Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) WARNING to those using exhaust brake!!!!

[Ram4Fun]

My side cover gasket just blew out causing a MAJOR oil leak. The Cummins shop foreman told me that all the motors he's seen with this leak have had exhaust brakes except for 1 instance on a highly built truck. He told me that if the exhaust brake hangs up or gets stuck slightly on it can cause a quick spike in the turbo boost, causing too much crank case pressure which blows out this seal. It takes a full day's labor for the shop to put in a new seal since the injection pump and lines, fuel filter assembly, vacume pump, and power steering pump have to be removed. The cure for this problem is to use an expoxy type glue to permanently keep the seal in place. So be warned, I never saw the spike in my boost guage by my seal blew out.

This tappit cover is on the drivers side high up on the block, it allows access to the push rods and is on all the 5. 9l cummins motors.

 

[TORQUE THIS]

Mine is leaking, don't have an exhaust brake or a heavily modified truck. The only thing you need to remove is the fuel filter housing and the ECM. I have changed it out once before and it's not that hard to do.

 

[Ram4Sam]

Okay, I'm lost....

I need someone to explain how an exhaust brake can cause this. The eb obviously causes pressure in the exhaust manifold, in the cylinders, and due to valve overlap, even a bit on the intake side. How would any of this built up pressure make it to to the crankcase? I guess if the rings were real bad that might be possible, but not that much. I would think that the crankcase vent hose would have to plugged for this to be possible.



Sam

 

[TORQUE THIS]

I can tell you that mine is leaking due to the person that installed it... (ME)...



I don't think that the exhaust brake would cause it. I just might have been that the nuts that hold it on (tappet cover) may have vibrated loose?



Do you still have the OEM Puke Bottle on the front of the motor?

 

[WestTN]

I would think that a stuck closed exhaust brake would reduce exhaust gas flow and thereby reduce boost. That turbine is spun by flow.

 

[JRagland]

That same cover started leaking as soon as I bought my '02 new. Dealer had my truck for 4 out of the first 6 weeks I owned it fixing new oil leaks. Made a Lemon Law claim, but didn't go through. No problems since. Never had an exhaust brake and it was that cover you are talking about.

 

[340Mark]

I think the shop forman has this confused with a fuel dragster with melted pistons :-laf

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Ask him if he has had success using platinum spark plugs that work well with theese engines.



Everything he has said to you is miss askewed. Spike in boost LOL Guess he never heard of twins :-laf WHAT WILL blow out the cover is a frozen or clogged puke tube (Or crankcase vent if you will) Sure seriously beat piston rings with an exhaust brake will create alot of blowby but it sure isn't anything the vent couldn't handle. And even if the vent couldn't handle it that would mean that the engine itself is making NO POWER whatsoever because the rings are non existant at that point so I wouldn't be worring about the tappet cover.



FWIW a leaking vaccuum pump and tappet cover look like the same leak. Heck mark's truck we could have swarn was the pump but after really stuffing our face up in there you can see the gasket weeping.

 

[Ram4Fun]

Yeah, the more I think about it the more I think he's way off. I'll have to get oily when I get the truck back and check the breather tube. IT does still have the canister on the end so it probably did ice up with condensation. I keep thinking why would a turbo spike cause more crank case preassure???? I know guys who run way more boost than stock and have no problems. If it was a boost problem all the fueling box companies would be sued by now.

 

[Ram4Fun]

Turns out that it didn't get dislodged due to pressure. It failed due to cracking! So it wasn't what any of us thought. I'm going to check the breather tonight anyway.

 

[czahnle]

I do not have a catch can on my slubber tube. It is an earily 98. 5 and I don't remeber it ever being there. Was it later engines?



Chris

 

[jrobinson2]

I do not have a catch can on my slubber tube. It is an earily 98. 5 and I don't remeber it ever being there. Was it later engines?



Chris

I think they started installing the puke bottle in 2000.



Jared

 

[Ron Bissett]

A refund of about seven hours labor would be just about right. On that job. Ron Bissett in Metro Louisville Ky or Tampa Fla.