Cummins ahead?

[SmokinGator]

Hey All,



Longtime reader, brand spankin' new member of the TDR (finally). I'm just about to pull the trigger on a 2500 4x4 QC SLT SWB with the mighty Cummins power plant in it but I have few concerns.



I've got a deal in place to purchase the truck for $25,239. A very good deal according to the research I've done. I saw the truck in Autotrader but when I called the owner, he had just traded it in but said it was in excellent shape with only 25,000 hiway miles on it. He told me they had given him $25,000 for it in the trade-in! I called the dealer to see if he was willing to turn it right around to me for not much more and he was agreeable so I went and looked at it -- it is in great shape and I'm ready to buy.



I have two concerns:



1) There is a leak where the drive shaft comes out of the transfer case, very slow but enough to notice. There was a light film of oil on the housing and skid plate. I drove the truck pretty hard and checked both 4 hi and low -- all felt good and tight and there was no vibration. This will be covered under warranty and the dealer agreed to have it taken care of (I also plan on buying an extended warranty) but is this indicative of a long term problem? I don't recall reading about it here but is it a common problem?



and



2) The brake pedal seems awfully hard. I'm currently driving a Ram 1500 with fairly new brakes on it but 78,000 miles so maybe it's just the contrast between the two but I don't know if I've driven a vehicle with that hard of a pedal. It braked fairly well, a little wiggle in it but not too bad. Any help here?





Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments you have on the 2000 model (built 12/99 in Mexico).







Matt

 

[TURBOs4LIFE]

I asked about your #2 question also it has to do with the brakes useing hydralic assist instead of vacuum assist. Mine are the same way!

 

[SmokinGator]

Thanks for the reply Turbo. So the hard pedal is "normal" then? Are you happy with how the brakes perform?



Matt

 

[work2muchplay2little]

Regarding the tailshaft seal leak, some have had difficulty getting this stopped. Personally, I replaced mine (took about 30 minutes) about 2 months ago, no more leaks. FWIW I bought mine used with 13K miles, haven't had a lick of trouble. Enjoy whatever you get!!

 

[1tuffram]

The tailshaft may be tricky to fix. Some have been able to fix it by simply replacing the seal. I've read other post here regarding this and sometimes the problem is with rough castings in the tailshaft housing which eats seals regularly until the housing is replaced. A search may shead more light on this matter, it has been discussed a few times.

 

[MikeR]

That is a very good price for the truck. I also have a 2000 that was built in 12/99 but in St Louis,and very happy with it. (44k miles)



Transfer case seal leaks have been common,but since the truck still under warranty,that's a no brainer.



I also graduated from a Ram 1500,and yes I too noticed the different brake pedal. It's perfectly normal.



-Mike

 

[John]

Mike's right about the transfer case leak... they are common with all aluminum cased New Venture Gear and the older New Process (same company) transfer cases. I replaced the seal on my NV241HD last year and it still leaks (and yes I know all the tricks to properly install the seals). Next time I replace the seal I will also remove the tailshaft housing and replace the bronze bushing (located just ahead of the seal). That took care of the leak on my NP208 transfer case.



BTW, Welcome aboard Matt!

 

[Pete Peterson]

Everybody has pretty much covered things Matt. The output shaft seal is not a real big concern, DC can fix it. They may have to replace the output housing as mentioned above, thats how they fixed mine... ... ... ... . Enjoy the truck!!! ... ... ... ..... Pete

 

[KatDiesel]

I jsut had my transfer case resealed.



They spilt the case and resealed it and they also did the Output shaft seal and the Rear oil seal.



The other day I noticed it leaking again while I was rolling around under the truck, but giving it a couple of weeks to see if it was just excess oil or something.



The amount of rust on the axles and related parts truely sucks, nebraska sucks. Wish I would have leased the truck now... ... .



Definatly leasing my Mustang!!

 

[TURBOs4LIFE]

YES I am happy with the performance of my brakes but I have to be very careful when I get in my other gas truck!! I will get in go down the road and when I go to stop for the first time I always almost run in the back of someone because they are totally different.

 

[SmokinGator]

Wow my username has changed, cool beans! Thanks Robin!



Thanks for the replies guys, the input is much appreciated. I'll do the research and see what others have done so I can "help" the dealer with the tail shaft leak. I'm sure they'll appreciate it.



I'm still waiting to see what they'll give me on my truck ('99 Ram 1500 4x4 QC SLT SWB with 78,000 miles on it -- ouch!) before I close the deal but I'm definitely buying the the 2000 2500, trade in or not. Anybody have an idea what my current truck might be worth? According to Kelley BB and others tradein is $15,500, retail is $18,500 and I owe $17,000. He said he'd probably only be able to give me 13K or so for it. Yeah right! I'll take my chances selling it myself for that.



Once again, any input will be much appreciated.



Thanks,



Matt