Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) coolant inlet?

[rattle trap]

1994 ram 2500, cummins/automatic.



i believe i may have a failed coolant inlet



the symptoms:

low coolant. i noticed my coolant tank was empty, but not presently leaking. i topped it off and no more leaking. i started the engine and let it run for about 5-10 minutes with a rod against the pedal to raise rpm.



when i came back it was leaking from the end of the lower radiator hose/coolant inlet.



it does not appear to be coming from the hose it self, but at the end of the hose there is a steady seepage.



im thinking maybe a cracked tube that only exposes it self as the metal warms up?



so any tips to help find the crack? i dont have access to dye penetrant.



also wondering how much that piece costs from cummins?

 

[hsmith]

Hose would be my bet. If it has factory clamps, they will break and cause seepage which in turn causes corrosion under the hose, therefore leaks. The connection on the engine end is heavy cast iron and probably is not cracked. You need to pull the hose, clean and replace it.

If you are talking about the radiator end, that is plastic, and yes it could be the culprit.

 

[rattle trap]

ya im talking about the bolt on casting, just bought a few 5 gallon buckets so i can catch all this coolant w/o making a mess

 

[rattle trap]

do i need to use oem style constant tension clamps, or can i use worm gear type?

 

[Shadrach]

Your choice I prefer worm gear clamps. Shadrach

 

[rattle trap]

ok just making sure their isnt something special about this hose vs every other coolant hose in the world.



i had some extra t-bar clamps laying around and figured id put them to good use.



unfortunately they were a hair too large to apply enough tension and i had a small green waterfall :-laf

 

[rattle trap]

UPDATE:

i had replaced the hose and clamps and cleaned the inlet.

all was good. i hit the road on a 1300 mile straight shot. no more leaks. i stopped at a gas station, shut the engine off and sudden began to seep again, losing 1qt. i stocked up on antifreeze and hit the road again. no further leak, so all is good?

that was 3 weeks ago. nothing has happened since then.

today i volunteered my dodge as a demonstrator vehicle on how to pressure test the cooling system.

it let me down big time. the cap is rated @ 15psi, so we pumped it up and it held. the vacuum relief held as well. then i noticed my reservoir was empty. now im looking like an idiot in front of the class. further more the radiator was 4" low. we pump up the radiator to pressure check. i get to 11psi and pssssh there she blows. it appears as if the inlet has a minute crack that only opens up under certain heat and psi settings. i could watch it FLOWING out inline with the inlet.

my guess is, while the engine is running, the inlet side is under a slight vacuum or atleast low psi since the pump is turning.

once the engine is turned off, pressure equalizes and the heat sink effect both combine to open the crack?


so now i have a shopping list.

where can i find zyglo?
is there a decent priced vendor for the coolant pressure tester?
how much and where for the inlet housing?

how is it removed?

 

[rattle trap]

ok so i have found the part after much intensive searching.



the tricky mopar people have hidden this part as "air conditioning bracket" lists as $279 or something with the lowest actual price still $203+minor parts (roll pins gaskets bolts)



$203 still sounds salty for a water inlet.



is there a better price out there.

 

[Shadrach]

Don't forget to try the Cummins Distributor, not just any dealer, but the main Cummins place itself. Where are you? Shadrach

 

[rattle trap]

houston, tx.



someone was telling me non dodge apps use a different style inlet.

 

[Shadrach]

The Cummins p/n for "the water inlet connection " is 3920352. It comes with the roll pin. The seal ring p/n is 3906697. These numbers are taken from my 97 parts book. Price it out at the Cummins Distributor, if possible or give the #'s to your local Cummins dealer and see how much they will charge you. Shadrach

 

[Shadrach]

The Cummins parts on the Dodge version of the engine are quite often unique, as are other versions as well, that's why they like engine serial numbers. Cummins Southern Plains is the main Cummins place in Houston. Shadrach

 

[rattle trap]

thanks shadrach. was hoping you could chime in.

so is 3920352 for a dodge or a generic application? i will get my engine numbers to verify with southern plains, but just wondering.

 

[cfarrar]

I would think that something like this could be repaired by brazing or welded with a nickel rod much more cheaply than a couple hundred dollars. That's what I'd do to it if I found a crack in it.

 

[Shadrach]

... so is 3920352 for a dodge or a generic application? ... .

That is the Cummins p/n for my 97 Dodge engine. Shadrach

 

[rattle trap]

I would think that something like this could be repaired by brazing or welded with a nickel rod much more cheaply than a couple hundred dollars. That's what I'd do to it if I found a crack in it.

does anyone have a rough idea how much it would cost to magnaflux or zyglo the part? the crack isnt visible or else i would prolly end up doing something else

 

[cfarrar]

Don't know, but maybe a shop that works on cylinder heads would have that capability.