Toasted Cam Shaft - Cummins ISX 870

Well truck down going on week 4. Will not settle on Cummins offer. Their engineer say it is worn out and want us to put in a reman, pay install and sign off on any claims. Wrong answer!! Anyone know a good lawyer or type we need? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Well we are willing fight for our losses. If you figure the gross pay and engine cost $94,000 is a bunch to a 1 truck o/o . They should have to pay up! In this world the big guy needs to stop ripping people off. We will scrap the truck with out the engine, before we pay any more money for it!

 

Yikes, That is very expensive. Makes me think that maybe buying an older legacy engine and getting rebuilt is a better option than these newer emmisions engines.

I feel your pain on the monies spent though. Maybe explaining your situation for all the world to see if a way of fighting. Cummins ISX no good.

 

I really hate to sound like Mr. Negativity,but a Cummins motor has always been a piece of a junk........I guess somethings never change!!!!

 

To say its norm for a part to fail is false. Do we expect all part to last forever no, so is it expected for a part to fail yes, but you have to take in to consideration longevity. What causes either of the shafts to flake like that is either excessive amounts of coolant in the oil or extended oil changes. As much as no one wants to hear it 25,000 miles is the standard oil change recommendation and to add to that that 25,000 - 30,000 miles is based on fuel economy at 6.5 MPG. If you get less than 6.5 MPG then you have to shorten your interval. If you are getting 5.5 MPH then you are considered Severe Duty and will need to change your oil at 15,000 - 20,000 miles, if you go over this then you are opening up your potential for early failures. As for the oil pressure, yes cummins operates at a lower oil pressure because all cummins engine are designed around oil flow and volume versus pressure. That is why they operate lower than other makers. Wide open throttle on 870 at 200 degrees F oil temp 35psi - 40psi oil pressure. Idle at 200 degrees oil temp 15 psi is the minimum. I agree with what your dealer has told you about the bypass valve but I agree only the extent that it is possible. I've personally only seen that happen on 1 engine.

 

You're absolutely correct. At 254,000 miles my 2010 model (2012 truck) ISX 600 failed. Wallworks Fargo worked on it and at one point the girl at the service desk let slip that the mechanical gear on the high PSI fuel pump came apart, but she was quickly and not so subtly hushed by a couple others present. Then she said they were still looking. Apparently it wasn't what Cummins wanted them to find. The Fuel Pump Gear is covered under the extended warranty. In my case to 48mo/450,000 miles. Later they would take me into the shop and show me two ceramic fuel plungers which I would later learn have a habit of shattering at 250,000 miles. Not knowing, I asked what they were and was advised it was two of three. The third I was told shattered. When I asked to see pieces of it they had none. They tried to tell me the ceramics had taken out all my injector tips and my audible protests about the one of their staff already mentioned the warrantied and more likely cause of Fuel Pump Gear had slipped out. Even the mechanics initial report says that metal was found without mention of the plungers at all. They changed the fuel pump and rail to a two plunger system which I would also later learn on my own that there is potential for the odd numbered plunger pumps to resonate. They also replaced all my injectors and then billed me $13,775, half of which I would get back from Policy. But that wasn't the end.

About 35,000 miles later with one oil change at 20,000 and one due, this motor turned a #4 bearing, which stressed the crankshaft and turned #4 rod bearing which let go, scoring the block among other things. Cummins blamed all of this on the cam which was eroded and had pitting and termed all the rest of it as "progressive damage". This motor had less than 300,000 miles and was 27 months on the road and having already spent nearly $12,000 on extended warranty, nearly $14,000 on the first break which Cummins generously gave back about $6500, I'm now looking at least another $25,000 plus down time. How many times am I supposed to pay this PoS? And its nothing other than a POS.

If you ask me, these cams are a metallurgy issue and should not be coming apart like this. They have a bad run and obviously feel they've too much invested to correct it. Therefore they are sending them out the door and seems to me they are making a killing on extended warranties that are never redeemed and making a lot of us pay nearly double for these motors. I've since learned they have a designation for these. They call them B10 engines an they are expected to need a rebuild at around 10% of their expected service.

I was 28 months into a 60 month term for this truck and bought warranties to protect myself from just such an event. After 11 years as an O/O, my third new truck, this isn't supposed to happen. I had to no choice but to get on the bus and go home. The financier picked up the 'Purchase Financed (not a lease)' truck and later my Magnitude 55 lowboy.

In the meantime, I took a job as a driver which will never earn enough for me to carry on. However I may have found financing to retrieve the truck before it is sold without an engine, the trailer, and repair for this engine which requires a core exchange. The sad part is that I will be still dealing with Cummins. The first thing that goes on here is an oil spinner. Then taps for lab analysis every 12,000 miles. I'm considering splitting the oil feed line and providing dual filters.

Besides stating of my two previous CATs that never left me in this kind of a situation, I should have followed my instincts and steered completely clear of Cummins, having heard so many horror stories. But I, too, will be forking out the thousands of dollars to have my day. This is #### near ruining our lives and they took my money in good faith only to seemingly be hiding behind the thin veil that is my teetering on bankruptcy.

 

I just turned 1001000 miles, little over mil. I heard a knocking noise sometimes that didn't increase when accelerating. I asked the mechanic for a valve adjustment, and guess what? the rollers where worn, especially cyl 2 was bad, like hit with a hammer. I was using Schaeffer oil, changing it every 25-28000 miles since 400k. I don't know where is this so bad worn from. Is it from poor quality oil, to may miles, oil pressure?
Now I am afraid the piston rings and cylinders, and the crankshafts are contaminated to. We are overhauling the hole engine with OEM parts .
hopefully it will be a success repair.

 

I am loathe to blame oils for these things, irregardless of brand. Every time this cam roller stuff has happened to someone, it seems more of a metallurgy or mechanical failure.

 

If there is any metal showing in the oil filter Cummins recommends replacing the engine oil cooler, the little bits will hang up in there and come out later causing damage. also with 870/871 injector camshaft is hollow, be sure to flush it out.