OK, so the engine in my 08 Superduty went out at 117k miles (turbo failure). So due to the expense and likelihood of a repeat failure at any moment, I have decided to repower with a "real" engine as in the Cummins 5.9.... These conversions seem well supported by several different companies in the way of transmission adapter plates, engine mounts etc.

So I have been looking for a donor engine and many junkyard engine pulls are very expensive ($4-$6.5k). So I found an engine from a complete 2000 2500 truck, seems to have the average 200k in mileage on it. The asking price was a lot lower but it outwardly looks identical to the higher priced engines. I figure that since it is going to be delivered to my door, I would go ahead and tear it down and replace anything that is a significant wear item. Rings, bearings, oil pump, cam and lifters on condition. Pistons and bores would be on condition, since many engines seem in great condition at 200k. Valves, valve springs, potentially seats and if that then guides too. I figure that unless recently replaced, the injection pump is probably on its last legs, new injector lines, new injectors. New lift pump in the trucks fuel tank. New starter (in my case from the 6.4). Alternator is in a pretty accessible location, so rebuild that and possibly buy an AC compressor. Perhaps a new turbo.

If I was to go with a reman engine, I would be at about $4-5k and then would have to add on the injector pump, manifold, turbo and most of the parts that bolt up to the motor since its usually a bare block. I don't know of specialized machine shops for cummins engines in SE Michigan. This is not going to be a race engne, stock HP should be perfectly fine for me. I would like to get another 200k miles out of the truck, by which time there wouldnt be much frame or suspension elements left given our road and salt conditions. I do plan on stripping down to the frame, blasting everything followed by zink rich primer and then an epoxy overcoat which should resolve most of the rust issues for the future. Virtually all the steering linkages will have to be replaced due to the severity of the rust, any exposed thread is basically gone.

Longer term, I am looking to use the rolling frame under a Chevrolet 3600 or 3800 body to make a classic truck with modern running gear, but that would be in 4-5 years when I enter partial retirement...

Did I miss anything important ? Does my refresher plan sound about right for a reliable 20 something year old powerplant ?

 

If I have a good running Cummins 5.9 motor I just install them in my builds, because they will probably last another couple thousand miles without any issue.

I have pulled a heads off a motor with 400+K on it and seen factory crosshatches in all 6 cylinders.

I have several 12 and 24V motors I would sell as well, from trucks I have driven.

I have put together several Cummins powered trucks that have been on the road with very few problems that where build over the past 10 years.

 

I understand that if one has some personal knowledge of the engine it changes things. But I am ordering an engine from over 2000 miles away with only the word of the yard parting the truck out that it was a running engine...

At the very least pull it all apart, mike everything and determine what state the parts are in. Media blast down to white metal and paint properly (zinc rich primer followed by 2 part epoxy) that should keep surface rust at bay for at least the next 10-15 years. Evaluate whether any sheet metal parts need to be replaced. Re-gasket and re-seal everything. Most of the expensive parts (block or head can be dye penetrant tested after blasting to validate free from cracks. Mikeing the crank and bores will also clarify if std size or whether previous work has been done.

On the injection pump and turbo, its a bit trickier. Possibly rebuild the turbo using a new cartridge ($245 for a Cardone unit). With the VP44 I'm not sure there is any cost benefit to sending out the existing pump and injectors to an overhaul center vs just buying a remanufactured replacement with a warranty. It looks like a set of new injectors is <$700 and the injection pump around $1200 down to $750 on ebay for a remanufactured pump. I will evaluate the injector lines for condition, if rusty then I will go with new. It seems very likely the head would need to be rebuilt since cracked seats appear to be quite common on the 24V, thus perhaps buy a rebuilt head and send mine in as a core. One would need a shop with modest rates to make rebuilding your own head a viable proposition. There are Cummins dealers in the area selling re-manufactured blocks for fairly modest prices, so if the bores were toast, I think that is the way I would go unless I get a lead on a good shop within a 100 mile radius. I dont have any concerns on the assembly / disassembly work other than that I would have to get a good strong engine stand. The truck itself is going to be down for a while so that I can get the chassis and cab cleaned up, sandblasted, cab corners and rockers etc done. Just try to get all the pieces to be done at about the same time so that I can finally start to put it all back together.....

 

If all that makes you feel better.

I would like to mention I would not think of swapping any working factory Cummins OEM part for a Cardone "rebuilt" part as an upgrade.

 

I think a lot of parts are out of production like the injection pumps. You now have to take what you can get. In some cases a Mahle part was one option, but out of stock, no backorder.

 

I have a dozen Cummins 5.9L motors here at my shop you could see running before you buy if you like.

I work on Dodge Cummins truck and do conversions for a living.

 

The yard in CO has the engine I bought on a pallet, so I will wait to see how this one looks like. I have not been further NE than Boston, other than flying into Maine one time, so a road trip would be nice but I would ideally need 2 weeks to do it justice... Maybe next time..

 

No worries, just letting you know of the option.

Do keep us updated with your build.

 

So far, from my investigation, since most places do not list prices, the info from Kaufman in TX seems to be a good benchmark. Shipping will probably be pretty expensive from MI to TX and back so that is a definite consideration. The cylinder head exchange seems very reasonable, so I wonder if I am missing anything ? Maybe the $325 for the exchange 24V cylinder head is just for the machining and without any new parts ? My biggest concern is needing 24 new valve seats with all the associated machining work. I imagine it is mainly the exhaust seats that crack but in photos I have seen every seat was cracked...