Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Last weekend I did the dowel pin and timing on two different trucks, one '96 and one '97. I have been involved in 15+ KDP jig fixes and wanted to try the tab method, and I knew that setting the timing would be easer with the front cover off. It took us about 45 minutes to get booth front covers off. The '96 looked good, pin was tight, but the bolt beside it didn't have much torque on it when we removed it to install the tab.
The '97 wasn't so good. When we pulled off the cover we heard something drop. The pin had fallen out and was wedged between the front cover and the cam gear, the pin was ground down about 1/3 its diameter. Other that some denting to the front cover there was no permanent damage. In this case a jig fixed would not have done any good. I don't know what would have happened if the pin was left in there and eventually fallen through. The gaskets where both in good shape and well sealed to the cover. I think that some good quality silicone would have sealed up fine with the old gasket.
After doing both methods for preventing KDP failure I would recommend the tab method. I don't think that it is that much more work and you know that the pin and the bolts will be right. Here is the Cummins part # we used.
Seal 3804899 ($28. 80)
Gasket 3918673 ($23. 05)
Tab 3958017 ($1. 00)
The '97 wasn't so good. When we pulled off the cover we heard something drop. The pin had fallen out and was wedged between the front cover and the cam gear, the pin was ground down about 1/3 its diameter. Other that some denting to the front cover there was no permanent damage. In this case a jig fixed would not have done any good. I don't know what would have happened if the pin was left in there and eventually fallen through. The gaskets where both in good shape and well sealed to the cover. I think that some good quality silicone would have sealed up fine with the old gasket.
After doing both methods for preventing KDP failure I would recommend the tab method. I don't think that it is that much more work and you know that the pin and the bolts will be right. Here is the Cummins part # we used.
Seal 3804899 ($28. 80)
Gasket 3918673 ($23. 05)
Tab 3958017 ($1. 00)
