bobinyelm

2003 Dodge Cummins dually-

At 109k miles I had my engine remanufactured by a fleet rebuilder here in Texas due to scored cylinders.

The shop sleeved all 6 cylinders to standard and installed all new components in the engine, including pistons. They are a high volume rebuilder with a good reputation.

The engine runs great (runs like a Swiss watch, and I am I getting 23-28mpg @ 60mph on Interstate driving), BUT:

1) The first 500 miles after rebuild consumed 3 quarts of oil (1 qt per 160mi)
2) The next 1000miles consumed 1 gallon (or 1qt per 250mi)

I contacted the shop, who said the rings they use take a "long time" to break in, so they asked me to drive the truck another 1000 mi before contacting them.

That next 1000mi (2500mi since rebuild) consumed 1.25 quarts (1qt per 800mi).

Obviously oil consumption is improving, but I am curious what you guys think in relation to

1) HOW LONG (miles) it should take for after-market rings to seat and for oil consumption to stabilize at minimum consumption?

2) At what level of stabilized oil consumption (miles per quart) would you say something is NOT RIGHT, and when I should be jumping up-and-down at the rebuilder's shop? Assume normal unloaded driving for the truck for this figure, not hauling or towing?

For comparison, my Powerstroke uses about 1 qt every 4000 miles or so when not worked hard, and maybe 1 qt every 2500 miles when towing 10,000 pound trailers over long distances. It burned even less oil when I originally bought it w/ 12,000mi on it. It now has 125k miles.

I am looking for general guidence for Cummins 5.9 engines.

Thanks-
Bob

Lost Lake

Good question.

My tolerance level is 1 quart in 10,000 miles.

Cummins builds these and they don't use oil from the start, I don't see why a rebuild should, but okay some do.

My truck has 75,000 on it and I don't use a drop in 10,000 miles.... Or the amount of soot I gain is equal to the amount of oil it uses, but either way the dipstick reads the same.

Rings that use oil are sloppy, and if it's going past valve guides they are worn. I just don't see how any oil use is justified, but I guess you have to make that call. Good luck!

DBLR

What you should do is either put 2500 lbs in the bed or hook to a 5K trailer, then drive it non stop for 36 hours only stopping to get fuel, that should seat the ring and if it does not.............

RAMRODD

What kind of oil and what weight did they use after the rebuild.


For a example I bought a new John Deere 7230 and all JD's come with 10-30 break in oil that you change after 100 hours. I had to add 2 gallons in that time frame. Changed at 100 with 15/40 and the dip stick is still on full after 350hrs. JD uses a break in oil to seat the rings.

You need to pull your truck bad. Light driving will leave you with a oil burning truck.

bobinyelm

The shop didn't specify (the engine was shipped dry to the installer).

The installing shop used non-synthetic Rotella T 15W40.

Do you think that the 2500mi of light driving has permanently glazed the cylinder walls, or can hard-driving salvage the engine?

Bob

The Tank

I dont know man but my truck was werid it started burning oil bad like 2 gallons in 3,000 mile well I stoped adding rotella t and that was the end of oil comsumption. I know its weird ive always used rotella t but switching stoped it so i dont know. Cummins says 1 qt per 400 miles for a warranty claim for oil consumption so yea

naysayer

Rotella is great oil, I use it, but try switching to another brand. Sometimes this will reduce or stop excessive oil consumption. Switching from Valvoline to Castrol cured a Chevrolet for me.

RAMRODD

I don't know your driving habits but I would say you could have about 60-75hrs on the engine. So I don't think it is to late.

I would call the engine rebuilder and question them about putting in a different oil.

Where I use to work on engines we put regular oil in the engines but they would run wide open on the dyno for 3 hrs.

NickBeek

First, full break in can take up to 30K miles. Second hook that 10K lbs trailer up and pull some hills with it, hard! That engine needs to get broken in good. The fact that oil consumption is declining tells me that it is doing just that, but some hard work will help it along. Don't use synthetic oil until you are sure it is broken in properly.

My truck has 126K miles on it and it consumes 1 quart between oil changes (7500 miles) and always has since it was brand new. When I inquired about oil consumption with Cummins, their response was that they did not provide the warranty for my engine, Chrysler does. They said if they did provide our warranty, they would not touch an engine under warranty for oil consumption unless it used 2 quarts in 500 miles.....

bobinyelm

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DBLR

If you can't do nice 36 hour one way non stop then go buy a 3K pallet of block and leave them in the bed of your truck for 4 weeks and drive it as much as you can non stop even though its on flat land, that will at least work the engine to help seat the rings and then return them to the store for a refund. Like I said if you had the time and $$$ for fuel in 72 hours you could have the rings seated with either 3K in the bed or hooking to a 5K or heavier trailer and driving it non stop except to for fuel. I know it will work as that is how I broke in my engine and learned that when I drove OTR.

bobinyelm

Actually I was thinking of doing that on my 16ft flatbed, but was thinking it would be unfair to a Home Depot or whomever.

I have an enclosed car-hauler trailer that I should probably drive a car into and take it for a nice drive. It's 8.5ft high, so should have some wind resistance that would load the engine as well.

Hopefully it's not too late at this point.

Bob

Bob

DBLR

IMHO the sooner you can put some miles on it to work the engine the better. You may be surprised how much stuff gets returned to places like Home Depot every day, oh and at this time we are more worried about your engine and not Home Depot getting a return from someone.

NickBeek

The car trailer is a good idea. The wind resistance will help load the engine good. Don't forget to vary your rpm's don't stay at constant speed.