hey guys
spent too many hours last night fixin my CTD KDP in the gravel driveway (never again). My dowel was only sticking out about 1/8 of an inch These guys who say their first time took 2 hrs I have a hard time believing, but anyways... I got the TST kit, but today I was looking in my Haynes / chilton's, & it says anytime you take the harmonic balancer off you should chalk where the sensor meets the H. balancer, for alignment purposes when you put it all back together. Also it shows marking where the cog gears line up. The TST kit never mentioned this. Besides, until I figured out how to bar my engine in a gravel drive to get the HB bolts off, I cranked the HB over a few times getting everything done, so there would have been no idea where I started at anyways. Is this a big deal? The truck seems to run normal, although the tranny does seem a bit indecisive when pulling my trailer today, but I was told that may be the trans speed sensor. Any thoughts?? thanks guys
Smitty

 

It'll be fine, im sure most everybody who's done it haven't put it on the same way it came off.

The trans is it's own problem, especially if it's stock. Get a nice Torque converter and valve body and u'll think ur driving a new truck. We have a TV cable that can also be adjusted, but stock auto's aren't the greatest things, they drive like a pig until the TC locks up.

 

The 5.9 is internal balanced so it dose not matter how the HB or the flywheel goes. Also you didnt remove any gears so there is no need to mark it.

 

I just took everything off and threw it all back on there (except for the bolts which I put back where they belonged , and haven't had any trouble.

As for your auto... welcome to the world of a stock Dodge automatic!

 

OK, I'm on the learning curve.....
first diesel truck. Dodge driver from way back, though, and I swore by my old Dodge trucks with the 727 in them behind the 440!

So, with the transmission in this '96 3500 C&C, what's awful and what's easily made good for heavy service - without having to sell the farm to do it? She won't be gettign offroaded or beat around, but will be pulling some big loads - equipment and the big gooseneck horse trailer.

 

goerand single disc TC and vb will help alot. Some people like the single disc over a tripple disc, but the tripple disc would be really nice. Theres a couple other brands that are really good like DTT. So if ur truck shifts good now but is stock, just puting a TC and VB would let u hold quiet a bit more HP and TQ.

 

i just got my tst kit.
good to know....

did you get the gasket or did you use the liquid gasket?

Im pretty much set on buying a gasket from cummins ... $28.00 bucks
Its worth it if it doesnt leak.

 

my timing cover gasket came off with no tears, & was in good shape. So I reused it. I put the gray rvt (that came in the kit) on the gasket, & so far so good.

 

The one thing you didn't mention was spacing the rpm sensor on the front of the cover. It needs to be .050 in from the balancer measured with a non-magnetic feeler gauge.

 

I did mine without a gasket, just the gray sealant that came in the kit. It leaks and will have to lick that calf over.

 

i did mine and that grey sealant only lasted about 8 months so i went back in there again and put an cummins gasket so far no leaks

 

A friend and I just did the KDP this week. Mine was out about 3/16" and his was about 1/8". Used the TST kit, their instructions for the air gap did not say anything about a nonmagnetic feeler gauge. Can you tell why it should be nonmagnetic? We just held the sensor snug to the feeler gauge and tightend the nuts to 18 ft.lbs. We used the gray sealent in the kit w/no leaks--so far.

 

I did the TST KDP kit last month. Then went to cummins and forked over the 27 dollars and change for the timing cover gasket. Then you can trace the new gasket with a sharpie since its packaged on cardboard.
That way as you take the bolts off the timing cover you can index them to the cardboard template you traced and punch holes. Makes it a whole lot easier gettin the many different length bolts in the correct holes on reassembly.

As for the 6 hour KDP kit installation, very basic wrenching, most of the time was spent cleaning parts and a few beer breaks.

No leaks and the new tube of RTV sealant that came in the kit can be used for some other project.

 

Gasket issues?

i did mine and have done two more with the Grey sealant.. so long as u let it skin for a while u will have no leaks... I havent had any issues with it. The KDP was seriously no problem to kill, just make a diagram and stick to it, as to where the bolts go and dont... The hardest part is gettin the fan and shroud back in....

also about the speed sensor. I got mine setup with a close gap by folding an old business card in half, and using it as sort of a feeler gauge...

Rick