I talked to a machine shop in Lloydminster yesterday about rebuilding my 5.9. They said that cummins pistons were the expensive part of rebuilding them. So if I can reuse them that installing liners and rings wasn't too bad. So what I'm thinking is pull the pistons and see how many can be reused if only one is bad and the crank is good, put liners in the ones that need it. Machinist figures that the crank and cam should be fine but to check them. I kind of like the idea of knowing what I have as opposed to finding an engine at a wrecker and crossing my fingers that it's good. Any thoughts?

 

Pistons are mostly likely good. I too would rather spend the money on a fresh rebuild.

 

the 5.9 doesn't have a Liner in it you just bore the cyl bigger if needed.

 

You can bore it and have a liner put in to bring it back to stock

 

Machine shop said cummins piston would cost 5 to 6 hundred a piece where as a liner to bring it back to stock and reuse the old pistons would be about a hundred a hole.

 

If they didn't know that the Cummins does not have a liner do you trust they know how to build the engine?
500-600$ for a single piston is competition stuff, and that would be on the very high end. Just like the machinist, HIGH!

 

A hundred a hole to install and bore/hone a liner sounds way too cheap.

I would go into this shop with my eyes wide open.

Why not go to Cummins quickserve and get a price yourself?

 

They do know that cummins doesn't have a liner. They would over bore the cylinder and put one in to bring it back to stock so I can reuse the same piston. He said that it was far cheaper to go that way than to buy a new piston.

 

I would find a different machine shop bore the block and order oversize pistons and rings unless the bores are wore out bad enough to even consider liners what's the machine shop says its needs to be bored to?

 

Just rebuilt a case backhoe with a 3.9 cummins it only coast about 1500 that's machine work new pistons bearings water pump crank turned block bored the hole nine yards something doesn't sound right to me and that was with a new cam also

 

Ya you can buy full rebuild kits with everything except the wrist pins (which rarely need to be replaced) for like $750. The kit usually comes with mahle pistons. Boring the cylinders should be about $20 a hole =$120. Usually a good idea to mill the block deck. Another $120, gonna need a 10 or 20 over hg, another $120 minus selling the stock hg that came in the rebuild kit. Have a new cam bushing pressed in. Idk not much $40? Have a shop change the new pistons on the rods. Idk. Shouldn't be too much either. $100-150

Reman the head $300-400. which should include hot tank, cutting the valves, checking and milling the head flat

That there is $1700 on the high side

Now you'll want new head bolts, rod bolts and main bolts. New water pump and new oil pump. All that should be less than $500.

That's $2200. Throw a good $300 for random nickel and dime stuff because that is life and it happens. You're sitting at $2500 for a rebuilt motor. Machine shop does the machining and you do the rest.

Personally. If I'm building a motor I wouldn't go without new aftermarket cam tappets and pushrods. That'll add a good $1050 to your bill though

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Where is a good place to buy the above kit from?

 

Ok a quick search came up with a rebuild kit from pure diesel for $799. In the options you can choose to have the pistons fly cut and/or high temp coated. What is fly cut and why might I want that and in what instances would the high temp coating be worth an extra $325?

 

Fly cut is for high lift cams. Its not needed in your app. Same with the coatings.

 

Would the coatings maybe help a non intercooled truck with larger injectors and allow you to run it a little hotter, say for climbing a steep grade?