Was driving to town today and my truck started poping and knocking.. I pulled over and pulled a couple valve covers, both pushrods on the number 3 cylinder were toast. One was bent like a s and the other the cup was busted off and the rod was hammering on the rocker.. I checked the valves right away because I just had my valves adjusted by a dealer... I saw them adjusting them and all seamed well, what else could cause it.. A buddy at cimmins said that if you idle for extended periods the valves can bung up and stick... Bending the valve. I changed the bent pushrods and the rocker assy and it still pops a little, and shakes alot... I really think that a valve is bent or something... But why* is this happening ?

 

Might check here if you let your truck idle for long periods of time in cold weather.
This refers to the 24V, but I would think the 12 Valvers might run into the same troubles.

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2000/cummins01-06-00.htm

Thursday Notes

Subject : ISB Sticking Valves/Bent Push Tubes
Product Name: MR - ISB/QSB SPT Group : 002 Cylinder Head
Date: 01/06/2000 Equipment Application : ALL
Distribution : Internal and Distributor Service Information Originator : Daniel Fedewa
Warranty Impact:

As the ambient air temperatures have started to drop in out Northern Regions we are reminding the field, by this Thursday Note, on the ISB sticking valve / bent push tube issue. The 4 valve cylinder head on the ISB runs at a cooler temperature, which in some cases is allowing tar to condense on the exhaust valves. This may result in sticky valves and bent push tubes. The 2 valve head runs at a hotter temperature, thus preventing the tar build up. To reduce the risk, the following recommendations should be followed. This may be found in the PITs document "JJGN-44BKRU"

STICKING VALVES - SERVICE PLAN

Short Term:

Reactive short term: Repair and clean cylinder head as required.

Proactive short term: To prevent or decrease the risk of this occurring to an engine which frequently idles for long periods of time in arctic temperatures, Cummins recommends the following:

Use of a winter front on these trucks
Use of a block heater when the engine is idling.
If the truck is already equipped with an exhaust brake, it should be turned on during idle
Prior to shutting off the engine after extended idling (6 hrs) it is important to bring the engine to operating temperature (minimum of 140 degrees) to remove any carbon build up on the valves. This can be accomplished by driving the vehicle for 20-30 minutes or;
NON-Chrysler: Operate the engine at high idle for 5 minutes or until engine reaches 140°F.
Chrysler: Run the truck at 2000 rpm for two minutes, 3000 rpm for two minutes and then 3500 rpm for two minutes, until the engine reaches at least 140°F.




PS : We don't use that abbreviation here unless you're refering to the
World Trade Federation.

 

You just had the valves adjusted by the dealer, ...... then all of a sudden these newly adjusted valves just started popping and knocking out of the blue driving into town?

Even Manitoba in May sounds like a strange time to be suffering from bent valves caused by extended idling (even though it did snow in Detroit). I thought valves bent from sticking after they've cooled down and been restarted, not while driving thru town and already presumably warmed up.

Hmmm, were they/did they ever pop and knock before you visited the dealer? Why did you have the dealer adjust them in the first place?

Something just doesn't add up here. It sounds like either the dealer did something to make it bad, or it was bad enough before for you to take it into the dealer in the first place to have the valves adjusted.

Driving "technique" can contribute to bent push rods, using spaghetti tubes, and so can bad wrenching. Did the guy you see wrenching it seem to know what he was doing, how do you know he knew what he was doing? How would you be able to tell? No cussin' going on? Some places hand wrenches to gorillas you know.

Sumthin' just doesn't add up here; whats the rest of the story?

 

When I was watching the mechanic do the adjustment , he was moving from one valve to another , like the manual says. I know he's adjusted valves before and I trust him , but it seems really funny that it all happened after they adjusted them. The problem I have is if I leave the truck at the dealer to inspect who's to say they won't take it all apart and say that I done something to cause it. I'm bringing my truck home to tare down the entire valve train to inspect for more anomilies and if none then off comes the head. I can get a 300 hp industrial 5.9 from a buddy so mabye i'll swap motors later.. Just seems really fishy that all this happened after the adjustment.. The dealer said they would go good for it if they screwed up ,but would you admit it of you caused a pile of damage to a engine ? I would hope so but I doubt their findings would be their fault... After all I really guess " I am my own warranty station" : ( I think I'm better off to just swallow and do it myself..

 

Maybe you should take your time going to the dealer and look at the stuff together with the tech there. Maybe he'll be more help than you think by letting you use some off his diagnostic tools.

At least it's worth to risk a phone call and try to get this sorted out.

AlpineRAM

 

Being your own warranty station only applies if you did the work yourself.
Since the dealer was the last one to work on it it's obviously their fault, let them deal with it.

 

Ditto.

 

You can at least try and see if the dealer finds out whats wrong and takes the blame, if not then oh well and do it yourself like you planned. They might at least find the problem.

 

Sounds like the dealer didnt get the push rods seated in the lifters properly . If the PR's dont get seated properly they can seem to adjust correctly until the engine is turned over and proceeds to turn your PR's into spaghetti .
Go to the dealer.
Scott

 

I would pull the cover off the lifter gallery, pop the lifters out of #3, and check them for true. Also, use a mirror and check your cam lobes for damage.

I have seen a lot of bent pushrods in trucks with regrind camshafts. Every time it has got down to the old cam followers being used on a new camshaft, and the wear pattern on the used followers resulted in chipping or cupping causing the follower to bounce and hammer the pushrod.

 

The problem is I don't want to take my truck to the dealer have them pull it apart and say they never caused the problem, then be stuck with a pile of labour charges.. At $65 a hour it adds up pretty quick. Its not like I got a pile of cash burning a hole in my pocket if ya know what I mean. I still havent decided.. The shop is too busy to take my truck there any ways. I know the service manager and I think I will take it apart my self and take the parts to the mech to inspect.. Already they are trying to say that there was no way it was their fault.. GO figure

 

Yea, there probly in the backroom ruining their pants cause they know they might have had someting to do with it and someones in trouble!!

 

I have seen bent vavles and then the rods bent on a G/M V-12-92 becuse the guys did not set the valve bridge in the vise on the bench like the book says. Ill look in manual today out in the shop and see if there is a bridge on that engine.