"Timing Rattle" with Tone Ring Mod???
 

I have an '03, HO with the Tone Ring Mod, Air & Exhaust Mods &, recently, a Van Aaken C-3.2 (duration, only) box.

After cold starts, the engine "rattles" like earlier generation Cummins engines, til it starts to warm-up. It seems to be enhanced with the VA installed. It only does this at lower rpm's.

Most of the "rattle" goes away after returning the TR to the stock setting.

Does the "rattle" cause any damage to the engine? I don't mind the sound, at all, but, would it be better for the engine to back-off the TR?

Thanks for your help & advise.

Joe F.(Buffalo)

I just backed mine off for the same reason. I was even hearing it slightly at idle and didn't care for it too much. I may have backed mine off 1/8" at most and it seems to have helped. It seems worse when it's cold out....

First of all, the 03s probaby run more advance than the 04s and 05s. Then, you've got a timing box on it. How much did you advance the tone ring ? Did you precisely measure it ? What exactly moved "1/8 inch" ?

Van Aaken 3.2 is a duration only box but I think the earlier version is timing,etc.

Buffalo, how much did you advance the timing initially?

Superduty, I didn't measure it when I was opening the hole up. When I went to turn it back, I loosened the bolts and felt how much play there was side to side and just figured on a point which felt like it was 1/4 of the way counterclockwise. As for my box, I have been running just the VA Duration box since it doesn't screw with my overhead....

Cantfindaname.

When I did the Tone Ring Mod, I filed out a little more than 1-1/16" out of the dowel pin hole. I then rotated the TR clockwise, as far as it would go. I'm assuming that the limiting factor is the bolt holes.

Can you do any damage to the engine with the timing advance?

I just got back from driving the truck. With a cold soak start (60deg's.), it rattled quite a bit for a mile, or so, then smoothed out & quieted down, considerably.

Joe F.(Buffalo)

From what i've read on DTR it doesn't hurt it. I am doing it next weekend and adding the Van Aaken C3.2. I'll settle for the mileage increase(hopefully from the tone ring) and a few rattles for a mile or two.

2003 HO Tone Ring Knock or Rattle
 

I did mine as well on a 2003 HO. I have a TST I keep on 4/4 and get a alot of rattle when it is cold. I may just put it back to Tone Ring back to stock or [duhhh] full couterclockwise and see what happens.

Superduty, just curious if even more throttle response could be attained by opening the bolt holes a little more as well as the dowel pin hole and advancing more? I dont know alot about the timing on these trucks, how much is too much? just thought i would thow that out there. what do you think?

First of all the VA has never done timing. Second, the TST doesn't add timing until you build a fair amount of boost. Third, they all rattle a little more when they're cool and you add additional timing at idle. Just let them warm up a bit longer and all's well.

Richard

I did the mod with mine also, I have the TST too and mine rattles even when it is warmed up as I let off the throttle even with the TST off. I opened up the dowel pin hole and advanced it as far as the bolts would allow. it rattled really bad and threw the cam/crank out of sync code like that so I backed it off 1/2 way. the rattle is still there, just not as bad.

I threw the code as well and backed it off a little. I was not aware that they TST did not advance timing until under boost. I like the extra 1-2 mpg I have been getting. So maybe I will just leave it alone and let it warm up longer.

Not advancing until under boost is on of the downfalls I encountered when I switched to twins. The mileage gains that I had with a small to medium sized single disappeared due to lower cruise boost levels. The BDPP solved that little problem for me.

Richard

Same here!

You guys don't have the ring advanced far enough [laugh] More is always better IMO. I filed the bolt holes on my tone ring. I'd guess that I have about 5-6 degrees advance and the the rattle sounds great to me [laugh] I figure if I went any further that I'd start to trip codes for cam/crank sync not matching. I took off my cat now and added a resonator and the truck just sounds AWESOME. No I'm not real conservative ;) The low end growl makes the hair on my neck stand on end.