I installed Jammer stage 3 nozzles yesterday, adjusted valves and changed the oil and it drove perfect. I have put on about 20 miles since then and checked the oil today and it seemed thin so I drained it and it came out like water and was black. I can't smell diesel in it but then again I have sinuis problems so that's not saying much but I'm sure it's diesel as my coolant was still full. I also installed new washers and orings. I've never done injectors or a valve adjustement, just went by instuctions I've found on this site. Where should I start my troubleshooting and what do I need to look at when I pull the injectors to see if they are leaking. Also, how can they leak of I installed the bridge correctly? Is there a possiblity that I have ruined anything by driving with thin oil?

 

As long as you backed out the connector tubes before you pulled and installed the new injectors, properly reseated the tubes, and used the correct washers and seals, it is pretty hard for an injector to leak diesel into the 24 valve.

A bit of diesel for a few miles in the oil will not hurt anything, but it will clean your engine pretty well. Just keep an eye on it and it may not hurt to do an oil analysis to be sure if you are getting fuel contamination.

If you are contaminating the oil with fuel, back track through your installation process and make certain one of the fuel injector connector tubes did not get crushed or an o-ring slipped.

Most often I have seen the o-ring missing on one or more injectors and allowing fuel into the rocker arm gallery and down into the pan. Sometimes two copper sealing washers are used on the bottom end of an injector and that will bind the connector tube and can lead to fuel blowing up past the injector and knocking out an o-ring.

 

I bought new washers and orings from Cummins. Are there different sizes? and can you get the injector tubes out without taking off the valve cover?

Where would you begin your troubleshooting?

 

What was the oil level when you checked it? It looks to me like the increased level would be the first indicator of the diesel leak into the engine. Maybe you overreacted, perhaps the oil was thin simply because it was hot?
-P

 

It takes quite a bit of diesel before you will "smell" it in the oil. Use the oil level as a guide. If it's "making" oil, remove the valve cover, run the engine and watch around the injectors. That's how I found the ones leaking that I installed that had too small of oring on them.

 

I put in 3 gal of oil at when I changed it. Like I said, it didn't have many miles on it and it was prett watery. Will the oil be that thin when it's hot?

It takes quite a bit of diesel before you will "smell" it in the oil. Use the oil level as a guide. If it's "making" oil, remove the valve cover, run the engine and watch around the injectors. That's how I found the ones leaking that I installed that had too small of oring on them.

Thanks for the tip. Will it sling oil everywhere?

 

For how little it costs,and how expense an engine is,I would be getting an oil analysis soon.That and watch your level.Diluted oil will quickly destroy your turbo,then your engine in that order.

 

Believe me, I'm very **** about my truck. Oil analysis will be in the mail today.

 

Please help before I try taking off the valve cover and starting it. How big of a mess is this going to make? Does the Cummins use the pushrods to oil the rocker arms?

 

not bad of a mess at all.

 

I pulled the valve cover off and ran the motor and didn't see anything obviously wrong with it. I guess I'll have to wait and see what the oil analysis says and go from there but until then I will be keeping an eye on things. Susprisingly, running the motor without the valve cover made no mess at all and was pretty cool watching the vavles & rockers work. Is used oil (7000 miles) thicker than new oil? Can you compare the vicosity of the two or is the new oil thinner?

Thanks again guy and will keep you posted.

 

Old oil will usually be thinner, especially if it's hot when you drain it. That sounds pretty cool that it didn't make a big mess with the valve cover off and engine running.

Not to be a smart **** but, If you're so **** why put 12 quarts of oil in an engine that calls for 11?

Opps - just noticed your last post - 7000 miles on the oil? Unless you are traveling long hours and many miles at the same time you might consider more frequent changes. If you're doing lots of stop and go, and short trips you should use a "severe mainteance schedule". Seriously, not being a wise guy. You are using 15w40 API Service CF-4/SH at least - right?

 

theres an copper washer on the bottom of the injectors. r u sure they were all on there when you put them back in? they come off pretty easy.

 

Yeah, I made sure by using a little grease to hold them on. If they did fall off, wouldn't it run rough? It has gobs of power and I can now slip the trans if I want. As far as the amount of oil goes, I don't think one extra quart of oil is going to be detrimental but I could be wrong. Hopefully I will hear good news from the analysis and will keep an on things until then. Thanks.

 

You'll find most folk just dump the whole 3 gallons in, rather than having to deal with that pesky extra quart,
with no adverse effects.
(as long as you remember, 1 quart of those 3 gallons goes into the oil filter before you put it on)


phox