My neighbor has an '04.5 Cummins with 40K on the clock. He called me over to hear a noise that was pretty obnoxious under the hood. Turns out his Pac-Brake was malfunctioning causing a bad screaming/squeal noise. Also as I was looking under there, the was noticable soot around his #6 exhaust port. I told him it was all under warranty, but when he called the local dealership, they first asked him which "side" of the engine was leaking, and that only one gasket would be covered under warranty! and that they would have to get back to him about warranty.

Well he is now not too confident in the dealership since they don't even comprehend the Cummins is a Inline 6, so he ordered a new Pac-Brake unit, and bought all 6 new gaskets himself, and asked if I could help him. At first I was reluctant, since I knew it was under warranty, but decided OK. Well almost all the bolts we took out were all galled up and almost siezed in the head. The only one we did not have trouble with was the #6 bottom one... THAT is because it was already BROKEN off in the head!! That is why the exhuast was leaking out there. So here is the situation now, I cannot really drill the broken bolt off for fear of the drill bit walking into the head itself and screwing that up. The bolt is broken off at an angle, and there is no possible way to get the drill bit centered properly, especially on the hardest to reach hole!

So, has anybody ever tried to do a warranty claim with a have torn apart component on their truck?? Any other solutions? I told him we better stop here before we really open a can of worms and have to pull the head!

 

Oh boy, not good. Put it back together and pray for the best is all I can say. I used to do alot of jobs drilling out broken exhaust bolts/studs and worped manifolds as a Nissan Tech. The older VG30e Maxima's, trucks, and pathfinders. That is one job that was a definite feast or famine. You were lucky or you had to work your tail off on. A 90 deg air drill, cobalt reverse drill bits, center punch set, tap and dye set, Eze out set, and a ton of patients is what is need to do the job. Along with a backup heli coil if needed. Install all new studs/bolts because putting it back together you may snap another one and make your day. Been their done that so to speak, and have to start all over. Good luck........

 

Guess if it was me I would bolt it all together carefully and then take it in to the dealer and if not a factory installed pac break have them fix the manifold bolts only. After they get everythin loose and repaired then you should be good to go to replace the pac brake yourself.

Good luck.....RTemember it is probably the $100 deductable on the studs unless they warranty it under the Cummisn oart of the warranty. Maybe you could claim it was an emisions part of the warranty??

 

It will be under the Engine warranty. No $100 deductable until after 5 years.

 

I was charged the deductible last year with 50,000 on the od on my '05.

 

Trucks at the dealer. The Manager said no problem, happens all the time! The exhaust manifold is so warped also that he could not get it back together beforehand, so he should be getting a new manifold to boot..