Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) how many miles?

[hummincummins2]

if i buy a 12 valve 2nd gen how many miles can i expect to run it to before i start running into problems?



just curious thanks

 

[Highfinance97]

It depends on how much power your going to have.







Michael

 

[BigPapa]

Mine was stock to @200K miles. Up till then I had done the following due to failures:

• replaced the front crank seal (also killed the KDP)
  
• rebuilt the vacuum pump
  
• replaced the belt
  
• replaced the A/C clutch
  
• replaced the TPS twice
  
• replaced the brake pedal switch twice
  
• replaced the water pump
  
• replaced the over-flow valve
  
• replaced the injectors and the lift pump (chasing a fuel knock, new injectors were 215's )
  
• replaced front brakes twice
  
• replaced the batteries
  
• recovered the headliner
  

The fuel sending unit went out a long time ago and I have not replaced it. Since the bombs I have replaced the clutch once, the sprung hub came apart. Other than that, just regular maintenance. Besides the transmission and TPS problems I'd say that's pretty dang good for 200K miles.



Scott

 

[hummincummins2]

It depends on how much power your going to have.







Michael

you saying the more power i add the more miles i will get out of it or the other way around?

 

[Skydiver]

More fuel = More power = More heat = More wear = more money.

That is unless the turbo is upgraded.

 

[mjoppie]

mine has 315,000 and runs great!! i know a guy who has over a million on his stock motor and runs just like now too.





oh, and another that has over 300k thats a rocket with no problems





matt

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I have 405,230 on my '96 but it's showing signs of fatigue. Has more blowby than it used to, uses oil and leaks in quite a few places. But 405k is a good service life and it still runs good, so that's not anything to complain about.

I have thrown quite a bit of $$$ at it dealing with various issues but I still like the truck.

 

[WDixon27]

320k on mine, even with me flogging it it leaks about a quart of oil between 5k changes from the front cover but i don't think it burns a drop

 

[bmoeller]

219k here. Very few problems. Still have the stock u-joints, too.

 

[JFlagg]

I think its about like any motor though, you get out of it what you put into it. The better care you take of it, the longer it will last. Sure, the Cummins is argueably one of the longest lasting, most reliable motors you can get in a truck, but there are motors out that have only lasted 100K, than there are others that make several hundred thousand... or more. In reality, I don't see why you couldn't get 2-300K fairly easily.

 

[arthr31]

when i bought mine a little over two years ago, it had 98k. I think it was under worked and neglicted. Henceforth there was a bunch of stuff to fix. I've had two bad oil leaks, first was front time cover case, then recently vacuum pump. The PS pump leaks a little bit, but I'll wait til it fails now.
I have about 122k on it now and it is running sweet. doesn't burn any oil, gets used every day and seems to respond better the more i use it. I have done a lot of work to it, more than I'd like to have for it's miles when bought (e. g. trac bar, front u-joints, wheel bearings, front hub, etc. )

With all this said, I don't think mileage is a good indicator of how it'll perform or what could be wrong with the truck. Like when I bought mine, I really have to wonder how many oil changes were done. . I did a crank case cleanse, and then switched to amsoil. I'd try and buy from someone who is a bit of a diesel nut, you're more likely to get a well cared for truck (or in my case obsessively cared for )

 

[hummincummins2]

sounds like you can put more miles on these engines then i thought.

 

[CumminsPower98]

358k towing for a living right now and running great with something like 300 RWHP and 16 deg of timing for most of those miles. I have done plenty of things here and there but I'm obsessive too so I replace stuff before it breaks and fix very small leaks because I hate leaks. No one would know I had that many miles looking at any part of the truck because I try to keep it clean and leak free. Anyway, I have not done anything major to the engine other then a head gasket at 247k and that was my fault as I let the boost get higher then I wanted by accident (cruise set towing in sub-zero temps with wind). They will go the distance if taken care of and I'm sure some even do when abused. Original injection pump, injectors, water pump, ball joints, wheel bearings (although I did add grease zerks to the front wheel bearings a while back). I know of a guy with over 800k on a 24 valve. He has done some head gaskets and VP44s of course. I don't know what all else as I haven't talked to him directly about the truck. Talked to another RV transporter who put 600k on his original 12 valve and finally decided to swap it out for another engine.

 

[Grizzly]

When talking about the Cummins, the Ferd dealers tell there customers, it's too bad Dodge puts a 500,000 mile engine on a 70,000 mile truck.

 

[RVPILOT]

milage

Mine has more than 800,000. these are highway miles, diesels are made to run all day long and thensome, around town and short trips will shorten the life af any engine gas or diesel. chasing oil leaks biggest problem, replaced head gasket at about 650,000 due to seepage around thermostat area, a common problem. J & H did the work, still had the hone marks in the bore, did not need a valve job, original injectors and pump. uses about a quart of oil between changes. 7 to 8k miles I am thinking of replacing the turbo due to stories about runaways. Stormy

 

[CumminsPower98]

I wish mine used less oil. Maybe it didn't get broke in correctly or the synthetic is sticking the rings because its not burning off due to higher flash point? I get about 3k miles to a quart. I got about 6k just doing slow town driving before going OTR. No telling when buying a used wrecked truck what it's history was...

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Mine uses a quart every 1000 to 1500 miles. Mostly goes out the tailpipe I think. At 350k it used a little less, maybe 2000 miles to a quart.

CP98 I was in your neck of the woods about a month ago, driving through both ways on my way to Gallup. There were tons of Jeeps everywhere. Shoulda looked you up so I could check out your mods.

 

[CumminsPower98]

cool. Yeah it was Easter Jeep Safari April 1-8 so if you were here around that time there would have been plenty of jeeps running around. I was in your area last summer as I dropped a trailer in Pasco then headed on over to 84 and home. This weekend town will be filled with old cars for the annual car show.

 

[Grizzly]

Mine has more than 800,000. these are highway miles, diesels are made to run all day long and thensome, around town and short trips will shorten the life af any engine gas or diesel. chasing oil leaks biggest problem, replaced head gasket at about 650,000 due to seepage around thermostat area, a common problem. J & H did the work, still had the hone marks in the bore, did not need a valve job, original injectors and pump. uses about a quart of oil between changes. 7 to 8k miles I am thinking of replacing the turbo due to stories about runaways. Stormy

That's amazing. Do you use dyno or synthetic oil? Do you think the 12 valve engine like yours are better then the 24 valve? It makes sense that Hyw miles are much better then stop and go.

 

[BigPapa]

Do you use dyno or synthetic oil?

My money says he's running he's running Rotella.



Scott