Engine Life After an Inframe, 2016 Cummins?

Done right, full service life. Done normally, half

 

Since it's a Cummins you can bank on a connecting rod coming out the side of the block at any time now .. why do you think its for sale !

 

From what I've seen you'll be lucky to see that many miles again out of it before something let's go. They're not exactly an engine known for lasting forever.

 

Depends on the seller's definition of "inframe"

A full rebuild should last just as long as original. An inframe often does not replace absolutely everything.

 

First engine didn’t last long , hopefully whatever caused it to need a inframe was corrected .. maintenance driver abuse etc etc

 

My series 60 Detroits supposed to be the million mile engine. The rod and main bearings are good for 1 million miles, that was proven soon after it first came out. At the same time they had a wrist pin problem that often failed around 750k. Both that I’ve owned, though they were newer designs without wrist pin issues, needed an inframe at 825k. Due to a dropped cylinder, and subsequent blown head gasket. Maybe blown head gasket, resulting in dropped cylinder. I don’t know how that works. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I think the Cummins weakness is head gaskets, cracked heads. Also plagued with injector problems. They always have been. Cummins claimed 20+ yrs ago to have improved the injectors. Just watch the temp. Don’t let it overheat. Change oil on schedule. Avoid the long intervals. Cheap insurance. Use final charge coolant. Maybe add a filter with time release additives. Either way, keep the coolant within specs. That by far is the most overlooked maintenance item that causes failures in a Diesel. Pitted Liners, corroded head gaskets, and premature radiator failures. My current Trucks last inframe lasted 1.4 million miles. General consensus on my engine is 1 million on original and 800k on inframes. Those are overall averages. They mean little. All you can do is watch it closely and keep up with maintenance to avoid causing or accelerating the inevitable. Try to learn more about the common failures or weaknesses about your engine, so you can keep a watch for them. Weighing options when problems occur. Sometimes you don’t need a whole inframe. Maybe just one new head, and replace all the gaskets, buying a few more years of service. Maybe decide to just do a whole inframe at that time. Being familiar with common results, and your options, if and when a failure occurs. The engine may last over a million miles. My Detroit’s both blew at 825k. I’ve met a few Owners of exactly same engines that lasted 2 million miles. All together it equals an average. No telling if your engine is average, or at either end of the extremes. Often things get neglected and fail early. Lack of maintenance is probably the cause of at least half of emission issues. Those facts usually get left out of the statistics. No reason your engine can’t last a long time. Too many times. they get rebuilt when it’s not really necessary. Nothing wrong with doing that, especially when you’re already doing major work line head gaskets. Probably cheaper long run to just rebuild it while it’s already apart. Not always though. I hear about a lot of head and gasket replacements on Cummins at 600,700k.They’re just fixing the weak point. Running it longer till it needs an inframe. Know your options, ahead of time if possible. Be prepared. Might just be surprised when it lasts a million miles or more.

 

That’s usually the rest of the story, we don’t hear. Someone lets it overheat. Low on oil, lack of maintenance. Then it’s called junk, or a Cummapart. Lol. No telling. Sometimes they just fail.

 

I’d be watching for leaking head gaskets or any other common problem. Fix it before causing more damage.