Are isx cummins good engines

Still has the Vgt turbo, just put an Amazon turbo blanket on it and DEI exhaust wrap on the piping. EGTs stay at 1000 or less on long mountain pulls

 

Dude, you are COOKING THAT MOTOR! Get it tuned properly and learn how to drive!

Head over here and get some info on properly tuning that motor, rawze.com.

 

umm, 1000 is not cooking a motor on a long mountain grade. It runs 600 normally, and I am familiar with Rawze and his website. I have been on it plenty of times.

 

1000 is cooking. but ok.

 

And I will be sure and tell my dad after 47 years and over 5 million miles he needs to learn how to drive that truck. What other driving suggestions do you have for him, since the water temp stays normal, oil temps stay normal, doesn't use bit maybe a gallon of oil between 50k mile oil changes and all samples are fine? Oil pressure is within spec at idle of what rawze suggests, we might shim the oil pump to increase the oil pressure in the top end, but all in all that truck is just fine.

 

You guys have it all figured out, 50,000 mile oil changes are a bit excessive, I would bump it to 70,000. Please excuse me. I'm dumb, only 30 years out here... I guess I'm learning, thanks for the education.

 

Actually we are somewhat new to the isx as far as ownership, we know the big cam more when it comes to Cummins. With the big filtration system he has on it, he can run longer OCIs, he is just playing it by ear. It's time for an overhead soon, and we will probably shim the oil pump then.
He is looking for a tune, and he may be taking the vgt off and get an aftermarket manifold, but I told him he would lose some jaking ability. He just dropped a lot of money on new tires and switched from 24.5 tall to a 22.5 so it may be a while on the turbo and manifold.

 

I am looking at 2002 isx with 800k miles, RV hauler all it's life. What immediate maintenance am I looking at? I know rods and bearings are on schedule at this mileage, but what else? How much can they go without rebuild?
Definitely not looking to put a crane engine in it right after buying

 

You take that VGT off, you are looking for trouble. You said you know Rawze, well head over there and find Gearheads info, I believe it is Pierce Diesel. He is off I-95 at the MD PA border next door the the Flying J. He is the 870 guru. Down in the Atlanta area is Mr Hagg, he can properly tune one too.

 

I would do the lower end, roll some new bearings in if needed. Pop the top of the motor and inspect cams and if they are good, do the overhead. I would also pressure test the cooling system and the Charge Air Cooler if it is the original. If the CAC is original, I would look at replacing that. You can test it, but I would still seriously consider replacing it. That is what I would look at immediately. Also, do an oil sample, you are looking for coolant. Coolant in the oil could be a dropped liner, which would entail an in frame.

BUT, if this thing was hauling RV's it's entire life, and well taken care of, 1.5 million is easily doable before an in frame if you do the above and service religiously at 12,000 to 15,000 miles. I would also recommend adding Sta-Lube GL4 gear oil at every oil change. It has the additives that have been stripped out of these newer emission oriented oils we now get. I would add an entire gallon at each service. The top end of the motor will thank you.