Killer Dowel Lives ON!!

[rosebunch]

Well all I am a beaten man. We have spent two days trying to do the washer tab fix on the KDP with no luck. . I knew these Cummins engines were tuff but I did not realize how tough.



We spent half a day trying to remove the @#$ fan nut. We even bought the required tools to do the job $50. 00. After much we finally got the little bugger off.



However, the next day came to the four bolts on the Vibration Damper. After working 4 hours on these little #$%%^&# we got 3 of them off BUT that fourth one did us. We used a 4 foot breaker bar on all of them but that fourth bolt would not budge.



Put everthing back together and am now licking my wounds and pride. My mechanic friend, a big man, who worked on this and has worked on Big diesels before with much better luck.



I do want to thank JGeorge and R. Ebel for their assistance along with the many posts I have read on this subject. Thanks Joe Donnaly for the current article...



I just wish I could have won this battle. Time will tell if I should have been more persistant.



Thanks again for this site and I will hope my next endever is more profitable...



Bob R

 

[Cummins Corvette]

Man, sorry to hear about all the trouble. This will make you feel better. It took me about two minutes, a pair of vise grips, and a pair of channel locks to make the fan vanish. All my dampener bolts were torqued to the proper 70ish ft/lbs and came off with a hammer and my 1/2" drive rachet. My biggest hurdel was getting that crank seal back in, I bent the cover from hammering that thing back in. I didn't notice until I had the cover bolted back on. I fixed it any way. The project as a whole gives most people problems but it sounds like you had an especially fun time.

 

[Bob Ellithorpe]

If it makes you feel any better, I went through the whole exersize like everyone else only to find the dowel pin flush or below the surface ( it hadn't moved) and all bolts were tight!!

After all that I still made the washer tab fix and now drive and sleep better. It's called peace of mind!!!

 

[Cummins Corvette]

Same here my kdp had not moved, but after all that work I fixed it anyway. I also put locktite on all the bolts.

 

[rosebunch]

Sure glad that not everone's engine fasteners have been torqued beyond measure. Sure do wish that I had been able to complete the job. All I can hope is that if I had been successful that my KDP would have been / is tight. Every thing else on this engine is certainly extremly tight!. . I had the same "extremly tight" conditions when I replace the turbo elbo for the Geno gages.

 

['956Wheel]

Bob E. is on the money... a little impact will out do pulling on the #%&@! wrench every time... . NEVER BE WITHOUT a good selection of hammers! I like the "drilling" hammer, its a 3-4 lb short handled singlejack. GOT SEVERAL!



OH, somtimes a good cold beer will help!

 

[SteveH]

Does anyone actually know anyone by name who has had this KDP come out and cause engine damage?

Steve H

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

My friend at one of the local dealerships has changed a half dozen gear cases from the KDP coming out.



Y'all are making the job harder. Use either a long handled ratchet or the special Lisle tool to add more tension to the belt tensioner. That will hold the pulley tight enough that you can put the wrench on the fan nut, hit it with a hammer, and knock it loose. I suggest removing the oil filler first so it won't get damaged if the wrench flies.



The crank dampener bolts are supposed to be 92 ft lb. Put a barring tool into the flywheel housing to hold the crank still.



Hope you enjoy spending quality time with your Ram

 

[DieselB59]

I do believe that Piers has had one go south on him a while back while in his earlier endeavors with BD. I recall severe engine damage as the result.

 

[RedRamer]

Just a thought.

is there no way of simply drilling a small hole in the front of the cover just in front of the dowel pin, to first see if it is sticking out?

Then, if it's not, simply put a small sheet metal screw in to plug the hole back up.

 

[MidwestMotorman]

Yes

goober



Yes there is. Look for a thread a while back on the "killer dowel pin". There are kits circulating around that will drill a hole from the outside and let you know if it is out or in place, and will enable you to put a bolt in to keep it from coming out.

 

[RedRamer]

Been following those threads, but you need the jig!! Seems they got lost.

What I meant was, to drill a hole on the front of the cover. Seems to be enough room for an angle drill. Then one can slip in a pin to knock it back if it's out, and if not out, simply plug the drill hole up.

Would need the co-ordinates for the hole, either some template or measurements from existing bolts.

 

[rosebunch]

If I could only get my hands on the JIG, I would certainly be happy. However, I do not tink the JIG will ever make to to remote Central Washington.



When I was removing the Damper bolts, I did have the torque converter lockec with a bar. But the pry bar bent before the 4th bolt would come loose. All 4 bolts were extremly tuff but that 4th was much more prepared for the battle than I was...



Bob

 

[MidwestMotorman]

Give em up!!!

The jigs are out there somewhere (seven of them to members and three to shops). There was supposed to be a list of who wanted them, and the member just paid the shipping to the next guy as the "donation" for using it.



Anybody got one hiding in their closet??? Some good folks need to use them. I had contacted the fellow who made them a while back on making some more. He is too busy for the moment, but I want to get one for my shop. I would copy one if I could get my hands on a kit. They are not hard to make, but the critical measurement is the bracket for locating the drill bit.