So where can a person p/up a set of these?

What about the TQ spec. when tighting, is it the same as the OEM bolts?



Alan

 

[Hoof Daddy]

I had the same problem, I had one Cummins shop here in Brazoria County tell me it was the Turbo causing the problem, seals leaking thru and blowing back thru the oil supply line thus pressurizing the crankcase causing the draft tube to discharge the oil. I took it the to Womack Diesel Service in Seguin and the put it on a Dyno and used a manometer and did some other test and showed me that it was my rings. It started leaking slow but progressivly got worse. On a three hour drive I was lose 6-7 qts. of oil by the time I had it rebuilt 212,000 mi. . I went the "No screw left unturned route" figuring it was still cheaper than buying a new truck and I have try to maintain it for the long haul, the motor is stronger than when it was new. I was told to get rid of my K&N filter that was the engines demise..... That was one expensive filter. Now I run Fleetguard Oil-Air-Fuel and still get my maximum boost 35 psi. I also replaced my head gasket around 175,000 mi. but I wasnt losing oil at the time. Good Luck!

 

[biggy238]

Whats the story behind the K&N killing the engine?

 

[PaulG1]

Whats the story behind the K&N killing the engine?

If the filter is at fault - it either lets particles through the element or through the seal.



K/N's show light (pin holes) through the element - even when well oiled. This means any particle smaller can get through.



I had a dirt bike and switched to a K/N filter - well oiled. In 3 trips out my piston was garbage (abraided away from particulates). I threw the filter away went back to the stock foam filter with oil and no more pistons for years to come.



The only way to answer the question is to compare OEM and K/N filters with particulate test as a function of flow rate and particles size. Assuming particulate count represents the worst case conditions in driving (i. e. a dusty envirment). Has this data ever been provided??????

 

[PaulG1]

Whats the story behind the K&N killing the engine?

If the filter is at fault - it either lets particles through the element or through the seal.



K/N's show light (pin holes) through the element - even when well oiled. This means any particle smaller can get through.



I had a dirt bike and switched to a K/N filter - well oiled. In 3 trips out my piston was garbage (abraided away from particulates). I threw the filter away went back to the stock foam filter with oil and no more pistons for years to come.



The only way to answer the question is to compare OEM and K/N filters with particulate test as a function of flow rate and particles size. Assuming particulate count represents the worst case conditions in driving (i. e. a dusty envirment). Has this data ever been provided??????

 

[Hoof Daddy]

Whats the story behind the K&N killing the engine?

They told me too many particulates passing thru over time, too the effect of 1200 grit sandpaper working on the Cylinder walls. It really makes sense if you think about to get more air flow somethings got to give if you dont increase the surface area of the filter ? He told me quality paper filters offered the best engine protection, I still get 35psi of boost so in my estimation I wasn't gaining all that much in performance It appears .

 

[PaulG1]

Hoof,



Your correct - the risk vs reward is a very unfavorable ratio.

 

[Hoof Daddy]

Hoof,



Your correct - the risk vs reward is a very unfavorable ratio.

It cost me $6500 I learned the hard way!

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I was the victim of a bad K&N filter on my '01. Luckily I only allowed it to be on there 4000 miles because it was obvious it wasn't capable of stopping dirt.



I have an AFE on my '96 which the previous owner put on not too long ago but I'm not even comfortable running that. I'm going to either install a factory airbox with Amsoil filter and "ram air" plumbing from the grille area, or maybe a BHAF. Luckily my motor is pretty sound and not much wear when I had the head off last month, hone marks to the top, but certainly still want to take the best care of it possible.



Regarding engine wear, Don M was commenting the cylinder walls on these engines are so durable the rings wear out before you get much of a taper or lose hone marks. Basically a "freshen up" job is replacing rings and breaking cylinder glaze then you're good for another cycle, then the next time you might need to rebore.



Vaughn

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

I think anyone running a K+N should have their oil analysed to keep an eye out for silicon. How else do you know for sure that the filter is doing its job?Two reasons I like the stock air box.

1)It does a very good job of filtering the air!. . Unless you really need to breath... over 300 ponies

2)It makes a hell of a tool tray when changing your head gasket :-laf Oo. :-laf