Former KDP disbeliever!

[Strick-9]

For the guys who hang out here WAY too often, we all know the TDR can get kind of boring at times. Especially the 12 valve section.



I'll have to admit when a few people starting talking about the killer dowel pin, I thought they just had too much time on their hands. Our motors are so reliable, we are just dying to find something new to tweak or perform preventative maintenance on.



I blew it off as something that only happens to 1 in 100,000 trucks.



My family has three cummins so I guess my odds are a little higher than most, but it seems to have struck our '97.



First I noticed the belt squeaking. Following that was the oil leaking from the front of the motor. We suspected a front main seal, so we took off the harmonic balancer and cranked the motor. No leaks there! Then we took off the fan and the fan mount assembly and saw a crack in the top of the timing case.



Now we are faced with, either removing the cam (major work) to replace the timing case or fixing the crack somehow.



Any suggestions on how to fix the crack. We tried the epoxy route, but that only lasted a couple of days.



Thanks,

Chris

 

[Missouri Mule]

Strick-9,

Sorry to hear of the misfortune.

I think you will have to replace the timing gear case.

But can it be welded ? Still mite have to take timing gear case off to do that though.

Did it do any other damage?



This is the reason I have been talking to my mechanic about getting my truck in and doing it.

There can be no to little damage or it can cost mega bucks.

One member got a brand new long block because of dowel pin thanks to Dodge. Another member's pin came out at 47,000 and after 3 to 5 grand of repairs it came back out at 51,000.



I like my engine. I don't want to by new engine. That is why I want to make sure it is not going to pop out of there.

 

[Sled Puller]

J-B weld?



Cleaning it would be difficult.

 

[Smoker]

Another former disbeliever

It began yesterday(Friday). I started to hear a strange whining noise. I blamed it on the twin disc pulling clutch and let it at that. Last night as I was on the way to take my better half home, I heard it again. I thought it was the brakes. I was getting ready to pull off of a side road when I heard a loud clunk and then grinding noise. I turned around and brought it back home. Up until this morning, I still thought it was the clutch. I was looking around the bellhousing area and I started to notice a lot of oil under the bottom and in the fenderwell. I popped the hood and there it was. There's about a two inch crack that is raised up about a half of an inch right around the top of the cover. Sometimes life ain't that swell.

 

[illflem]

Strick-9 and Smoker, need to listen to your buddies here on the TDR!!! Smoker, was your truck also a '97? Reason I ask is out of the 14 trucks that I've used the jig method of pin containment the only two pins that were backing out also were the only two '97s. '97 owners beware!!!

 

[Howard Durand]

Strick-9,



I don't know of any epoxy based material that will stand the heat.

Have you talked to a good welder?

It might be possible to weld it while still on the truck.



There is a polyurethane glue on the market that glues everything but I don't know how much heat it will stand either.

It is exceptionally strong and you couldn't lose much trying it.

I used some to re-glue the base on a small light bulb for my wife's sewing machine and it has not softened up yet. I held a match under it until it was so hot I couldn't hang on to it and the glue was still hard and firm.

For a test, you could glue a couple pieces of metal together with it then see how much heat it would stand.



The glue is somewhat expensive but is real handy to have around. The bottle I have is PROBOND POLYURETHANE GLUE, manufactured by Elmers. There is another brand called Gorilla Glue but I don't know who makes it.

This stuff is not anything like super glue, it really works!!!

If you try it, read the instructions. The glue requires moisture present for it to set. Just a mist sprayed into the crack is all that is needed. When it cures it expands and fills all of the voids.

If this had happened to mine I would give it a try before going through all of the misery of removing the gear case.



You might even be able to seal it with some high temp gasket silicone. That stuff will stand the heat and remain pliable.

 

[Smoker]

Illflem,

My truck is also a 97'. You're right, 97' owners BEWARE!!!

 

[Fistfull]

Mine is a 97 also, did the tab washer fix, the pin had not moved. Wish I had a borescope, could make a fortune checking this silly little pin for movement.

 

[danandamy]

If you could actually get it clean, JB Weld or Fasweld should work. The big if is getting it clean enough.

 

[vc]

illflem,



I did the CPFF jig fix to my '97 and thankfully I did not have the pin out enough that I was able to fully utilize the jig fix. Now I just hope none of the bolts loosen up in there.



vc

 

[jimk]

cracked cover

Chris I had a pair of Chevrolet turbo cylinder heads that were a large part devcon. The intake and exhaust ports were mostly devcon, They came off a car that set the record at that time in Denver Co.



I bought them and ran them on a 302 that I put together and run on the street with no problems. From 4500 to 9000 they would pull like crazy.



I dont see why the epoxy would not work if you get the cover Clean .



I have been welding for a long time, could you weld the cover up? Tig welding has to be clean also. I have used a torch to preheat the spot I am going weld with either a stick or tig, when I am going Aluminum. There may be other products out there that would work. We use a product called Pig Putty where I work at, which we have repaired gear cases and other things with success.

LOL jim

 

[DieselB59]

I did the killer dowel pin fix a couple weeks ago with the jig tool. Haven't found one that was walking out yet. It would be nice to bring an engine back from the brink of death, though. I've seen all too many that were already to the darkside.

 

[illflem]

One thing I've wondered about, is it possible for the KDP to come out all the way and do no damage? Using the jig fix you only can tell if it is part way out, if the pin was laying on the bottom of the cover you'd never know...

 

[Mike Ellis]

Texas KDP Fixers?

OK, my paranoia is great enough that I need to get the KDP fix done and put it behind me. Anybody in Texas done the jig fix yet? I would like to get the kit and do the fix but would prefer to get together with someone experienced in same before drilling into the engine... !



Anybody made a video of the fix yet? If not, I have a good digital video camera, and if we can get a few people together to do the fix I will bring it along and make a video that can be provided to folks who want to do the fix on their own - reckon it could be put on a CDROM or downloaded from the TDR or something. Or just added into the box with the jig that is being passed around.



Thanks,

 

[CPFF]

KDP JIG

Mike Ellis

One of the repair shops that bought one of my jigs is in Texas.

If you would like someone experienced to do yours, get in touch with

Andy Redmond at Redmond Enterprises and Engine Repair.

His phone #972-398 3934 or cell #972-880-9845 or -- email address removed -- -- Their in Plano, TX.



They have a mobil repair service, they will come to your house, business, or work to do your repairs etc. You might get a group of trucks together and get a special rate.

The other shops that have a jig are Auto Wurks Diesel in NJ,

Blue Chip Diesel Performance in NH, and Dave Mitchell at Enterprise Engine in Ohio. I also keep a jig here for anyone in this area to use.



I hope the six jigs I sent out to the TDR members are being used and sent along and not sitting on someones bench collecting dust.

When I sent them,I asked to have whoever used it, to drop me a e-mail and tell me to whom and when they sent it to so I could kind of keep tract of them. I got TWO e-mails -- I guess Its too much trouble!

CPFF

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The next TDR will have a write-up on the dowel pin, pictures and procedures included.



Meanwhile, if you hear a noise at idle like a steel bar being lightly rattled along a steel picket fence, it is the dowel pin on the gears.



If the dowel comes out the top, there is probably no damage other than the housing itself and the bent cover.



Carry a gallon or two of motor oil because the first indication you get might be low oil pressure after a gallon or more gets slung out by the gear train.

 

[bholcomb]

For you guys that have done the washer fix, how did you get the fan nut loose? I assume it is right hand thread, but I have tried both ways. I tried a chain wrench around the front of the pulley and two feet of extra leverage on both wrenches, but it hasn't moved. Finding the parts wasn't an easy task either. I had to visit two Cummins dealers, one for the seal and one for the gasket.



Brian

 

[illflem]

Brian, turn the nut clockwise to loosen. What I've done that works well is use a long drift or punch placed on the right side edge of one of the nut flats then give it a couple of good raps with a hammer it will break free easy after that. I've done 14 jig method KDP repairs, I quit even trying to remove the fan without rapping it first after the 5th truck.

 

[Joe G.]

The fan nut is left handed thread. I made a long handled wrench to fit it and hit the wrench a few times with big channellock pliers gripped on the pulley nuts. Illflem has used a flat nosed punch on the flats of the fan nut to loosen it. Once it breaks loose it turns easy.

 

[bholcomb]

Thanks for the info. I have given up for today, so it will have to wait until next weekend. There is a Harbor Freight store opening in town tomorrow, so I will get a more proper, one time use wrench.



Brian