3rd Gen CR Engine Failures

Street sleeper

Street sleeper

Part-Time Puller!!
Joined
Feb 10, 2009
Messages
411
Lately I have been lightly shopping around for a cheaper higher milage 3rd gen cummins. I have found a small amount of trucks that have had a new engine installed between 80,000 and 160,000 miles of its clock. I am unaware of any common problems that the cr would have to wreck the motor. Can anyone inform me a little on this subject? Thanks
 
injectors cracking and killing cylinders? Just a guess maybe? I heard these things are very picky on fuel quality and filtration, and i've heard that has caused injectors to fail, which might make the engine lose a cylinder? I'm sure somebody more knowledgeable will come along here shortly and correct any errors i've made.
 
Mostly injectors. Actually, almost always an injector failure that wipes out the engine. The end result is either a melted piston, dropped seat, or cam journals gone (from fuel in the oil).

BTW, I want to sell my 3500 4x4. It only has 20,000 on the engine.:doh: The previous owner put gas in it and it melted a piston and dropped a seat. PM me if your interested in a 6 speed dually.
 
Factory injectors are crap. They are the biggest problem with the Cummins. As said already, they are responsible for 90% of the failures. *bdh*

At the cost, the best policy is to Air Dog, then run it through either the factory filter or a Cat Filter secondary filter.

I am pretty sure the Cat filter exceeds the Cummins spec, but you loose the fuel heater and water warning. If that works at all.
 
I am just finishing up rebuilding an 03 that the compressor wheel had exploded on. Owner replaced the turbo but didn't bother to clean out any of the shrapnel and a decent amount of it ended up in the tops of the pistons. Bent 18 valves on its way.
 
speaking of injectors, anyone know where i can get just the solenoids? just had a long weekend of installing a cam, rods, springs and all that jazz and wound up breaking a stud off one of the injector solenoids when i was reattaching the wires, got it rigged on right now with a jamb nut and some loctite, but dont want to have that as a permanent fix at least until i get my flux 3.8's.
 
05lonestar said:
speaking of injectors, anyone know where i can get just the solenoids? just had a long weekend of installing a cam, rods, springs and all that jazz and wound up breaking a stud off one of the injector solenoids when i was reattaching the wires, got it rigged on right now with a jamb nut and some loctite, but dont want to have that as a permanent fix at least until i get my flux 3.8's.
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Go ahead and send them to Don,he can fix it.
 
Thanks. If I had the extra $$ and time to leave the truck down I will send those out.
 
and here's the thing about injectors... if you're not a total moron, you'll notice that something is amiss as soon as it happens, shut the truck down, and fix the injectors. Instead of heading over the continental divide with a 5th wheel hooked to the truck.
 
Forrest Nearing said:
and here's the thing about injectors... if you're not a total moron, you'll notice that something is amiss as soon as it happens, shut the truck down, and fix the injectors. Instead of heading over the continental divide with a 5th wheel hooked to the truck.
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You must know the same guy i know!!!!!!
 
Forrest Nearing said:
and here's the thing about injectors... if you're not a total moron, you'll notice that something is amiss as soon as it happens, shut the truck down, and fix the injectors. Instead of heading over the continental divide with a 5th wheel hooked to the truck.
Click to expand...

What would you notice? Increase in oil level? Longer cool down on egt's? Just wondering.
 
first tip off is white smoking out the exhaust, rising oil level, oil smells like diesel, misfiring, etc. You'll know something's wrong if you're ANY sort of mechanic
 
Second that. If an injector poops the bed, you'll know it unless you can't fog a mirror.

Valve seats on the early ones, however, were not so forecasting of their occasional ejection. LOL

Fan clutches on early ones were sometimes troublesome, IIRC.
 
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