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Megatron

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Everything posted by Megatron

  1. The adapter on the bottom actually mounts to the injector bolt holes. then the blue plate is tightened down via a nut. For anybody that does use it, be sure to add plenty of anti seize to all the threads. Don't want to hand anything up. As for using it, ya you just bring that cylinder to top dead center. Install the base where the injector bolts down, run the top nut down. It will start to open the valves until they tough the top of the piston. I think you have like.080+/- of valve clearance at TDC so they don't move far. Once they come in contact with the piston you will feel it tighten up an bit. Then you will hear a couple distinct clicks as the valve locks unseat themselves from the spring retainer. After that crank it down until you have enough room to pull the locks out. Then back off the nut and take the plate off. At this point you can remove all the springs at once. You could also take this time to change out the valve seals if needed. Install is a bit trickier but not any harder. Just take care to aligning all the wholes up with the valve stems so they are centered. You really don't have a away of moving them once its under pressure enough to get the locks back in. *** Be sure to read the face of the tool. It is specific to which valve is in which hole. It is clearly marked 2 holes for intake and 2 holes for exhaust*** Without measuring I can only assume that the valve orientation in the head is not truly even. They appear to be close but not exact. Either way the tool is designed and built with this compensation in mind. Its clearly engraved so if you can read you are golden.
  2. Ya I did a little photo shoot this past Christmas for a diesel parts group. It started with my 4 year old trying to give me a hand all the time and turned into some funny pictures. As you probably know, Its actually complicated to do everything and then stage a simple picture like this. I promise it added days to my overall build but it was fun and my kids got a kick helping me with it. As for the Wicked Wheel 2, if your intensions are to stay with a stock turbo with air and fuel supplies to boot, I think you would fair well with this. If I recall right, I remember you saying you had a box type tuner on your truck that has already increased fuel delivery. So a little more air should be in order. But be careful, making more power is addictive ha-ha. This is their performance graph. Not sure what you can take from it given we all know the variations involved with the accuracy of dynameters and the user. I believe it is an improvement, but how much I will never know. This part had a very short life in my truck. I knew I was planning other things so this turbo has since been removed and donated to a 2nd Gen friend of mine for his first upgrade. He should see more from it and maybe one day I can get him to review it for me and post it here.
  3. Well as usual this is not a 100% how-to install, but I will share as much as I can remember ha-ha. So for those of you asking what's the Dieselsite Wicked Wheel 2?? Well let me bring you up to speed... The Wicked Wheel 2 is a replacement compressor wheel for your stock turbo. It is slightly redesigned to increase air flow throughout the compressor MAP area. It utilizes your stock compressor housing and no modifications are needed. It really is a DIY project for a bit more performance. The Wicked Wheel 2 is about 230$ depending your application. For those of you that don't know me, my application is a 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 Mega Cab with the world famous 5.9 Cummins lol. My truck year model runs the HE351CW turbo. I think somewhere in 2007.5 they went to the Variable Geometry style for the 6.7. I think these turbos share a similar compressor wheel, just more magic in the turbine wheel end of the turbo (more than we are going to discuss in here). Okay, where were we.. O that's right Wicked Wheel 2 for your Gen 3 truck. So for 230$ plus shipping and a 3 day wait you get this little gem in the mail. That's pretty huh? As you can see its a CNC machined compressor wheel that's light as air. Compared to the stock wheel you can see the additional groves machined into the base portion and slightly altered blades. Nothing to crazy but every bit helps. For those of you wondering what those little groves do let me tell you.. I have no idea ha-ha. Sorry I don't design them nor am I an aeronautical engineer or turbo master. I assume it helps with getting the air off the blade and perhaps stabilizing it into a set direction, or perhaps its more complex than that. Maybe someone can add to this post with more detail?? Installations always start with removal so let me touch a bit on removal. After your general safety rundown like wheel chocks, battery disconnect I know you never do, and letting the vehicle cool down, we can start the removal. Now someone reading this may try to be a smart cookie and attempt this with the turbo attached to the engine, why not I did lol. Well in a minute you will see the problem with this. First remove your air intake and filter, second remove the exhaust at either end of the cast elbow (If your truck has that). Third remove your boot from the turbo to the hot side intercooler pipe. Fourth unplug your electronics (command valve pigtail), Fifth is oil supply and return. Be careful not to get anything in your turbo or the oil lines. Nothing some tape or caps cant cover. At this point is tempting to just remove the compressor cover and have at it. Well the big problem is the waste gate actuator assembly. In order to remove the cover you have to remove the rod from the waste gate itself. Its between the block and the turbo and is held on with an e-clip. While getting it off isn't real complicated, getting it back on is. Trust me, pass on the shortcut and just remove the turbo from the exhaust manifold. Going on with the removal, 2 bolts and 2 nuts.. sound simple right?? The 2 you can see are, the other 2?? Not that easy. They can be removed but your going to bust a couple knuckles and maybe bend a wrench to fit. Take your time and don't round anything off. Give them a bath with WD-40 rust release and they will come loose.. Now, the turbo looks small but they are pretty heavy. The bent neck on the compressor housing is already all but touching your shock mount and frame rail so you don't have much wiggle room. Take your time and wiggle it around and hold onto it. It will come out with some finesse. Onto the work bench. First up give an overall inspection for oil leaks, shaft play or housing cracks. Shaft play is the amount of movement the main shaft can move in either direction or front and back. If you have major front to back I would say your trust bearing is worn out, if it has major play left to right I would say the shaft or shaft bearings are worn out. I do not know the real specs to give you as far as measurements go. I assume there is a minimum distance the compressor blades need to be from the compressor housing. If you see in damaged compressor blades perhaps this turbo should be replaced. Keep those air filters on kids... Some turbo's are known for getting cracks where they mount to the manifold and where the waste gate valve seats inside. Should you have any of these I would suggest a new center section. Or at least get it inspected and signed off by a professional. At this point if you have some serious leaks or shaft play you can go the route I did and order a rebuild kit. Once you have determined your turbo is a good candidate for the Wicked Wheel 2, you can proceed with the removal of the old blade. With the turbo somewhere you cant drop it and not scratch it up, start with removing the waste gate actuator rod. 1 E clip and pry it loose from the waste gate valve assembly. Next you can remove the V-band clamp from the turbine housing Next you will need a manly set of snap ring pliers to remove the compressor housing snap ring. Now when removing ether the turbine housing or compressor housing take care not to damage the housing alignment pins. These pins are here to help clock the turbine housing and compressor cover side so that it sits in your truck properly and lines up with your exhaust and intercooler boots. They are very tiny and will break easy. When removing either end pull it straight off the center section, do NOT twist or spin either side.. We clear?? After the center section is out you can now remove the compressor wheel. NOTE*** confirm your turbo shaft thread orientation. Some are reverse thread some are not. It only takes a little bit to break them free and it only takes a little bit to stretch the shaft or damage it**** Mine was reverse thread and I believe that is noted with a 12 point nut, the 6 point nuts are standard, I believe lol. Out with the old and in with the new. Be careful not to drop it, once you unseal the box it has not warranty.. You have been warned.. Once the nut is off the old compressor wheel will slide off pretty easy. So putting the new one on is just as easy. It should slide on interference free and seat nice and close to the center section. No hammers required. At this point, if you where going on with the rebuild, now is the time. I will make another post about that on another day. Its really easy, but use the term rebuild lightly, you are just replacing bearings and trust washers for a tighter turbo.. Now its time to install the nut and tighten it up. The internet and local shops all have an opinion on this part. Why I don't know. The supplied instructions say like 124 inch pounds.. that's like just past hand tight. Don't get crazy, snug it up and move on. For the record I had a local diesel performance shop tell me face to face he does these installs with an impact gun????? Maybe he got the inch pounds and foot pounds thing wrong?? Either way never taking my truck to that shop. From here on its just a reverse of the removal. Be careful butting the housings back on the center sections. Don't want to damage any blades. Make sure they align properly with the guide pins. Get your snap rings in and hook up your waste gate actuator rod. Don't lose that e-clip cause you wont find that at Autozone. When you go to put the turbo back in the truck take your time. For some reason it will fall out but its not going to fall in lol. Get some help to hold it into place while you get the hardware started. Its also a good time for a new flange gasket. Getting the oil return hooked up leak free can be a challenge but if you put a new seal in you should be fine. Your going to want to pre lube the turbo before you put the supply line. I used a ketchup type bottle and filled it with oil. Squirt some in and spin the turbo with your fingers. Make sure it is full so you don't have a dry start. After that, hook everything back up the same way it was before you started. If you didn't do a rebuild then there is no real break in. If you did rebuild I would treat it like a new turbo and follow the break in procedures. Start the vehicle up and listen for any exhaust or boost leaks. Address those issues if you have any. If not hit the streets and enjoy a little bit more power. No tuning modifications required.. As for power increase?? You will notice a bit but your not going to break any dynameters at your next truck show. MPG increase?? if you say so. Hard to say with my driving style lol. In the end its an easy DIY project that has a slightly noticeable power increase. Its worth the trouble for the experience in my opinion.. For those wanting to know, Elf on the Shelf works for me in the off season..
  4. Moses, I added a couple pictures and I will add some more later. I wanted you to get a look at the valve spring compressor tool. Here is the link from where I purchased it. http://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/p-7581-cummins-valve-spring-compressor-24-valve-19985-2012-dpp-10201.aspx This thing worked like a charm. I always like a tool that does what it says it can do. This one is a winner.
  5. The picture of the 3802820 is the right size on the front for sure. I ended up going with one from Advanced or Oreille's because Dodge couldn't get me this seal. At least not in a short time frame. Not sure if it was a National seal or some other off brand.. I will go back and see what one I ended up using. It may take me a few days to figure it out.
  6. Well as usual I will start my post off with my own personal warning label. This is not a 100% how to guide and I am not an ASE certified mechanic, paid Cummins mechanic or career Dodge Ram dealership mechanic. I am not an employee or a trained installer for BD Diesel Performance. I'm just a typical DIY gear head. That being said on with the show... Okay, anyone that has owned a Dodge vehicle with a factory automatic has had plenty of people kick dirt on them about the dependability of the transmission. It has become a industry joke of sorts. Unfortunately a lot of that is based off of hearsay and transmissions that didn't stand a chance with the power levels the vehicle was putting out. Personally I have plenty of friends with Allison based transmissions visit the transmission shop more times than I have ever been, same for my 5R110 friends at camp Ford. Face it, all automatics will fail if the conditions are right. I don't hate any of them. I know the 48RE had a few internal pressure issues that lead to premature parts wear. That hardly makes the transmission a bad one. Plus I give credit to Chrysler for building their own transmission and not having it done by someone else. I personally went through the standard 48RE run down of issues so I can attest to what it cost to fix them and keep them rolling. Not really that big of a deal and really most of it is a real DIY type of thing (if you are doing preventive maintenance and not failure repairs that is). Well my 2006 Ram 3500 5.9 Cummins powered was equipped with the 48RE. At around 60-70K it started having the indecisive shift problem. So first attempt at a fix was a BD pressure controller. Price, 335$. Results? Made the problem worse lol. Took a shot that it was line pressure, well it was line pressure but not lack of it. I had lack of controlling it. Second attempt. BD Transmission Governor Solenoid (105$) and BD Transmission Transducer (127$). Results? Shifted like new again. While this was a fix, my transmission had already seen enough abuse with performance mods and truck modifications. This fix would last me a year or so and another 10-15k miles. Well shifting issues would return but a bit different. Not wanting to come out of first unless you throttled way down. Third attempt at a fix was the following: GM Governor Solenoid Pressure Block Conversion Kit. Price 171$ BD Pressure Transducer Upgrade. Cost 200$ with the harness adapter. Results?? No dice. I was hoping it was one of these and denying the reality that something had gone wrong internally. Turns out my bands where pretty well toasted casing the drum to not stop and allow the shift to happen.. It happens but the moral of the story is still, no broken parts just early wear out if you will. My truck had already been equipped with some hot EFI Live tunes so something was bound to give. Good enough though because I was planning major power upgrades and they alone would break a new transmission so a rebuild was in order with upgrades as well. So what to do.. Drop it off at a local shop for a rebuild, or buy a built transmission and install it, or rebuild it myself?? The idea of rebuilding it myself seemed great. However I can't lie, I don't have the tools and equipment to do it nor do I have the knowledge to identify issues that need attention. So for now this way was out even though I really want to do it someday. Well the first couple of local shops I visited must have thought I was born last night. The prices were all over the board and yet they didn't have the equipment in the shop to test the work they said they were going to do. So how can you charge me what the high end shops are going to do if you can't complete the job on the same level?? They didn't have an answer either.. Well a couple of the local shops had the right setup and the right price, they just didn't have the parts I wanted in my transmission. They would install them if I brought them but no guarantees. Understood I guess. Well after pricing the parts out individually to have them delivered and installed at a local shop was a little cheaper but maybe not the best thing for my build. So I leaned towards a commercially built unit with the right parts. With the money saved in removing the transmission and installing it myself I could pay for a few more upgrades along the way. So in the end I settled on buying the new BD Performance Plus 48RE transmission. It is a fully rebuilt and tested transmission with a list of upgraded parts. For starters and most notable is the new billet steel front input shaft. This is a common weak point for the 48RE when input power is increased greatly. Second was a redesigned BD valve body. Without going into detail, it controls the fluid in the transmission allowing it to shift, apply pressure to the clutches etc. It's pretty much the only reason an auto works at all. Stock works for stock, but if you are wanting more clutch apply pressure and different shift abilities this part must be addressed. Especially if you are increasing power. More power means more clutch pressure is needed to hold it all. Bigger clutches are also added with more material. Also all the factory thrust washers are replace with roller Torrington bearings Why?? because they are better lol. BD deep sump transmission pan and remote mount filter are also included in the purchase price. So really in the end its 50/50 on price compared to local. BD Performance Plus Transmission. Price, 4,273$ (plus 500$ round trip shipping and a 2000$ core charge, trust me I sent the old one back lol) Well the question most people have now is can you rebuild your stocker for the same price?? Maybe, maybe not. The input shaft alone is 1000$, the redesigned valve body is another 700, the clutches are another 700$, the new deep sump pan is another 300$, the remote mount filter is 260$. That's already 3000$ and that doesn't cover internal upgrades like the bearings and the new pressure solenoids/governors. Remember your local shop will reuse a lot of your old parts during a rebuild. Most wont even open your valve body up or test it. At best they will check your case for cracks and extra wear on other items. The new BD transmission covers labor, a newly painted case and a 3 year 150,000 mile warranty. For the difference of buying the parts and having a shop do it, my money was on BD. Now to be fair there are a lot of local shops that will do you an awesome job and it will be right, but you better confirm that before they start. Research them and check out reviews. Ask to speak to people who had a similar build done. I support the guys who do this and take nothing from them. It's truly a skilled craft. Face it, BD is a local shop for someone, same for Suncoast, Firepunk etc. Now to spend the money I saved on labor by removing my own transmission... First up BD Triple Disk Billet torque converter with enhanced stall. Price 1450$ (with a 500$ core charge, shipped back for free with the old transmission.. win..) This is all but a requirement when going with the transmission I did and the power levels I'm after Second, BD Billet Flex plate. Price 425$. This also is all but a requirement. Third was a BD Double Stacked Extruded Transmission cooler. Price 606$ with accessories. 1/2 lines to match the transmission. Not required but a wise investment for any transmission. Heat kills more transmissions than horsepower does. It's a fact.. So that's 2600$ in extras to match up the correct parts for my build and ensure my transmission withstands the abuse and use I have planned for it. That's 7250$ in all with shipping (minus the core charge, you get that back, actually they waive it if you can get the transmission back in 30 days). Now do you need this level in your truck?? Maybe, maybe not. I would like to add that I purchased all of these items during the end of year sale and saved from 10-20% on each part, never hurts to be thrifty and it saved around 1000$ across the board plus they make better deals for buying other somethings at the same time. So my end bill was around 6200$. Well to my surprise the shipping was really quick from BD. It took about 6 business days to get the new transmission and parts to my shop. I figured it would take a few weeks but maybe they have a few of these ready to roll. Either way I was happy. Removal.. It's a transmission, just like the rest of them except this thing is like 350#.. bring a friend or 2 haha. I won't bore you with details. Chock the wheels, disconnect the batteries, drop the drive shaft (both front and rear if 4x4), remove linkages and wiring harnesses, drain fluids in transmission and transfer case, remove transfer case, support transmission on jack or whatever lift you are using. The hardest bolts to deal with are the ones in the torque converter. You will need the Cummins engine barring tool to manually turn the engine over so you can access each torque converter bolt through the access panel. Passenger side of the engine rear adapter is an access port to remove them from. 6 in total to remove. After that remove transmission bolts and cooling lines and dipstick. . Then transmission mounts and remove transmission "Carefully".. Now you will need a few parts off of your old transmission. First is the transmission cooler line fittings on the case. 2 of them. Remove them from your transmission and put them on the new one. Be careful you can crack the case installing these. BD transmission is equipped with a case saver adapter so you don't do this, but another brand might not. Second you will need the TTVA off of your transmission and the linkage brackets The TTVA is the electronic kick down unit. Plus the mount itself that attaches the transmission to the cross member. At this point (if you got the required new converter) fill the converter with the recommended type and amount of fluid. Install it plus the TTVA and other brackets onto the transmission while it is still easy to access. Converter install is also a point of concern, follow the directions and get it properly seated or pay the price of instant failure and no warranty... It's really easy don't freak out, the converter is heavy so be careful. If you got a new flex plate now is the time to remove the old one, check your rear main seal, and install the new flex plate. I recommend new hardware for the flex plate and torque converter. Cheap insurance.. trust me.. After all the prep is done load the new transmission on your form of a lift and reverse the removal process. Take care and go slow. Be extra careful with that converter hanging off the front, it will try its hardest to pop off and make your whole transmission tip over. This thing will try to hurt you. After everything is in and you double checked all your torque specs for bolts, twice, then you can add some fluids (after all the coolant lines are hooked up that is and the dipstick with new seal is installed). With the new pan, extra filter and cooler this setup held around 20 quarts including the new torque converter prefill. NOTE: When hooking the TTVA back up to the vehicle for the first time you must let this thing calibrate itself the first time you turn the key on. It's very simple after you have everything ready for the initial start up. Simply turn the key to the full on position (don't start it), wait 30 seconds, Turn it off and then next time you can start and go. Failure to do so will cause it to not shift or not down shift when it's supposed to. Really it's simple but just don't forget to do it. This is also a good time to add all new seals to your transfer case input/outputs. Cheap and easy.. This next portion is my experience and take what you want from it. BD requires a full flush of the existing lines and factory cooler to eliminate any contaminants going into the new transmission. Face it if you are replacing the transmission it's for a reason, don't want any of those nasty's in the new transmission.. This can be achieved with some form of manual pump. I used a fluid extractor but filled it up with new fluid and pumped it through the lines. I know this is not the way a real shop should do it, but it's better than not doing it. They use a heated flush system that's pretty cool. You could just replace the factory lines and filter at this point to be safe. There is a huge warning about using any other type of solution to flush the lines with. Anything other than the recommended transmission fluid can be harmful to the clutches in the transmission should any residue be left in the lines or cooler. Don't use hot soapy water.. buy some cheap AT4+ and use it. Plus with the addition of the external filter, my method should be fine. This leads me to what I believe was a problem in my factory transmission cooler. Built into the factory cooler is a thermostat with a bypass around the main cooling core of the cooler. This thermostat is in the open position when cool fluid is present allowing it to bypass the cooler. Once the transmission is up to a said temperature this thermostat opens and blocks off the bypass forcing the coolant through the cooler main body. The theory is a cold transmission is just as bad as a hot one. Your transmission should be up to a proper operating temp before any heavy or hard use. I agree completely with this. However, I believe this design is not the best. My old setup would have my transmission reaching 180+ just driving down the highway and then once I came to a stop and go scenario it would get over 220, fast. I now have questions to whether or not this thermostat was functioning properly. This is not a serviceable part and the only thing you can do is buy a new transmission cooler from Dodge and replace the whole unit. With no real way to test it or even confirm a new one would work I decided to eliminate its function. I do NOT recommend this for whoever is reading this. I recommend you check yours out, but removing it from the system requires special care and attention to the transmission temp. Should you do it I highly recommend a real temp gauge with a sensor placed into the transmission fluid itself. Its imperative that you allow the transmission to get to temp before you abuse it in any way. Proceed at your own risk... For my fix I simply heated up the bypass tube and then flattened it out to make a pinch. It's aluminum so it doesn't take much heat or force to do it. I have read a hundred different ways on the internet about removing the thermostat and replacing it with bolts and O rings. Many of those people had problems with it leaking. Personally I don't see the need to mess with it at all if the goal is to eliminate it. Just flatten out the bypass tube and this forces all the fluid to pass through the cooler instead of around it. My theory is I would rather deal with letting a transmission get to temp than not have a proper way to cool it down. After I had the transmission installed I added my new BD external filter and new BD double stacked cooler. These items are very helpful when adding durability and longevity to your transmission. While I plan to add some big power to my truck I don't plan to abuse it every day or try to hurt it. I plan on getting many more miles out of my truck. The filter is great because it filters all the fluid before it returns to the pan and the factory filter. It is now right on the frame rail and can be changed with ease. The kit included all the necessary hardware to mount it and plumb it into the system. The dual extruded cooler is pretty sweet itself. It included 2 extruded coolers, double stacked with a fan system. It includes its own thermostat and switch for the fan. The thermostat is mounted to the incoming fluid at the cooler after it has left the factory cooler. This way it will only be used if the factory system should fail to keep up. Warning: This cooler (even though it's very nice) is not recommended as a true stand alone cooler for your truck, especially if you tow. It is recommended to be used in line with the factory setup. It includes everything for a complete install and adapters to tap into the factory cooler lines. pretty neat piece I might add. So for the fluid route. Hot fluid leaves the transmission and flows through the factory cooler, then it goes back to my BD cooler and fan setup, it leaves there and travels through the external BD filter and then back to the transmission return port. With this setup I have yet to get over 140 degrees ha-ha. No towing yet and just street and highway cruising. My old setup was pushing 180-240 on the same days and trips. My transmission temp sensor is located in the new BD transmission pan. It comes pre tapped with a hole for this application. Not really for sure where the ideal temp sensor spot is. I figured the hot line going out would be best but I don't really have a way to tap that line yet. Maybe someone that managed to read this far could shed some light on the perfect spot for a sensor?? Well onto drivability. This transmission setup is the cat's meow...after I followed the fill procedure and got the right amount of fluid in to start I hit the streets. It's not really possible to get it to operating temp sitting still but with it running and in neutral you can get a safe amount of fluid in it to go do some driving and get the temp up for a final fluid check. This thing is amazing. Every shift is smooth and firm. No missed shifts, no slouching between gears, no hard shifts like using a shift kit. I have never been so happy with a part I bolted onto any vehicle myself. It was such an improvement over my old slush box. I assume the same could be said about any of the big name transmissions or a transmission that was built by a good shop. I just have no experience in which to compare it to lol. I currently only have 1000 miles on it but every one of them has been with a smile ha ha. As for this being a DIY project?? Um I give it a 4.5 out of 10 on difficulty. Mainly because of its weight. I did this in my shop on a concrete floor with no truck lift. My truck is lifted itself so it makes some things easier and some things harder to deal with. The biggest tool you need is a really stable transmission jack/lift of sorts. The weirdest tool you need is a Cummins Engine Barring tool. (Pretty cheap and can be found on the internet). Trickiest hardware is the torque converter bolts. Most complicated bolts to get out is the top 2 bolts going between the transfer case and transmission. Fluid cost is at least 160$. ARP makes flex plate bolts and I recommend them. Only Cummins makes the torque converter bolts so be prepared to shop there for those if you go new. I had to wait 3 days to get mine. If you add the BD cooler you will need a tubing cutter to splice the factory lines. You need a way to flush your stock cooler and lines or maybe a shop you can take it to and let them do it. I took my time when I did this transmission install but it shouldn't really take much more than a day or so just to swap out a transmission (assuming you have the right tools and no unforeseen problems). There are some YouTube videos of guys doing it in just a few hours but I wouldn't take my truck to them... As for the end price?? Ya it's around 8000$ for the last transmission you will ever need in your truck and I think it's worth it. If you sled pull and drag race then this probably isn't the level of transmission you want, there are beefier ones but at a higher price of course. I'm happy with mine and that's all that matters to me. I'm sure you would find similar success with other builders.
  7. Well I figured I would end this post with my last review on the new one piece drive shaft. I have been able to put just over 1000 miles on the new setup without any vibrations at any rpm/mph range. I'm 100% satisfied with the new setup. Here is a side by side with the old one.(Hopefully that picture loaded lol). I know time will tell like all things but the way I see it, my truck has 8" of lift with way more driveline angles than most people will ever see. I have a lot more power than the average truck with just a tuner will see. My truck is the Mega Cab so driveshaft length is longer than most trucks on the street. All this considered, I went from bad vibrations to no vibrations. If this setup works good for my application, it should work great for anyone with less of a setup. As for quality, its great. I had this shaft within 5 business days of ordering. There are some things that need to be done on your part prior to placing the order, but nothing you shouldn't expect when getting a new driveshaft. Install is really easy. I suggest putting a new seal on the output shaft of the transfer case when doing it. Mine was pretty brittle so out with the old and in with the new.
  8. Moses, the link you posted goes to part number 3802820 and it list it as a Cummins front seal with speedy sleeve. Now I believe the speedy sleeve is just the clear plastic piece that assist in installing the seal. But the kit is like 60$ higher than just the seal so I believe it comes with the crank repair sleeve. I checked that part number out on a few other web sites and most show the picture with the repair sleeve also. I think the term is "wear sleeve" for this application. http://puredieselpower.com/dodge-products/03-07-dodge-5.9l-cummins-front-crank-seal-with-speedy-sleeve.html Check this out and let me know what you think.
  9. Thanks for the reply. As always you never fail to find the right solution. I like the one from Performance Diesel you posted. It appears to be Cummins part number so my trust factor on fit and quality is up lol. It wont be done until it warms up a bit but I will post when it gets done. Wish I could have done it 3 weeks ago, but that's how it goes. Thanks again.
  10. Hey all, Recently I did some extensive engine work to my 2006 Ram 3500 with the 5.9L Cummins engine. Before I started the work I knew I had an oil leak out of my front main seal on the crankshaft seal and I thought same for the rear. Neither were bad enough to drip on the ground when parked overnight, but there was enough to make things turn oily on the surrounding areas. I hate dirty engines and grease covered parts. Sorry that's my vice. Keep em clean. FYI: My post is not a 100% how to, but a little reference and maybe some help to someone with similar issues. I will start with the rear main seal because it was more straight forward. I had my transmission and flex plate out of the vehicle already, so it was a no brainer to replace this seal. Now when I first started on my truck I "thought" I had a rear seal leak. Well after further understanding the Cummins adapter plate and the seal, I don't really think I did. However I had already purchased a Cummins OEM seal before the project started so it was going in lol. The new seal kit from the dealer was 100$ (give or take a bit). It comes with the new seal and the installation tool. That tool is a must have to properly complete this task. Not sure if auto parts store XY or Z sells one with the tool but it makes the install per the book if you will. I recommend this one. Removal: You need a little screw in slide hammer. I got one for like 15$ at the local cheapo depot tool shop. You will also need to drill a couple small holes in the lip of the existing seal in order to screw your slide hammer into the seal (holes need to match the screw end of your slide hammer) . I did three holes into the old seal. One at the 12:00, one at the 4:00, and one at the 8:00. I think you could do 2 holes one at 3 and one at 9 without an issue. Either way the old and new seal both have a metal inner structure that you are drilling into, once you pass through that DON'T drill any deeper, we aren't trying to drill holes in the crank to lighten it.. We just want to get under the outer layer of the rubber and through the metal lip in the seal. Examine your new seal to get an idea of the structure of the old one. Once your small holes are drilled evenly, you can screw in your slide hammer and give it a couple taps out at each location. Work your way around giving a couple taps on each hole. Within one pass around all the different holes the thing will probably pop right out. They are a tight fit but this removal process makes it very simple. Do not try to remove the seal with a hammer and a screwdriver. This is not going to end well for you...If you knock this seal in there is no way to get it back out easily... Clean up the seal area both on the crank and the block area (adapter area). It needs to be free of any contaminates like oil, dirt or debris. Check the surfaces for any scratches or wear. It needs to be dry per the instructions. Install is per the supplied instructions. In a nut shell, it goes in dry. Why?? I don't know but that's what the Cummins package said so that's what I did. The biggest part about the install is using the supplied install tool. It pretty much looks like a metal ring someone cut off of a can. The seal only goes one way (full rubber face out). This install tool does 2 things at once for you. It gives you a surface to hit with your hammer (I used a rubber mallet). This allows you to distribute the force around the seal and not distort it. It also is your install depth gauge for the new seal. Just like any one piece seal you must gently work it from all sides to get it in without damage. Take your time and don't use force. It's rubber and light framed metal. You can bend the seal if you sink one side in further than the other. Mess it up and you will have to spend your kids lunch money to buy another one. If your kids are like mine, they won't take kindly to that... Once the seal starts its way down evenly, continue until the install tool comes in contact with the crankshaft. (The tool has an inner lip that matches the crank diameter, try playing with the tool before you mount the seal to get a feel for how it works.) Trust me it won't let you go any further but you still don't need to beat on it. You will make full contact all the way around the crank with the tool. This way you know the seal is at the proper depth into the engine block, and it is not sitting crooked. Dry is the word and trust me, it will go in with ease. Now the skinny, turns out my rear main seal wasn't the cause of the leak. Matter of fact the inside of my bell housing and adapter area was really dry. My leak was coming from between the oil pan, block and rear adapter plate. For those questioning the adapter plate (correct me if I'm wrong), the Cummins engine has a rear adapter plate on the back of the block so it can be easily altered to fit a wide variety of applications. Want to put it on a Ford transmission just get the right adapter and flywheel, want to put it in your offshore power boat? No problem get a different adapter that goes to your drives. Awesome idea in my opinion, however it is another seal and a potential area for a leak, as was my issue. Now the adapter was sealed to the block properly so I didn't have to remove it, but where all three pieces meet there was a leak. Since I was a Cummins novice and well studied in the old SBC motor, I assumed it was a rear main seal leak causing this leak. I had seen this all to many times in the Chevrolet camp. I was wrong lol. Lesson learned. Experience points gained.. Should you suspect a rear main seal to be at fault, confirm your pan to block is not the culprit first. After seeing the rear main seal and its quality, I would say it's likely not to have issues for many, many miles.. In the end I replaced the oil pan gasket (whole other topic) and no more leaks from the rear. Side note: a leak on the top of your engine (Like valve cover) can drip around and down causing it to look like you may have a rear seal or oil pan leak. Verify that before you go through the trouble of replacing the pan or rear main seal. Nothing worse than all that trouble and it's still leaking lol Onto the front seal. With the engine work I had going the front timing cover was already removed from my truck. Removing the old seal was pretty easy at this point. I just knocked it out from the back of the timing cover on my work bench. If it were still in place on the engine I would assume the same procedure for the rear seal would work for the front, given you have the space. However I can not confirm that since I did not do mine that way. Maybe someone can add to this post for that. For this seal I went with a locally purchased seal from store X. I did not install the seal in the cover when I had it off the block. That may have been stupid on my part. This seal was a royal pain in the butt to get it started into the stamped cover. I'm sure 2 hours of my life was wasted on an unsuccessful attempt with the first seal. The seal I purchased was really kind of flimsy and I ended up bending it trying to get it to level out. They come with a sleeve that helps guide it onto the crank snout but where it seats into the timing cover is another story. So after trashing that seal I went to a different auto parts store for seal number 2. This one was more robust in design. I wish I could remember the brand so I could save you the hassle, but I don't. Sorry. This seal didn't go in any smoother, but it did keep from bending up so it was able to be installed. What a pain. Now here is the reason I started this post. I don't know if this problem is local to my truck, my model of Cummins engine or all engines. Upon removing the old front seal I noticed some pretty obvious grooves worn into the crankshaft snout itself. Right where the factory seal was riding. I find it hard to believe that a rubber seal could wear down something as hard as a crankshaft, but I suppose if you add some dirt, oil and thousands of revolutions anything is possible. For arguments sake, when I installed my new seal, I tried moving it a bit further back in the timing cover so it would have a fresh shelf to ride on. Personally I don't think it was enough to help but I didn't feel it was wise to push this seal any further back than what I did. Currently no leaks but it's not really100% dry. I feel a fix will be needed for 100% confidence. So my question is, is there a fix for this without replacing the crankshaft? Has anybody else seen or had this happen to them? Is there a special seal or kit that address this issue? Any input would be great. Years ago I thought I read where someone made a repair sleeve that you fitted around the crank but I didn't have any luck finding something like that locally. I really don't recall if it was even for a Cummins engine. The idea seems plausible. Maybe someone here has more insight?
  11. Mind blown ha-ha. If anybody had ever told me they used different sized bearing halves on the same journal I would have called them crazy. Until I read this lol. I understand the film of oil is the surface in which the journals ride. I also understand the fear of dry start. I did all bolts one at a time so I wouldn't lose what oil was still under each cap. That's why I went through the trouble of priming the system before the restart. First without injectors in the holes then with them in and no wiring. Oil pressure is the same as the day I bought it. I do have a real question about the rocker and cam oiling if you can answer it? I'm used to seeing (SBC) oil passing through the lifter, up the pushrod and oiling the contact between the rocker and push rod then passing through to the valve tip side. The Cummins pushrods are solid so no oil coming that way. I know that the rocker is getting oil through its base to oil its fulcrum point, but what is oiling either end of the rocker at the pushrod and valve tip bridge? Was there a passage I didn't see in the rocker? Is this just an oil splash zone? I ran the engine with the top valve cover off and I watched the rockers completely fill with oil and get flung around (Couldn't do that for long without making a big mess lol) But I didn't really notice a steady stream flowing out of the rocker tips. The cam. I believe the mains on the cam are oil feed (at least I'm 100% sure on the first one lol). My grey area is the lifter areas. Are they fed by an oil galley or just run down from the top of the engine? Does this just flow around the lifter onto the cam lobes?
  12. The last time I hit the scale with my truck it weighed 8500 pounds. I have since added both front and rear fabricated bumpers, winch, additional parts like transmission coolers and fuel pumps, gone up from 36" tires to 38", larger four link components and so on. I know some of the parts seem miniscule, but they add up on any road trip. So I figure for sure I have crossed into the 9000# range without a family of four along for a Sunday drive (my 16 year old son weighs 240# alone ha-ha). Fully loaded with family and a pick nick basket we should be close to the 10K, but I will hit my scales for a confirmation. Of coarse my wife wont be in the vehicle because I am never allowed to see her scale numbers.. ever.. As for the EGT probe, yes mine is pre turbo. It is located on the exhaust manifold, on the rear half of the divider above the turbo flange and the probe extends into the middle of the passage not all the way across. I am picking up the heat from the rear cylinders mainly. My understanding is post turbo was a pointless place and that the rear cylinders naturally run hotter given their location in the vehicle and the inline six design. As for the Head studs, yes it was one at a time. The ARP rep said if I followed the factory sequence, changed one out at a time and brought it back factory torque, I could replace them and not cause additional damage to the head gasket. Then once all were replaced I could finish with the final torque yields they required. While I am not 100% certain of this being an accepted process by the masses, I did find plenty of the same instructions across the other stud manufacturers. There were other things taken into consideration about this process like mileage of the engine, maintenance records of fluid changes such as coolant etc., don't assume you can do it to yours without researching it. My engine was relatively low mileage and did not have a history of heavy work loads and abuse. It is still a gamble on the condition of the head gasket, but I know I don't plan on abusing it after the fact so it's something I rolled the dice on. 100K and over seemed to be the number for not taking the chance and just getting a new head gasket. The plus side is, if it should ever fail, ARP states I can re-torque these studs to spec up to three times should I have a gasket failure in the future and need to replace it (assuming you use the provided lubrication for install and follow the directions). Another reason I went with the 625's over the 425's. I know the head gasket is likely to fail over time. They fail in vehicles everyday that are completely stock. The same directions were given for rod bolts and main stud hardware. Now, I know this is frowned on by machinists and real engine builders. I know this process is not the desired way for it to be done that's why I really have no intentions on sharing much about it. I will touch on why I believe it is questionable. Anytime you have something like a main cap or rod cap that is a specific tolerance when closed and torqued down, you stand a chance of altering that area's shape with a different torque value. If you add new rod bolts that have 5 or 10% more torque value than what you removed, you stand the chance of altering the circumference and shape of the rod opening. If this value is very much at all it can lead to rod bearing failure or main bearing failure. To be honest same for head studs. Once you increase the torque value of the stud over the factory amount you can deform the shape of the block within the cylinder walls. This is why you should always have all machine work done to your engine with the proper fasteners and torque yields applied. This way any changes in the shape of the block, mains or rods is corrected in the machining and honing process. Now I believe there will be a difference in the amount of deflection when comparing a stud to a bolt just by the way the loads are applied to the components. Either way something gives somewhere. Maybe its .0001 or .010, no way to tell if you don't measure it. Replacing any factory hardware on any tolerance specific parts is an "at your own risk" venture. I have my personal reasons and experience to validate my decision (that and the checkbook to replace what fails), but don't look to me if it fails for you. Like always, talk to your engine builder and follow his direction. If he will guarantee it for you then it's on him (but I bet he tells you no way lol). For me the new torque yields were a small percentage over the older fasteners and with XXX miles some wear had already accord. Thus if a tolerance was to get .001 tighter I didn't feel it would case harm (given I researched what the +/- of tolerance was to begin with). I did some other tolerance checks during the process and everything checked out. But it's still a risk... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!! MPG's.. The greatest lie ever told by a diesel owner ha-ha-ha.. No really, I see everything from 6 mpg's all the way up to 38... I have my own baselines from stock, to stock lifted, to lifted and a box tuner, to lifted and EFI Live. I have had MPG tunes that are worse than power tunes and power tunes that get great mileage. Your big post on fuel efficiency is a winner. If people really read it and understood it they would see why the effects from every aspect add or subtract from MPG's. I didn't start to understand it until one of my 90hp tunes got me the best MPG and the MPG tune got the worst and didn't make power. However, for now, I haven't gotten out on the open road much and with winter in full effect warm up times are chipping away at any reliable data. I can confirm that even on the short drives it noticeably has done better. I have a big trip to Tennessee planed in a few weeks so I can compare that to my last trip this fall before the work was completed. (Spoiler Alert: For the record my worst MPG's were stock, lifted 8" with 36" tires and current full weight: 8mpg city and 12.5 highway ouch...) I'm already over 12.5 city right now. Sad thing is I started getting better fuel mileage and now the price goes down on diesel lol, oh well, not going to complain about the current low prices.
  13. Thanks for the input Moses... As for the cam selection, I spoke with Zack at Hamilton Cams and we discussed what I did with my truck. I don't really tow with it even though I may pull a toy hauler once in a while for summer fun or vacation, I didn't drag race or sled pull. I wasn't trying to build a big HP dynamometer truck like you see in every magazine. I was trying to build reliable power that left me open to operate it like it was still factory (drive ability, MPG's and durability). I also didn't want to take the engine down far enough to remove pistons and make modifications. That was way out of budget and crossed a line on performance I didn't really need for the street. My goal was truthfully street performance and daily driver. Sounds silly with a diesel truck, but the true strength from design and materials makes this engine a good host for performance. I suspect I should be able to make close to the 600hp mark with this build, do that on a gas motor in a 10k pound vehicle and see how long it will last lol. Now I don't have pipe dreams that the vehicle will be like a Ferrari, but it weighs almost 10K pounds and a little more performance would hurt anything. Nor would double the factory ratings ha-ha.. Zack pointed me in the direction of this cam if I was willing to build the truck to match it. If I was then he didn't see why I couldn't all but double the factory ratings for power and stay within all the green areas of EGT's and MPG's and durability, even with a trailer now and again. Assuming I built or had a tune built that was matching. Now that being said, my cam selection was based off a whole list of modifications that I had planned for my truck. I did my part by installing these modifications to help make additional power as safe as possible. Examples: ARP 625 head studs, ARP main studs and girdle bolts. ARP rod bolts, ARP Injector studs, ARP Flex plate bolts, ARP harmonic balancer bolts, BD Billet flex plate, BD Billet triple disk torque converter, BD Fully built transmission with billet shafts and custom valve body, Fluidampner Harmonic balancer, PPE Twin CP3 fuel pumps, Industrial Injection Dual feed fuel rail kit, AirDog II 165 lift pump, DDP 100hp injector nozzles, BD Intercooler, BD Super B Special 64.5mm Turbo, S&B Intake elbow, GDP raised intake plenum, Fleece Performance fuel distribution block and all -8 AN fittings and lines to supply both CP3's with fuel and returns, BD extruded dual stacked transmission coolers, Fleece coolant bypass, 5" one piece aluminum drive shaft (the list really goes on and on and on, this doesn't include any of the valve train parts or specialty tools lol). That's close to 20k in modifications and upgraded parts without 1$ for labor. If you want to make a big power jump safely in any vehicle you have to built it to handle the power. Really you can buy a very nice vehicle for this kind of money.. I'm sure many may consider it overkill but I don't. Every piece of the puzzle holds something together and when you plan to double the power of factory, plan on something failing. (I plan to make a few other posts in the Cummins group to talk about these parts individually and the pros and cons I found with each one.) All those parts really make my truck capable of going on up to 800hp with strength. Yes I know the single small turbo isn't really capable of that, but the engine would probably handle it. Maybe we will find out someday lol. Anybody can stick a 66mm turbo on a stock 5.9 and make more power. It will probably be slow off the line and create high EGT's and eventually break something, heck it might not every run right. NOT what I wanted to do. This is why I say talk to your cam builder and be honest about your goals. Plan to spend what it takes. You really don't have to do a cam swap for power, but if you do you can definitely make the most out of your other hard parts. The real way to design a build, in my opinion, is to incorporate all the pieces to work together better and more efficiently. This way you're not relying on the turbo to just make up your power difference. This cam matched my turbo choice, which matched my air delivery projection, which matched the efficiency of the new intercooler. Thus I had to deliver fuel at a rate and volume that would match the air. All things must be considered. Therefore I knew in the end it would make more power than stock so drivetrain upgrades were a must. It's a domino effect if you will. A cam swap like this is not just a single thing, at least not mine. They make cams for stock applications. They claim that they will lower EGT's and increase MPG's. Makes sense given what a cam does. At this point I would love to break down lift and lobe separation to help some people understand the effect but I'm not the expert. While I understand the fundamentals, every application is different. This is why I say take the advice of the cam guys and leave forum suggestions in the forum for this topic. Our results may vary lol. EGT's, so far I'm actually lower than my old setup (not much) and just a tune. My idle is around 300 degrees (after the vehicle has been to temp, down from 350-400). Cruising at 70mph I range around 700-900 (give or take terrain features, down from 800-950) and WOT it has yet to pass 1200 (not much different than stock, maybe 50 lower). Here is my input on EGT's: I know for a fact my power has increased dramatically even with a mild tune but I haven't suffered any different numbers because of it. Now I wish I had data logged more stock files for reference and logged a better EGT base to compare with. But my outlook is that everything is working together. I haven't hauled a trailer yet since my break in is not complete. Your question about heating the cam gear. We used two small propane hand torches. I had a helper so we could evenly distribute heat around the gear. This may not be text book but we tried using a real heat gun and we couldn't get the numbers high enough and even across the gear. Someone may make a better heat gun than the one I used. Please be careful of high temp numbers. Some people say 350 or 400 or glowing red... Don't. If 300 degrees wont break it loose I would seriously consider disassembly of the truck to get the cam and gear out and have it pressed off. I achieved success at 250. That seemed like a safe number to avoid warping the gear, Even heat distribution is a must. Everyone know heat warps metal, this cam gear is no different. When you press the cam gear back on it will require heat. (The cam is threaded so a traditional installer will work, threads were wacky but we found one.) We put my gear in a little toaster oven to get it to 250 for the initial start of the install. It's a trick and you may get a permanent tattoo lol, but its an easy way to safely get it up to temp. It will try to cool as you install it, just add heat as it goes but do not stop until it is fully seated. It is a press fit so run it up flush and tight and make sure you install your cam retainer before you start or you get to do it all over again lol. The cam retainer cannot be added later. It sits between the gear and the cam and bolts to the block. I did a run out double check with my dial gauge after the install was complete to confirm I had not warped the gear. Everything checked out. Let everything cool before sliding the cam and gear in all the way. Also be very careful during this process not to damage your front cam bearing. I did scratch mine during the removal process so I had to install a new cam bearing from Cummins. That lesson taught me to take my time during the install. Skipping back a bit. I am aware of the importance of the EGR system. My truck is actually equipped with a high flow single cat. Now I know that's not exactly the same thing as the EGR but I installed one to test the difference between having one and not having one (performance wise). I can't tell a difference ha-ha. Still loud as ever and runs fine. I plan to play swap it out at the dynamometer to see if it really matters having one of these on or not. Trust me, I don't support the "Coal Rolling" generation. I am after clean diesel power. That's another reason I run EFI Live. You can tune your truck to match everything you add to it. I will get a good write up on it over the next few months. I'm trying to get into one of their training classes so I can become better educated with all of its features. I need to get better at posting pictures links to the forums. I will try to get the tool links or pictures posted tomorrow.
  14. Well today marks the 500 mile mark of my recently cam swapped 2006 Ram 3500 MegaCab. So I decided to share some of the things about why I did it and what I have experienced so far. First things first. I am not a certified Cummins or Ram mechanic, or any other certified mechanic for that matter. I do have an appreciation for all things mechanical and attention for detail. Ever since I was old enough to tear things apart and put them back together, I did so. Some with success and some without (ask my dad, he will tell you all the stuff I messed up ha-ha). I probably should have gone on to school to become a mechanic, but my choice to join the military lead me down a different path. Either way this is just an FYI that I might not do everything per the book (even though I buy the book and follow them as much as any mechanic does). I do have respect for the mechanics in the industry and I support them when I can. I can only imagine it's a hard business to make money in. Lord knows if I was getting paid per the fix on my personal jobs and not by the hour, I would be so far in debt that I couldn't get a cheeseburger on credit at McDonalds. That being said unless you have a good mechanical understanding, proper tools and a shop, this modification might not be a good one for the first time DIY type. Now I may be newer to diesels, but I am not in the dark about cam swaps. I have done them in old school SBC's and newer LS platforms. This does not qualify me as an expert nor an engine builder, it just gave me the knowledge and understanding of the effects the camshaft has on the internal combustion engine. This experience also helped me to understand the process and things required to do such a job even though it is on a diesel. By no means is this a how to, just some points of interest and some insight for someone thinking about doing this themselves or having it done. In the diesel world, the 5.9L Cummins is (in my opinion) the Small Block Chevy of the diesels. It is an inline 6 cylinder engine that has a very simple design with fairly robust parts. Many of these parts are interchangeable over the year models which is why I compare the two engines. While I do not know with 100% accuracy which parts can go which direction, there are many places on the internet that do. The aftermarket world, like that of the gas engines, fully supports this platform (5.9) and it shows with many available parts for replacement, performance and better MPG. I don't know of many Diesel Performance groups that don't make at least one part for the Cummins 5.9, or at least sell ones that someone else makes. My choice to own a Cummins over the Powerstroke or Duramax was partially accredited to this. I like to take things a bit further than what the factory has done and with the 5.9 your wallet is the limit. This holds true for cam selections. There are a few known cam makers and probably others I have yet to hear of. Selections are plentiful depending on your build plan. Okay back on track.. Why the cam swap you ask?? Well let me start with my understanding of the factory cam and its roll in the 5.9. Feel free to correct me if any of this is wrong. I like to learn and I know I don't know it all. First things first, Ram. My understanding is that Ram produces a lot of trucks per year but nowhere near that of Ford and Chevrolet. Why does this matter? Glad you asked. With lower production numbers the EPA (and whatever powers that be govern emission outputs) gives lenience to Ram on installing emission controlling parts on their trucks. This is evident with EGR and cooling systems on later year trucks than Chevy and Ford. Same for the urea systems that have been in place longer with Ford and Chevy. Ram is always a year or so behind before they must become compliant with the EPA. Yea for me. This is another reason my research lead me to purchasing the 06 Ram with the Cummins. The following year, 07, they had to fall in line with EGR systems thus leading to the release of the 07.5 trucks with the 6.7 and a full EGR system. So by owning the 06 I will never be in trouble for removing these items from my truck when the man finally drops the hammer in the future, mainly because they were never installed. That being said it may come to we all have to have them, but that's another topic for another day in the far, far, far future, I hope lol. Now, my research would also lead me to discover that just because my truck doesn't have a traditional EGR system, doesn't mean the 5.9 doesn't have one.. Mind blown right?? So what is it and where is it at?? Well if my understanding is correct, and the information I have obtained, the cam is the EGR.. Confused? I was, at first. Turns out the profile of the cam allows for the intake valve to open slightly early at the end of the exhaust stroke allowing some of the exhaust to be pushed back into the intake. Thus allowing for a percentage of the exhaust gasses to be recirculated (AKA EGR haa..) Well after further research this turns out to be something done by other engine manufacturers such as that of my beloved LS1 (only in certain years if I am to understand that correctly). Now does that really cost you any power?? Maybe. MPG?? Maybe. Unfortunately I never did find a posted test on the internet of a cam swap that only had the EGR profile removed from the lobe design to compare with or without. At the trouble of a cam swap most people made a change for more lift and duration so comparison was out the window, such as myself. The EGR delete from the cam was not my focus but it is something that happens with the majority of the aftermarket cams on the market. While I don't have hard evidence to prove what the effects of the EGR profile on the cam do to the engine, I can still only assume there are performance and MPG gains without it. I don't think I have ever heard of anybody adding an EGR to pick up MPG or power, but I have heard and seen plenty to be gained without it. Think about it. Now that all the diesels trucks have EGR compliant parts, they all had to jump up in cubic inches/liters to make the same power as the previous year models. Onto the cam itself. In the world of Cummins camshaft you have a few options for performance. You also have a few choices for material and design. Lift and duration is your real first choice but that's not for me to decide for you. It strictly depends on your vehicle requirements and use. Talk to your choice of cam manufacturer for their advice, not some guy in a forum with a cool looking truck or claims of 1.5 million horsepower.. First options you will see for the street lineup are new cam or a regrind on your cam. Regrind what?? Ya I was thrown off at first when I saw that you could send your cam in for a regrind to pick up performance, but after some knowledge from one of the machine shops that do this it made sense. With a regrind they shave some of the base circle off of the cam thus changing its geometry and the centerline, plus they shave the intake ramp off to remove the EGR profile. You then make up the difference by adjusting your valve lash to this new zero at the bottom of the cam. Essentially adding a bit more lift by way of the adjustment on your rockers and push rods. Now I know there is a more mechanical and better explanation of this but I get it. My explanation may not make sense, sorry lol Well to me there were 3 issues I had with this. First was a different ramp speed, Second was removing the hardened surface from the cam. Third was I couldn't get the lift I was after so this was not an option for me. Also I feared this may change the rocker to bridge geometry causing excessive wear. These are my own fears. I know company's do this with success and I take nothing from them. Just wasn't the choice for me. Your next option was cast or billet. Well I like billet so that was my option.. Well until Zack Hamilton at Hamilton cams set me straight haha. Turns out the factory cam in the Cummins is cast, a very good cast piece, but not billet. What's the big deal?? Same thing I asked. Billet is better right?? Sure is, matter of fact it's better than the block your engine is made of. Well if you don't know anything about the Cummins cam and engine, you're about to. The Cummins engine (my 06 5.9 anyways) only has one cam bearing. It is in the front of the engine where the loads are probably greater from cam gear deflection. The rest of the cam journals are ground to match the diameter of the cam and the required oil tolerance, no bearings. Thus if you run the better grade steel of the billet cam it will literally wear your block out. They do offer roller bearings and more traditional cam bushings, but these either require machining of the block or a cam that matches the new diameter. Either way if you go billet steel you will need to do one of the bearing upgrades for your block to have a long life. So billet was out and cast was in ha-ha. I'm on a budget and I'm not pulling the engine.. Now there is nothing wrong with cast. Guys have been making thousands of horsepower at higher RPM for years with them. I was assured it was good for my use and then some. Other options you will find are bolt on cam retainers. Well I didn't need one but that's because my cam gear is a straight cut gear not the helical cut one. The helical cut gear can walk out and literally try to walk the cam gear off of the cam. I'm not 100% on which Cummins motors came with helical cut gears but my 06 5.9 CR didn't...Saved me 50$ lol. if your cam gear is cut at an angle you will probably need this little thing. So the cam I chose was a Hamilton 188/220. It was the largest selection for a stock motor that did not have valve reliefs cut in the piston. It has more lift at max lift and more duration. In a nut shell that means the valves open more and for longer periods of time. Thus allowing more air into the combustion chamber so we can add more fuel. The key to power is air and fuel. More of it makes more power. This longer lift and duration on the cam also allow me to turn more RPM than the factory camshaft, however, that is a whole other animal that requires matching modifications, another topic if you will. This cam is designed to work with 62mm or larger turbo's. It requires no machining of your engine, assuming you have the right piston to valve clearance at top dead center. This is a measurement that can be confirmed with the head still on the motor. It is imperative that you confirm this before installing the cam, otherwise you just trashed your motor. Mine was well within range so on with the install. FYI, cam selection is solely based off of your personal build and application. Mine was hot street and performance. This cam would not work well for everyone's application, but I wasn't shopping for everyone... Lifters.. New or used?? This is an option you must decide on your own. Many places will tell you that your factory one (with lower mileage) are fine to use on the new cam.. Sorry but that's advice I passed on. Now after removing the old ones I must admit they looked new. Except for the extreme shine on the wear face, there wasn't much else to look at. Maybe you can have them re faced?? I don't know. For the price of new ones I just went with new to match a new cam. This way they could wear in together. If you didn't, I assume they would last but I don't know how long. Part 2 of lifters. Replacing them. This is why everyone says to leave them in haha. This, single handedly, has to be the most complicated thing I have ever done on any vehicle to date. I did this with the engine in the truck and the oil pan on. There is no tool on the market for it (that I could find). You will use everything from PVC pipe, dowel rods, string, pocket mirrors and magnets. This will show your true ingenuity and skill. I could go on for hours about this but it deserves its own shade tree mechanic write up. It can be done, with time and patience. A couple of them took me hours to swap out. Now, with the knowledge gained, I could get it done pretty quick. Don't drop one because that means the oil pan is coming off and that's not going to happen with the engine sitting in its mounts, at least not in the 06.. Dropping one is an easy task in case you're wondering lol. Apparently, per design, the lifters are installed at the factory with the engine upside down and the cam goes in at the same time. The cam holds the lifters up like any other car but the lifters cant come out the top. They must go back down. This means you have to hold them all up (dowel pins lol) while you remove the cam, then insert a piece of conduit cut in half to catch them as you remove the dowel rods. Way harder than it sounds. FYI, taking them out is the easy part.. Putting the new ones in?? Don't do it around your preacher because I'm sure you will earn detention at church for about 6 months, plus some community service.. Cam gear. Using the factory one is acceptable, assuming its within spec, but be prepared to remove it and replace it with the cam sticking out of the block. It will not clear the lower radiator support while still on the cam. It can be done with a gear puller and a gear installer. Much like a power steering pump gear. it is press on with an alignment key and key way. Heat is your friend for this, but be aware of temps. Use a temp probe and don't over heat gear. 250 degrees was plenty enough to loosen it from its grip for removal and install. I have seen a few shattered gears from rushing this process. Take your time. Pushrods. More lift is more stress on the valve train. Get a matched set for your application. I went with the hardened chrome moly 3/8". They make bigger but it wasn't needed. Don't want to run your engine with a bent pushrod.. Valve springs and locks, ya they need to match the added performance of everything else. 103# springs were recommended from Hamilton. The old go to was 110# springs but turns out they can put unwanted stress and wear on the cam and lifters. I intended to add a bigger turbo so the additional seat pressure was a must with the new cam. Plus they need to match your cam's lift profiles so you don't get spring bind or float a valve at higher RPM's. Locks are just added insurance. Valve spring replacement. It can be done with the head on. There is a cool tool from Torx that makes this a breeze. Bar your engine over until the piston is at TDC. Put this tool on and compress all 4 springs at once. They will sit on top of the piston allowing you to compress the springs and release the locks. Remove the locks, remove the tool, remove the springs. Now is a good time for new valve seals if the budget allows. Why not, you are right there.. Only word of caution I have is the valve locks. They are tiny and there are plenty of holes on top of your head to swallow them right up and spit them out in the oil pan. Take your time and handle with care.. Rocker arms are good enough from the factory. Plus I don't know anyone besides Harland Sharp that make aftermarket Cummins rockers. Those aren't cheap lol. Disassemble, inspect for wear. Re-assemble with some assembly lubricant. Track where they came from and return them to that spot. As far as the valve train goes, that's a new cam, new lifters, new pushrods, new valve springs, locks and valve seals. Keep your old cam gear, your old valves and rocker arms. Trust me this is an involved project. There are many things not listed that need to be done to get to this point and to go from this point to the end. Such as checking your installed centerline height. But like I said I didn't start this thread as a how to, more of reference and topic for anyone wanting to do it. Your skills and confidence as a DIY guy will be tested.. Hamilton Cams required a 15 minute long strict cam break-in procedure WITH proper oil additives. Checkout the other topic in the forum about cam break ins for the Cummins. After that you are free to do what you want. However with so many other things new to my truck I will not be on the dyno for another 2500 miles or so. Now performance gains, the reason most of you read this much or skipped to the end. While I am still going through my own personal break in procedure for the truck (because I did cam, turbo and transmission less than 500 miles ago), I cant report fully on overall performance gains. Also, I did more than just a cam so my results are irrelevant on the topic. I can report, for now, the truck idles quieter. Perhaps the EGR delete from the cam?? Hard to say. This cam with a 64.5mm turbo upgrade and some 100hp nozzles has made this truck run like a dream. It has less than factory turbo lag off the line even with the bigger turbo. MPG is on the way up, EGT is in check with the stock configuration. My rear tires will not last long with this set up lol. It has no problem with getting with the program at any speed. Matter of fact I rolled on it from about 25mph going up the on ramp and it flat smoked the rear tires ha-ha.. I have 37's so the kid in me was giggling but the adult in me said you just spent 10 dollars in fuel, knock it off.. For those wanting to know what tuner, I run EFI Live. I have my own custom tunes. However, with this modification your truck will run just fine with box type tunes (Smarty, H&S etc.). It will finally use up all that extra fuel you have been turning into black smoke. Sinners.. Once my break in is complete I will get it to the dyno, build a new tune and get the numbers you all want to see. All in all it was a challenge but the rewards out weigh them. The power curve is huge on the truck with no loss in MPG, just a loss on my son's college savings.. I would recommend this for people wanting to get more power out of their truck. Feel free to ask questions but don't ask me what cam is right for you. I have no idea. Contact Zack at Hamilton cams. Great guy, friendly and an all in one shop for a complete setup. If any of my information is incorrect please feel free to correct me. Like I said, this is the information my research found.
  15. To follow up on the break in: I went with the Lucas oil Zinc additive. It was available locally. So far so good. I was able to prime the engine using the starter with the main injector harness unhooked. Plus I had applied plenty of high pressure (royal purple) assembly lubricant to everything during the build. Truck started and ran great. Did the required break in procedure and then re checked the valve lash. Everything checked out and the gains in power are crazy... This has led to a couple other topics I would like to get started in a few days. As always thanks for the knowledge and advice on this build. So far I'm all grins and my truck seems to be loving it..
  16. Mind blown... haha. As usual you covered what I needed to know. I was advised by Hamilton (the cam manufacturer) to run the zinc additives for sure during break in but after the first oil change it was optional. For daily driving they didn't think it was totally necessary but for sled pulling or racing applications it was a good idea. I tried the Rotella T6 full synthetic last year during the winter months. It did fine. Its notably thinner and you can tell it by how the engine runs and the noises it makes. Nothing harmful just subtle changes to the ear and the quickness of the rpms. Seems a bit thin to me for summer time so its out when the weather gets above 50. I guess at temp, even in the winter, its the same as the summer. It does make cold weather starting easier and no real drag on the starting system at 0 degrees. That's good lol. So what's with the zinc? I know its used in the galvanizing process for the towers I stack (like 95%+ zinc) and I know its used as sacrificial anodes on ships at sea, but how does it play into oil as an additive for wear?? Assuming its the same zinc and not a different element I have confused it with. Thanks again for the awesome insight and reply.
  17. New transmission is in, ready to finish up the motor and get it started..

  18. First off I apologize if my writing and posting skills are a bit off the wall and hard to follow, it's just how I am. Anyways, I am an owner of an 06 Ram 3500 Mega Cab with the super cool 5.9 Cummins. I am a big believer in maintenance and upkeep on all of my vehicles. Now I have only been a diesel owner for about 2 years now, and I have learned a lot. I have a lot more to learn and it seems as if I learn something new every day. Over the past few weeks I have been doing some heavy upgrades to my engine like a new cam, lifters, valve springs, upgraded head studs, rod bolts etc. During this process I have all but completely torn my engine down within the frame rails of my truck. My truck only had 80k miles on it, so replacing these parts was not because the old ones were bad, I'm just chasing the idea that diesels are the new hot rods on the block lol. Like I said earlier, I believe in following all the maintenance recommendations of the manufacturer. They spent years testing and designing their parts and I have faith they know what is best for their components. That being said, since I bought this truck 2 years ago at 60k miles I have always done oil and filter changes at 5k miles, air filter cleaning at 3k miles (replacement if needed), coolant change per the factory time frame etc. I use Rotella oils in my truck after years of good experience in my fleet vehicles. I also rotate my cold weather weight ratings as needed for winter use. Upon disassembly and inspection of my engine from the inside with the old parts removed, I must say I am very impressed with what I found. The old lifters and cam looked flawless with no wear line or anything, almost mirror like reflection on the old lifters. As for the block itself, no sludge build up anywhere, and even the PCV filter was remarkably clean. Face it, diesel oil is always nasty and will stain your skin, but that's from the fuel we burn. I even stuck a camera through the injector hole and the cylinders look pretty good as well. Now for the truth. I do one of the worst things you can possible do to a diesel. I know that may come as a surprise to some but it's the truth lol. I live approximately 4 miles from my office and for most weeks that's all the longer I may drive my truck. 5-10 minutes this way and 5-10 minutes that way, once a day each way. To me that's hard on any engine. Not letting them get up to operating temperature, and then not letting them operate at that temp long enough to remove any moisture from the air coming in. Some days my truck may never warm up enough to even cycle the thermostat in the coolant. Rest assured when it is cold out (below 30) I will let it warm up before driving, kills the mpg but I think its better for the engine. Now since I am aware of this I do try to take my truck for some extended trips every other weekend to get everything flowing and plenty of heat time to get any unwanted moisture out of the block. I also use a block heater when the temps fall below 30 degrees outside. To date I have never had any signs of moisture in my oil or any adverse effects on performance. Well as of today (12/11/2014 in case you read this 3 years from now), I am in the process of starting the engine back up with all the new parts installed (more than listed above). After doing some research on the cam break in procedure I have come across a vast amount of oil questions in the diesel community. What oil is best for my truck?? Apparently, for some time now, the oils we get at the parts store aren't what they used to be. With the addition of emissions systems on vehicles since the 80's, oils have been scrutinized for there chemical make up if you will. Now I am no chemist, nor oil expert, but after some very basic research I realized that today's oils lack some of the very important things a Cummins diesel engine needs. One of the thing that sets or engine apart from others is the simple design of the cam and lifters. The Cummins engine (mine anyways) is equipped with a flat tappet cam with a solid lifter. We also lack the traditional cam bearings. We do have one cam bearing but it is in the front of the block, but all the other journals are just precision machined holes in the block with out any type of bearing. Now while this seems crazy, I get it. These engines aren't supposed to be turning over 3k rpms and if you take in the gear reduction from the crank to the cam, that number is cut in half. So with such low rpm numbers I can see where this design is fine. However, while this design is fine for the engine function, I personally believe with the flat tapped cam design requires more from the oils used in the engine. Am I crazy?? Maybe, but I have never been tested to confirm lol. Almost all of today's modern engines have either roller lifters, hydraulic lifters, or hydraulic roller lifters or over head cam motors with various lifter/rocker designs. Granted these engines turn more rpms so these parts make sense, but the new oils are designed around this roller design if you will and not sliding metal to metal. Same with the cam bearings. Today's cars have very specific cam bearing designs and material make up suited to this. Now like I started to say earlier, the next thing happening to oils is emissions restraints. With out showing you 10 pages of science, basically the stuff in oils that help to protect our flat tapped engine design is apparently not good for the environment and actually causes harm to the modern emissions system on vehicles. The chemistry and additives that protect our parts also does harm to the emissions system. I think it eats at the catalytic components making them fail at doing their job so on and so forth. So, like most government controlled things, instead of fixing the catalytic converter and emission parts, let's just remove that stuff from the oil. Sorry if your engine doesn't last as long, that's between you and the manufacturer...Well Cummins claims 600k miles on the life of that engine..that's a long ways to go without the right oil...Just saying.. In my research I have stumbled upon many topics, forums and what some may call snake oils. Companies like Rev-X, ZDDP and Amsoil all claim to have the magical ingredients to fight the man while still protecting my engine. Down side is some of these treatments can add an extra 45$ on top of what was already a 100$ DIY oil change with a filter (assuming full synthetic was your choice). I'm all about protecting my investment, generally no matter the cost. However, after all but disassembling my engine, I didn't see anything that says my current treatment was not working. Then again I didn't have my parts looked at under a microscope, and I didn't pull the main caps. I believe they are fine but what should I expect in another 200K miles at my engines half life?? This leads me to here. I have come to evoke the knowledge of Moses...haha. What's with oil these days man??
  19. I sold my Subie a few years ago when I jumped to diesels. I had the 05 WRX STi. It was 100% stock but man it was a blast to drive. Thought about a new one but I didn't like the new body styles as much as the 06 era..
  20. I like your style lol. I think I will research the Valvoline that Moses pointed out a little more. They have definitely been around the block a few times.
  21. My old man wont let me in 50' of his truck with any of my new fangled hot rod parts ha-ha-ha. I have tried to do so. I figured with his grandpa style driving we could get 30+mpg out of his truck but his reply is always "If the factory wanted it on there, they would have put it on there" lol.. He is the perfect test subject but old school is old school.. Probably goes to show that he has never had to put a new transmission in or replace anything but tires lol.. Me on the other hand, I could have bought another truck just with the money in parts...
  22. Thanks for the input. Man its just not looking good for my hopeful Royal Purple... ha-ha
  23. No change on the pinion flange. http://www.driveshaftspecialist.com/ My 11.5 drive flange mates right up to the one on the shaft they provide. I believe it just comes from one on the manual transmission trucks. That's the link and go under Dodge for the write up.
  24. Since we're on the fluid topic any advice on the transfer case (NP273D) fluids in my truck? going to change it out also. New topic or in here??
  25. As always thanks for the detailed reply. To answer a couple of your questions, 1: Yes the factory filter stays in place. The external filter is a screw in style with hoses and a remote mount housing. 2: Yes the converter has a drain plug. Pretty cool feature I think. Beats drilling a hole and plugging it later lol 3: Enhanced stall I believe is a bit more than stock but nothing crazy like a high stall. I liked the Sonnax parts but I'm not at the mechanical level to take on the build myself. I don't fear disassembly or assembly, just my lack of experience would not have me knowing all the little details and having the correct tools to measure line pressures etc. There is something to be said for a shop that can test a transmission not in a running vehicle and testing components individually. That was another fear of my local shops. After visiting a few they just didn't have the equipment to do what BD offered. I'm sure the guys were skilled in the art and could do it blindfolded, I just wanted the most for the money. After posting I did find your article on transmission survival. Awesome write up. The 48RE isn't scary and weak by any means. I think it just had a few weak parts that didn't like additional pressure. As for the fluid advice. Royal Purple claims (on the bottle of their MAX-ATF) it is recommended as a direct replacement for Chrysler ATF+, ATF+2, ATF+3, ATF+4 and Chrysler Mopar AS68RC. Now I know what your saying about equivalent and replacement. I have a shelf of broken "Equivalent" parts ha-ha. To me it seems that RP should work just fine... Right?? lol I also agree with you and transmission fluid changes. I cant understand why anyone would think a fluid can survive for 100's of thousands of miles and not be replaced. I have always had transmissions flushed and changed out and always demanded a new filter be installed. We abuse these things daily by not letting them warm up, hauling heavy loads etc. That goes for all fluids in my opinion. If you cant afford to service the vehicle properly you shouldn't own it. Sadly this society is more about throw it away after it breaks instead of preventing it from breaking.. Rant over ha-ha. Over the next 2 days I plan on getting the swap completed. Adding the remote filter and cooler added a half of day to the swap but it should be worth it.
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