Have all the tools ready for timing my 97. I thought I would take care of it this weekend. Read the "how to" from dodgeram.org. and the various posts here and TDR. Felt pretty good about grasping the concept.

I also took note of the statement "discard used delivery valve washer, a new washer will be used for reassembly".

So I call Cummins Bridgeway (michigan) and am told "we don't carry any parts for inside the pump-Bosch part only". So I asked where they get them from (when they do the timing) and was given a few names (none local). I was also told that the washer "could be used again, just need to get it in right or you will toast the pump".

Now I am paranoid. I can read, I can follow instructions, I am careful. I can do a sketch of the "order" I find washers and springs. I can keep things clean. Do I need to be spooked about this? Should I wait till I locate a new washer first? Should I just say the heck with it, get drunk and stay in 14 degrees timing land forever? (if it still is at 14 degrees after 105,000 miles).

Need some encouragement/advice, thanks, Kevin

 

Kevin:

The delivery valve washer can be re-used.

One other thing to point out while you are doing this, in case you have not read about this, is to make sure to clean the pump shaft and gear after you have pulled it off to ensure that it will not slip after you complete the timing and tighten the gear back on the shaft. You can do this be spraying it with contact cleaner. Also, it helps to have an extra hand (another person) while doing the timing to bar the engine over while you watch the dial indicator. Good luck!

John (DH)

 

BBWD, thanks, I am aware of that and have a really big magnet to place just below the nut on the pump gear .

This guy from cummins really scared me! I'm gonna make sure everything is clean, before and during, as well as prior to reassembly. Gonna use brake clean on the pump shaft.

Gonna have to do this one solo. All I will do is yell at the wife if she is in the garage anyways .

Another question, was gonna use the harmonic balancer (clockwise) and the alt. nut (counter-clockwise) to turn the motor, but how should I hold the sprocket to prevent it from turning when I torque on that sprocket nut? Any ideas on how to lock the motor or prevent it from turning while I torque on that thing?

Thanks again, Kevin

 

all the trucks i have taken apart to time didn't have a washer, and if yours does, just reuse it, if it leaks get a new one. i think you are taking this a bit too serious. you can handle it just fine. they have a new lock washer for the pump gear nut that i hear is worth getting. and a barring tool would be a good investment. much better for spining the motor over. i use it to spin it forwards and the alt nut to spin it backwards. mike

 

I use electronic cleaner rather than brake cleaner on the shaft. The electronic leaves no residues whereas the brake cleaner does.

 

Thanks guys.

Well best I can tell, my timing is at 10 degrees. I am using a inch dial gauge and doing the math. I am using a magnetic holder and it's a real witch getting that gauge stand to set up correctly. It needs to be a little longer. I even tried clamping part of the gauge stand to a bolt that was threaded into a empty threaded hole on the manifold.

The problem is getting the pin of the gauge to get down there. I used a spacer but not much luck yet. Any ideas? I think I'm gonna weld up some do-hickey to hold the gauge and line things up a little better and more solid. The spacer thing has still got me stumped. I'm thinking of slipping a piece of stiff copper wire (12 gauge fits nice) inside the threaded tip of the gauge to act as an extension.

I did read where one guy used a plastic straw from a spray can. It fits in the gauge needle once the little tip is removed, but it does'nt seem stiff enough. The wire seems better.

I know my paint mark on the balancer for tdc is on. I used the drop valve method for that. Just gotta keep playing with it. Once I am sure I am getting good accurate readings. Then I will pop the gear. I think I'll put a mark on the pump shaft and sprocket before I remove it, so if all else fails, I can get it back to that spot.

BTW, no copper washer, and the delivery valve outside housing was really stuck (the part you remove with the socket).

I will play again in the morning. Thanks for the input. Can't think straight now. Thanks, Kevin

 

Well, just posting some info for anyone who may do their own timing:

I ended up using an extension for my magnetic base on the dial holder. It is basically a piece of 2 in wide flat stock with a hole drilled in it. It's about 4 inches long. This is bolted to a threaded hole in the flat portion of the intake manifold. There are two of them up front close to the injection pump on the intake manifold. This enabled me to set the dial gage at a much better angle and closer to the pump. The magnet holds better also because it is flat and the manifold has an irregular surface.

Once that was done I was able to set everything up and get accurate gage readings. Then it was just a matter of following the instructions for timing on dodgeram.org

Turns out my timing was on the money at 14* and I bumped it up to 15.75* It ended up at that number so I left well enough alone. Checked my plunger lift and timing (TDC) mark 3 times after the change and got the same readings each time.

Truck (probably my imagination) seems to idle a little smoother and while there is a touch more "cackle", the engine seems a little more quite. No more blue/gray smoke when I floor it in nuetral (I would get grey/blue smoke at top end). On the road I can feel a little more pull above 1500 rpms. Exhaust temps are about 50 to 100 degrees less.

While I had the truck apart I started to do a little backyard improvising/engineering. It turns out that the stock oil drain plug on a 12 valve motor is the same thread and pitch as the delivery valve holder (22-1.5) (I had a spare drain plug).

So I drilled a 3/8" hole down the center (to fit the shaft on my gauge), and a smaller hole in the side (10-24 thread) for a set screw, and using a hard nylon (thick) washer, I have a gauge holder that screws into the pump at the delivery valve just like the miller tool. It is not as tall so no extension is needed. The drain plug gets threaded in by hand till it seats on the hard plastic washer (about 1/4' thick) I need to add that the washer has a 1/4" section cut out of it to allow for a set screw to be tightened.

Anyways, once the plug is in, set the gauge in the 3/8" hole, tighten the set screw (it fits in the cutout on the plastic washer), and go to town. Worked like a charm. You may need to change the hole size to fit your gauge, and you may need to change the plastic washer size to fit your length of gauge shaft, but a drain plug cost about 10 bucks and I was able to use my gauge without an extension, and without the magnetic base and arms. Just don't seat the thing to far down.

Of course I did all of this after I set the timing using the magnetic base and extension arms. I did use it to confirm my settings.

I also used a 1/4" rubber fuel line rigged up to my shop vac and sucked out any dirt that ended up in the delivery valve seat. Used some 90 weight diff oil for reassembly, and torqued everything according to spec. Once I got the gauge thing straight it took me about 3 hours to do. It would have gone alot faster if I had the barring tool. Gunracer was right on both counts. Need to get the barring tool, and not as big of a deal as I thought.

Thanks to all that helped, Kevin

 

Glad it worked out for you. The mechanical engine sure beats the electronics!

John (DH)

 

Brake cleaner doesn't leave a residue, it's carb cleaner that you need to stay away from.