Diesel Engine Troubleshooting Articles Archives

Top Five Diesel Engine Coolants

What Does Engine Coolant Do? Some people know, and some people think they know what coolant is and the role it plays. In short, coolant transfers heat while providing antifreeze protection to an engine to keep your car on the road. Internal combustion engines create heat from well, combusting fuel. This creates the energy that…

What Problems Does The 5.9L Cummins Have?

By Featured Writer Mike McGlothlin Mechanical problems aren’t normally associated with the Cummins B series but, as is the case with any lineage of engines, even the most renowned versions have their weak points. When it comes to the 6BT and pre-common-rail ISB 5.9L mills (the Cummins found in ’89-’02 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500’s),…

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin On any internal combustion engine, compression is what makes the world go ‘round. For diesel engines, where compression is often at least double what you see in a typical gasoline engine, it means everything. Not surprisingly, being down on compression means you’re down on power—and that can’t happen when you’ve…

By Featured Writer: Mike McGlothlin Blow-by is a term that tends to worry the average internal combustion engine owner. It’s the result of combustion pressure and gases leaking into an engine’s crankcase—and it is often associated with engine failure. However, it may surprise many to learn that every engine produces some amount of blow-by. And…

A truly gut-wrenching thought is that when you suspect you have a spun bearing inside your engine. The worst part of this is that it’s not just exclusive to one type of engine, this can happen in a standard stock engine, race engine, gas engine or diesel engine. The occurrence of a spun bearing doesn’t mean…

P7100 Fuel Pump Modifications for the 8 Valve 4BT

4BT Engine History and Background The Cummins 4BT has mostly been utilized in applications such as box trucks, small industrial vehicles and agricultural equipment. The 4BT is pretty much just a downsized version of the famous 5.9L 12V Cummins as these engines share almost all of their parts such as pistons, connecting rods, injectors and…

If you cast your mind back to 1998 you may think of the Monica Lewinsky/Bill Clinton scandal, Good Will Hunting winning the best picture Oscar or the Denver Broncos winning the Super Bowl. It is also the year that Cummins began manufacturing their ever versatile ISC 8.3-liter engine. Based on the earlier mechanical 8.3 C-series…

CAT 3306 Engine Turbo and Aftercooler Problems

Continuing our series on CAT 3306 Air Inlet and Exhaust Problems, Part 2 of the series explores the Aftercooler and Turbocharger for air flow restriction issues. The CAT 3306 is built on simplistic old school mechanical engineering. There really aren't too many glaring issues with the turbo or aftercooler (intercooler) however this article will dig…

CAT 3306 Air Inlet and Exhaust System Problems Part 1

Overview of all Caterpillar 3306 Air Intake and Exhaust Issues: A lack of horsepower could be many things but one of the most common areas to check is the air inlet and exhaust systems. Subsystems of the air inlet parts to inspect include the inlet manifold, aftercooler, turbocharger, crankcase, exhaust temperature, compression, cylinder head, valve…

13 Popular Modifications to Increase Horsepower in a Diesel Engine

The number one question with any engine, whether it be gas or diesel, is how do I get more horsepower? Raw power is the name of the game. We want to go fast and we want it now! The good news is that there are plenty of ways to add more power to a diesel…

Best 4BT Swap Transmisson Review: New Venture NV4500

NV4500 History The NV4500 and consequently the NV5600 transmissions are some of the best that have ever been produced for heavy duty trucks. These transmissions are regarded as the “gold standard” for guys doing a Jeep or Bronco 4BT Engine Swap. The NV4500 came into existence out of sheer necessity. From 1989-1993 Chrysler used the…

Common 4BT / 6BT Issues The Cummins 4BT and 6BT engines are widely known to be bulletproof. If there is an engine out there that old school guys always go to is the older mechanical 4BT Cummins. The reason these engines are still used in industrial and jeep swap applications is due to their reliability.…

Common Caterpillar 3306 Starter Problems

The Caterpillar 3306 is a bulldog in its own right and was manufactured for well over 30 years first being produced in 1973. The CAT 3306 is still being factory made for the OEM and aftermarket market even though it is no longer mass-produced for new equipment. The engine is still popular because it of its…

Overheating can be a serious issue within a diesel engine. It is important to not push an engine too hard under load for an extended period of time however job site conditions sometimes dictate extensive wear on the equipment. If you find your diesel engine is overheating the article below will offer some common places…