Peterbuilt 388 Isx Cummins Needs new engine at 250K miles

So the truck that is mine with my employer broke down on me the other day and had to get towed to the peterbuilt dealer. This was my first run out solo after my training lol.

The dealer is saying that there are ceramic disks in the injection pump that broke apart and made its way past the injectors and into the cylinders. There is metal in the pan everywhere I guess and they also said that there was significant scoring on the crank bearings (cant remember if the crank is bad or not). He said that there was another source of the metal too and they dont know without tearing it down where that was coming from.
This engine has only 250k on it since new. Its a 2012 I think. Its def, not sure when that came about but 2012-16 is the year truck.

Anyone ever heard of the ceramic in the injection pump getting into the engine? Seems unlikely to me that any metal would make it past the injectors, but they service guy said it turns into fine particles or what not. I also wonder if this shop is just trying to score the 30-50K dollar work for a new engine and if its even really needed. Let me know if this engine problem sounds farmiliar or not and what you think... Thanks.

 

Not a mechanic - but Yes, I've heard of the ceramic parts/fuel pump issues with a certain model of ISX in the past. I think it was remedied in later models of the engine.

Another was the dropping of the 5th and 6th cylinder liners, not as catastrophic though.

 

You need to search just a bit more. There is so much information covering this failure it makes my head hurt. A lot of rumors and hearsay to go along with the whole mess.

Short version is……

Ceramic plungers in the high pressure fuel pumping plungers crack and break or the lifters in the pump fail. Metal and or ceramic make it bye the old style oil bypass valve and take out the first thing to get oil which happens to be the #4 crankshaft main bearing. Bearings spin an ruin the block.

 

Okay so common problem then … ill search a bit on here and do some reading. Thanks!