Uh Oh!

[jdurham]

Well, My Ram didn't make it back from my weekend trip. It statrted making one HECK of a noise, but when I got the rpm up, it would quit. Friend gave me a ride back, took the turbo off another truck, went back put it on, was great for a few minutes, then the sound was back, only LOUD. Knock was under the truck, so I took the inspection cover off the trans, and big chunks of metal came out, so I must've lunched the flex plate. I have to get one asap, so I did a search, found a lot of info, but still need a part number for a flex plate. I remember someone talking about a more modern plate that bolts right up and is stronger. Since this is the second flex plate it's eaten since new, I'd like to go a little stronger. Anyone got a part number?



Thanks,

Jim

 

[nascar mark]

Don't have a part # for you but the 95 and newer flex plate is stronger. Don't try a 94 or earlier one. They seem to be weaker.

 

[jdurham]

Thanks Mark, will try to get one...

 

[jdurham]

OK, got it fixed, and thought I'd share a little info with you guys that'll save you some bucks.



Philip, that wasn't NEARLY as much fun as you made it sound...



Nascar Mark, thanks for the tip, the 95 model plate did bolt right up.



Now for the money stuff. Called dealer, they said $295, told them I wanted Chrysler employee discount, they told me $221. Ordered it. It came in in a Cummins box, with a Cummins part number. Called Cummins, price was $94. 22:--)



Anyway, here are the part numbers so you guys don't have to take the same beating I took...



FLEX PLATE 1995 Cummins



Chrysler Part # 5015709 Price $295. 00

Cummins Part #3946161 Price $ 94. 22



Hope this helps you guys...

 

[JLEONARD]

Chrysler Part # 5015709 Price $295. 00

Cummins Part #3946161 Price $ 94. 22

313% markup?

Very profitable indeed.

Thank you Jim... this taught me a lesson.

Jay

 

[Philip]

I never said it would be fun. When ever your on your back on a creeper with a floor jack sliding a trans back to change a flex plate. It is not fun.



The fun starts on the test drive afterwards.

 

[jdurham]

Philip,



How about in a yard outside that had fresh wood chips under it. I think I've got splinters in places I didn't even know I had places...



No jack, no air tools:{

 

[Philip]

 

[BushWakr - RIP]

Ya know, I'm pretty much speechless at that cost...



Maybe that's a good thing, and I should keep my mouth shut ... .



bob.

 

[A Johnson]

While you are on the subject of prices , heres a tip you may or may not know about.



When you call Cummins and ask for a part, any part, ask them if they have it in an OE part number. Example 3946161OE means that it is the same part only Off Engine. It is usually sold for half price and comes with the full warranty that applies to that particular part number.



Off Engine parts are generated by in house spec changes to an engine, and they are not used parts in that they are taken off a new or Recon engine and the only time that is on them would be from the factory Dyno run.



Hope this helps someone,



A Johnson

 

[JLEONARD]

the only time that is on them would be from the factory Dyno run.

A Johnson, can you explain this further?



I have not been to the truck engine plant, but I have toured the marine engine plant. They dyno approx 4 engines per day there and they are all sold. not taken apart.

J Leonard

 

[jdurham]

Also, I received a piece of info from formula that I think you should all know as well.



thanks formula!



Every time I call Cummins, they don't have part listings for the trucks, but they DO have them by engine serial number. My advice would be to get your engine serial number (off of the timing cover I think), and ALWAYS CALL CUMMINS FIRST! In the case of the flex plate, as well as my post on the intake air sensor, the cost savings are huge.



Hope this helps...



Jim

 

[nascar mark]

Originally posted by jdurham

OK, got it fixed, and thought I'd share a little info with you guys that'll save you some bucks.



Philip, that wasn't NEARLY as much fun as you made it sound...



Nascar Mark, thanks for the tip, the 95 model plate did bolt right up.



Now for the money stuff. Called dealer, they said $295, told them I wanted Chrysler employee discount, they told me $221. Ordered it. It came in in a Cummins box, with a Cummins part number. Called Cummins, price was $94. 22:--)



Anyway, here are the part numbers so you guys don't have to take the same beating I took...



FLEX PLATE 1995 Cummins



Chrysler Part # 5015709 Price $295. 00

Cummins Part #3946161 Price $ 94. 22



Hope this helps you guys...

Your welcome Jim,

Above is the reason people call them as they see them. Being told to not call someone buy their nickname is censorship we don't need. We pay good money to speak amoungst ourselves. I bit my tonge when I read the censorship but come on. When they pay to be on the site, let them speak for themselves and give us a reason for their prices.

 

[Copterdoc]

I hope the secret police don't knock on my door, but this is the reason we call them stealers. Before I knew better I paid 159 bucks for a 1993 cut off solenoid that usdieselparts.com sells for 43 dollars. If the name fits they should wear it. copterdoc

 

[jdurham]

I feel much the same as all of you. In fact, I was steaming that I had been taken advantage of like that. I am pasting in a PM I sent to bushwhacker, since I was so angry I wasn't sure posting it would've been such a good idea. I invite ANY of the dealers who read this to address the gross difference between Cummins price, and the price paid at the "dealer", otherwise, I say they shouldn't dare open their mouth to complain...



I wanted to address this "stealer" thing, but didn't know if it'd be appropriate, so I am sending it to you as a PM instead, for you to comment, tell me where to put it, or tell me to let it go.



I do not understand why the dealers can be offended by the stealer comment when they continue to business as they are. I had a really good example put to me this last week. I broke a flex plate on my truck. Called the dealer, got a price of $295. 00. Told them my mother is a Chrysler employee, price dropped to $221. 25. Picked it up, it was in a Cummins box, with a Cummins part number. Called Cummins today, and their price was $94. 22. I understand that there is a markup involved in handling the part, but this is just robbery, and I feel that "stealer" is quite appropriate. I would love to hear these dealers tell us HOW they plan to do business with us so we don't feel compelled to call them stealer, rather than just ask us not to. Oh, and a little salt on my would was when he pulled the packing slip out of the pouch on the box, and I caught a glimpse of the receipt from the warehouse, $177. 00. Looks like there is a problem that needs to be addressed OTHER than us calling them stealers...



This is the second time this happened to me. Check out my thread on the intake air sensor. Cummins doesn't have a listing of the part numbers Dodge uses, so you have to go through the dealer, and they mark them up ENTIRELY too much IMO.



Thanks for listening!



Jim

 

[midwestdually]

so take it back and tell them to shove it

 

[Lil' Dog]

Better yet,



Buy another one from Cummins and take it with the reciept to the dealer and get your money back. .



The markup at the dealer is not funny at all. They will charge the maximum allowed until someone calls foul. I ordered some parts that somehow got under a local garage account. . Saved myself 50% with their mistake.



Always Call Cummins First!!!!



J-eh

 

[jdurham]

midwestdually - I had to have it then, so it is already installed and the box thrown away. Anyway, I took my beating this time, but i'll not do it again. Maybe they are trying to tell us not to drive Dodges? Either that, or they think we're stupid...



I haven't noticed a sigle dealer log on and reply... . Why is that?????????



Jim

 

[A Johnson]

Originally posted by JLEONARD

A Johnson, can you explain this further?



I have not been to the truck engine plant, but I have toured the marine engine plant. They dyno approx 4 engines per day there and they are all sold. not taken apart.

J Leonard

When we have to change an engine in say a log loader most loaders may run a 24 volt system, we take off the fuel solenoid that comes as a 12 volt from the engine company or Recon, whichever the case may be, and turn the 12volt solenoid back in to the parts department and they credit it to the customer, we then install the 24 volt solenoid on the engine to run correctly with the machines system. This engine may or may not have ran on a factory dyno before being put in the system. ( I was always told that all engines ran on a dyno before being shipped from the factory, but I now know this is not the case at least for the marine and Chrysler engines. ) I believe all Recon engines may be dynoed before shipment but I'm really not sure now.



I have personally bought a flexplate for a 93 Dodge that was OE the price was 40 some odd dollars at that time ( about 3 years ago). How we generated a flex plate for a Dodge I have no idea but I assume we did an engine change in a truck with a manual transmission and the egine came specified for an automatic, we then spec changed it for a manual transmission truck.



A Johnson

 

[DPKetchum]

Off the subject of prices i was told that repeated flex plate failures may have something to do with engine adapter???Tsb or revision???