Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Even though it will make me look like an idiot, I feel I owe it the TRD community to tell the story of my power troubles. I found a happy ending, kind of, and I hope it will help others who might, sometime, experience something similar, to avoid what I went through.
Short version:
Low power, especially when cold, still unsatisfactory power when warm. Poor fuel mileage.
The EXPERTS at CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC spend 6 hours at $91 each to diagnose the problem. Findings:
1) needs new injection pump
2) needs new lift pump (as it is leaking)
3) needs new turbo (as it has blowby into the intake)
Tab: $3,4K
New injection pump. New lift pump. Getting truck back after it passed their extensive road test. Still unsatisfactory power. Worse yet: truck breaks down with a fully loaded trailer after 86 miles. Big tab for towing back to Cummins.
Several hours at $91 for diagnostics to find out why truck won't start again!
Bad "new" injection pump. Replaced with another "new" one under warranty, but since I bought from another vendor, installation cost me a total of $1,400. 00, including diagnostics!
Even with the second "new" injection pump, power is unsatisfactory, especially when cold. They check timing again, confirm that they road tested the truck and found it to be normal. "That's how they drive" they told me. Wrong. Before the problem, the truck drove fantastic!
Could it be the torque converter? Before I chill out another $$$, I order a tach (still waiting for it) to see what's going on in the revs department. Then, while sitting in the outhouse and reading TRD issue 64, I read " . . . remember to check transmission fluid in Neutral, as the pump wont' operate in Park. "
Uhhh . . . ?????????????????????
Now, 3-1/2 quarts of ATF later, the truck drives as perfectly as it ever did when I bought it.
Now it all makes sense:
When cold, there wasn't enough ATF to move the converter. When it warmed up, it got a notch better as the ATF expanded.
Since even on the freeway on full throttle not all of the engine's power could be transferred to the transmission, power was down, and fuel consumption up (just like slipping clutch).
Conclusion: don't trust the experts. I'm a 49 year-old car guy and I always checked trans fluid in park. Here, on the 727/518, the difference is almost a GALLON of ATF!
I would really go to CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC and kick some butts. Spent $3,5K for no reason. At least I know better now . . . and YOU.
What a testimony to the quality of the trustworthy old Torqueflite that it took the abuse of slipping and towing, and reving without taking any damage!
Lesson learned.
Warning: stay away from CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC!
P. S.
One riddle ramains: the truck is bone dry. Not a drop of ATF anywhere. No smoking either. Where did the missing fluid go? Should the trans shop have made the same mistake and check the fluid level in Park when I had the trans serviced? Guess I'll never know . . .
Short version:
Low power, especially when cold, still unsatisfactory power when warm. Poor fuel mileage.
The EXPERTS at CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC spend 6 hours at $91 each to diagnose the problem. Findings:
1) needs new injection pump
2) needs new lift pump (as it is leaking)
3) needs new turbo (as it has blowby into the intake)
Tab: $3,4K
New injection pump. New lift pump. Getting truck back after it passed their extensive road test. Still unsatisfactory power. Worse yet: truck breaks down with a fully loaded trailer after 86 miles. Big tab for towing back to Cummins.
Several hours at $91 for diagnostics to find out why truck won't start again!
Bad "new" injection pump. Replaced with another "new" one under warranty, but since I bought from another vendor, installation cost me a total of $1,400. 00, including diagnostics!
Even with the second "new" injection pump, power is unsatisfactory, especially when cold. They check timing again, confirm that they road tested the truck and found it to be normal. "That's how they drive" they told me. Wrong. Before the problem, the truck drove fantastic!
Could it be the torque converter? Before I chill out another $$$, I order a tach (still waiting for it) to see what's going on in the revs department. Then, while sitting in the outhouse and reading TRD issue 64, I read " . . . remember to check transmission fluid in Neutral, as the pump wont' operate in Park. "
Uhhh . . . ?????????????????????
Now, 3-1/2 quarts of ATF later, the truck drives as perfectly as it ever did when I bought it.
Now it all makes sense:
When cold, there wasn't enough ATF to move the converter. When it warmed up, it got a notch better as the ATF expanded.
Since even on the freeway on full throttle not all of the engine's power could be transferred to the transmission, power was down, and fuel consumption up (just like slipping clutch).
Conclusion: don't trust the experts. I'm a 49 year-old car guy and I always checked trans fluid in park. Here, on the 727/518, the difference is almost a GALLON of ATF!
I would really go to CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC and kick some butts. Spent $3,5K for no reason. At least I know better now . . . and YOU.
What a testimony to the quality of the trustworthy old Torqueflite that it took the abuse of slipping and towing, and reving without taking any damage!
Lesson learned.
Warning: stay away from CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC!
P. S.
One riddle ramains: the truck is bone dry. Not a drop of ATF anywhere. No smoking either. Where did the missing fluid go? Should the trans shop have made the same mistake and check the fluid level in Park when I had the trans serviced? Guess I'll never know . . .
Last edited:
Kind of sounds like todays doctors :-laf
I dont see how anyone any worse can stay in business. 
