The Cummins 5.9 valve adjustment is why I went into I.T.

[Oliver Closehauf]

I read up, I watched videos, I had my tools laid out the night before and it took me a solid 6 hours.

I spent the first hour just trying to find the damn timing mark. None of the "how to" videos I saw go into anything that obvious. But the ones I did watch didn't mention that far from being stamped into the outside edge of the harmonic balancer, what they actually do is set the balancer on a table next to a guy who is thinking real hard about there being a mark. Thats what I finally found. A wishful thought of a mark.

I used the barring tool to spin the crank. Slow and a pain in the ass but it worked.

I gotta say, Cilinder #6 is way, way back there. My plantar fasciitis is screaming at me and I can feel my lower back starting to tighten up on me. And me with no Advil in the house. I look like I'm auditioning for a role in planet of the apes.

The job was simple enough once I got into it. I enjoy being able to say I did it, but it amazes me people do that for a living. I couldn't do it.

 

[06 Dodge]

Back when I had my 2006 I knew what running the rack involved as I had read up on it that is why I paid local mechanic $150.00 to do it for me so as to not have my lower back hurting more then it does already but glad you got it done, did you notice a difference in engine sound after? I sure did but then mine was done way past the 5 year mark when done..

 

[Oliver Closehauf]

Actually, I would swear that it has a much mellower less "staccato" sound to it today. It was the first I drove it since closing the hood. I drove it to get its AC compressor and was like am I imagining this? Am I having hearing problems due to sinus/weather?

I have no idea when it was adjusted last. I'm chasing noise with the AC (possibly idlers) and what I am guessing sounds like auto clutch chatter when in park/neutral and that in between no load range when coming to a stop, so it's hard to know for sure, but from inside the cab with the windows rolled up the exhaust note seemed more "musical" and accurate.

With the windows rolled down there is high pitched chatter coming from seemingly everywhere. Truck has 275k on it so I'm not expecting a Tesla.

I'll report back when I transfer it from the shop doing my AC and take it to the tranny shop.

 

[Big_Papa_R]

Just wanted to chime in quick and say good job. Its always tough the first valve set. It does get easier. Been pulling wrenches for a living for 18 years.

 

[Wahrsuul]

I understand your pain. My father and brother had a mechanics shop for years, and after working there after school and summers, I decided the USAF was a better option. Imagine my surprise that they wanted me to be some kind of mechanic when they see my mechanical scores on the ASVAB. I ended up in the "general" career filed and wound up working mainframe computers and eventually PCs as they came out.

Forty years later, I'm kinda tired of the IT thing, but it pays well.

My brother and I still do a lot of the work on our vehicles, but there are times I pay someone else to take care of it rather than hurt/frustrate myself.

 

[Oliver Closehauf]

Picked up the truck from the shop doing my AC. What a difference. I can't believe all of that noise was coming from the compressor and clutch.

 

[KoboldTaco]

I love wrenching - since my motorcycle wreck I have not had the stamina nor ability to do it. I’m 8 months since I destroyed my leg, still using a cane/walker, and can‘t wait to install my Banks heater grid delete and Monster RAM Intake for my 2500.

I'm going to have a helper for the handicap issues however, there is nothing like that feeling of you did it yourself IMHO. I also am an IT guy, but I also should have been a mechanic since I love it so much also. Great work man.

 

[Oliver Closehauf]

I love wrenching and working with my hands, but doing it for a living, not sure how long I would last. Bikes, BMW's and SAABs have kept me entertained for a long time. But I'm getting old, I have to admit it. I need to start wearing a back brace more often, especially when driving the Ram.

 

[LugsLeadOut84]

It's not for everyone. I barely did anything to an engine since I stopped changing my own oil 20 years ago. I do electrical work, plumbing, flooring, tile work, framing, am Autocad certified, cook pretty damn good and put out a few fires in my day - but I don't like working on vehicle engines. I give auto mechanics a lot of credit.

 

[Oliver Closehauf]

Picked up the truck from the tranny shop. Clean bill of health. Noticed a difference as it felt smoother. Trans fluid was overdue for replacement.
Sound was still there in park and neutral but not sighted as a problem. After watching videos on youtube I'm pretty sure the noise comes from the rear clutch. There is a big spacer ring in the diesel transmissions that gets replaced with extra clutches in the gas versions, at least in the vids. So when the clutch is not engaged there is room for it to vibrate and make noise which goes away in gear.
Anyway, it's not a concern.
Next is the Volant air box. Going to create a separate thread for that. I started on that today and it is NOT a drop in, at least not on my truck.

 

[The Heretic]

Ok, old thread, but if I understand correctly, it is one I can identify with.

Decades ago I was into anything mechanical. My first real job was working in small VW/Porsche/Audi shop run by three German guys. I learned a little there. Worked some other odd jobs. Went into the USCG thinking I could get a steady job - I was an MK (Machinery Tech or "Machinery Killer"), working on anything mechanical, but mostly PM on the diesels in boats.

Then got out, worked a few jobs in tractor dealerships, went to college on the GI bill, halfway thru first degree (Ag & Industrial equip tech - repair mostly), I decided I didn't want to be a mech/tech anymore. Too many backyard mechs to compete with, too much physical work, too much pressure to get things done fast rather than correctly.

So I went into electronics and from there to software engineering - writing code engaged my brain and there was more time/emphasis for doing things right (sometimes), and it was easier to fix mistakes. But there was also the fact that few people knew how to write code, at all, much less do it well.

I didn't want to work on anything mechanical anymore, except motorcycles (which are much easier than larger machines, and if I needed to take a break and let it sit, I always had a car for transport).

Now, I am retired, approaching 70, and I not only don't want to work on vehicles, I pretty much dread it due to my back and my heart - I don't have the energy/stamina, and I can't spend more than a couple minutes bent over.

 

[Oliver Closehauf]

I like working on mine, but I hate long term down time, which is stupid because my vehicles sit more than they are used.
I'm planning to go to the junk yard and get the inner box portion of a bed hopefully this Saturday. No idea how I'm going to get it from the yard out to my truck. I built a gantry last weekend for lifting the bed off the frame. Since there's only a month's worth diesel left, I won't feel too bad for letting it sit while I leisurely work on it over the winter, but I won't like it.