TIMING HOUSING BROKEN

[PROBE]

I have an '94 Cummins with 123k miles and a few months back I had developed an oil leak somewhere in the front of the motor and just couldn't seem to locate where it was coming from. Not wanting to tie the truck up at a garage during the winter, I also use it to plow some driveways, I waited until a couple weeks ago to have it diagnosed at my Dodge dealer from where I had purchased the truck 5 years ago.
The menchanic found that the timing gear housing had a crack in it. He had to disassemble major portions of the trucks frontend, and motor so as to get the camshaft and camgear out, just to get the housing off. Upon disassembly he noticed that there was only one of two line-up pins that are used to properly align the housing to the block, and that just below the area where the upper left one was supposed to be, was where the housing took the damage.
I stopped in the other day to visit my truck, because I haven't seen it for many days now, and they showed me where the housing was damaged and it looks as though the pin just dropped out from the block and got caught between the camgear and housing, and the housing lost.
There are two line-up pins, and looking at the front of the engine one is at the lower right side of the housing, and the other is in the upper left area. The one on the lower right has a blind hole cast in the housing so the pin can't come loose. However the upper left one can come loose because the hole is not cast into the housing and looks like a flange that has a hole drilled through it to accommodate the pin. It theoretically can come loose and drop into the housing area and become jammed within the gears!
According to the mechcanic, that is what happened, because he couldn't see where any other foreign object would have come from.
This brings up my questions...
Has anybody heard of this design defect or worst yet have dealt with the same problem that I have run into?
Has anybody got a service manual for this engine and does it show any pictures of the timing housing area and these line-up pins I speak of?
What's to keep this problem from happening again?

Thanks for your help, Dave Probert

 

[dieselburner]

Originally posted by PROBE:
I have an '94 Cummins with 123k miles and a few months back I had developed an oil leak somewhere in the front of the motor and just couldn't seem to locate where it was coming from. Not wanting to tie the truck up at a garage during the winter, I also use it to plow some driveways, I waited until a couple weeks ago to have it diagnosed at my Dodge dealer from where I had purchased the truck 5 years ago.
The menchanic found that the timing gear housing had a crack in it. He had to disassemble major portions of the trucks frontend, and motor so as to get the camshaft and camgear out, just to get the housing off. Upon disassembly he noticed that there was only one of two line-up pins that are used to properly align the housing to the block, and that just below the area where the upper left one was supposed to be, was where the housing took the damage.
I stopped in the other day to visit my truck, because I haven't seen it for many days now, and they showed me where the housing was damaged and it looks as though the pin just dropped out from the block and got caught between the camgear and housing, and the housing lost.
There are two line-up pins, and looking at the front of the engine one is at the lower right side of the housing, and the other is in the upper left area. The one on the lower right has a blind hole cast in the housing so the pin can't come loose. However the upper left one can come loose because the hole is not cast into the housing and looks like a flange that has a hole drilled through it to accommodate the pin. It theoretically can come loose and drop into the housing area and become jammed within the gears!
According to the mechcanic, that is what happened, because he couldn't see where any other foreign object would have come from.
This brings up my questions...
Has anybody heard of this design defect or worst yet have dealt with the same problem that I have run into?
Has anybody got a service manual for this engine and does it show any pictures of the timing housing area and these line-up pins I speak of?
What's to keep this problem from happening again?

Thanks for your help, Dave Probert

Sorry to hear of your problem. This has happened to several of the TDR members, myself included. If you look through some of the more recent postings, you will see some information including how to prevent it from happening and also some links to pictures. When mine went, it took out the cam gear and timing cover. The cam gear had some very light abrasion and the mechanic replaced it along with the camshaft. Anyway, when they put it back together, make sure they use the new timing cover that will capture the dowel and not allow this to happen again.
Steve

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1998 2500 Quad Cab, 12V, 5spd, 4x4, HD Transfer Case, 370HP Diamond B Injectors, #4 TST, 16cm2 Housing, AFC Spring Kit, BD Governor Spring Kit and other governor modifications, Walker Muffler, 285/75-16 BFG AT's, Stainless Steel Tube Steps, Reese Fifth Wheel Hitch, Leather, CD, LSD Dana 80 Rear, 60 Front, McLeod Dual Disc Clutch, Rancho RS9000 Shocks, Rancho Steering Stabilizer, ATS Exhaust Manifold, Psychotty Air Induction, BD Exhaust Brake, Enterprise Engine Delivery Valves

 

[PROBE]

dieselburner,
After posting my topic, I did some poking around in the recent topics about the "Killer Dowel Pin". Appropriately named!
Has Cummins owned up to it's design flaw and are they willing to compensate any of the costs?
What model years are most effected? I have many friends that will not like to hear this news.

Thanks for the reply,
Dave

 

[dieselburner]

Originally posted by PROBE:
dieselburner,
After posting my topic, I did some poking around in the recent topics about the "Killer Dowel Pin". Appropriately named!
Has Cummins owned up to it's design flaw and are they willing to compensate any of the costs?
What model years are most effected? I have many friends that will not like to hear this news.

Thanks for the reply,
Dave

Dodge repaired mine under the 100K mile warranty. I do not think that Dodge or Cummins is likely to do a recall.

 

[CPFF]

PROBE -- Thats the reason I built the drill jigs and sending them to the members to hopefully prevent this damage.
CPFF

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CUMMINS POWERED FAST FORD

 

[PROBE]

CPFF,
I have been digging into the past fews weeks of the "Killer Dowel Pin" topics and have priinted out some of the wonderful JPG files you have creadted and sent along, (Thanks very much for them), but also wonder if there is a current fix provided from Cummins? My truck will probably be ready tomorrow and I want to know what to ask the dealer... "What is to prevent this from happening again?" I thought somewhere I saw mention about a new style housing cover... Is this correct?

Also what year trucks are effected? I have many friends, with many different years, and would like to inform them of their impending fate.

Later, Probe

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'94 RAM 2500 W/CUMMINS 5. 9... BANKS POWER PACK... K&N AIR FILTER... PRIMO OIL REFINER... AMSOIL SERIES 3000

 

[bull1kevin]

My '97 did the same thing , at first I thought I had a front main seal going out. Luckly my Cummins warranty had 4000 miles left on it. The Dealership informed me that this repair was one of the single most exspensive repairs that could be made to my truck.

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97' 2500, 2x2, 5spd. tst#10,afc springkit,silencer ring & kitty missing, straight pipe

 

[trucknut]

This dowel pin issue sounds expensive. Does anyone know if the newer trucks have this problem as well. I have a 98 12v and a 2001-24v. Thanks.

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

I can't stand reading post like this over and over. I can spot them a mile away now. Seems like the problem is much bigger than Cummins and DC will admit. They swept this one WAAAAY under the rug. If it happens to you,the problem is monumental. :[ #ad
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1995 Club Cab 4WD 5. 9 SLT 5 SPEED,CAT IS MIA,TST #6 IS IN THE GROOVE,29. 5 ALJO TRAILING BEHIND.