Dodge Cummins water pump...they don't make 'em like they used to

[charlie b]

I have a `89 Dodge 3/4T PU and the water pump is still good, but last year I had to replace the radiator and now the top radiator hose!   Some of the plastic trim in the cab is breaking up, dang POSs.    Original owner  58K miles on it.

Mine wasn't even broken in until it passed 50k miles  :)  Went from 15-17mpg to 17-20mpg.  If I am running slow on the highway (60-65) it will get over 20mpg.

[rocker59]

Every December I shake the bell for Salvation Army at our local Rural King store.  RK is a farm type store with a very wide inventory and, of course, a wide variety of customers.  Shaking the bell is a fun gig and I meet a lot of interesting people.

Where I stand to shake the bell I can see/hear everything that drives into the parking lot.  Last year a Dodge pickup drove in and it sounded "funny", not like a normal gas engine nor like the 6B diesel.  When the driver and a couple of kids came to the front door I asked him what was different about it.  He said his pickup had a four-cylinder Cummins diesel engine.

Cummins produces the B Series engines in both 4 and 6 cylinder versions for customers other than Dodge.  Case, for example, uses those engines exclusively in their farm equipment.  Cummins produces the engines for the Dodge pickups (only the 6B version) at a plant just south of Columbus, IN.  They produce engines for the other contracts at several other plants scattered around the world.

This pickup driver had taken a used 4B engine from another application and installed/converted it for use in his pickup truck.  He said that although it sounded a bit different, it performed very well and gave him very good fuel mileage.

All for now.  Ride safe out there.

30 years ago, before diesels in pickups were as common and as good as they are now, the two engines to have were the Chevrolet 454 and Ford 460.  Luckily, the speed limit was only 55.  They weren't that powerful and they returned horrible fuel economy.

It was not real common, but back then people did put commercial diesels into their 1-ton pick ups to pull horse trailers.  They were always head-turners, and it was interesting to talk to the owners about the conversions.  Lots more power and economy.  Plus they looked and sounded cool.

[56Pan]

My  '93 Chevy 3/4 ton was the best truck I'd ever owned.  6.5L diesel.  Wore out that engine after many years and put a new mil. surplus upgraded 6.5 in it.  GM overhauled trans., aftermarket free flowing exhaust, header thermo wrap, mandrel bent exh. crossover, better turbo and an intercooler.  One of my boys always says,"Dad, why don't you get a newer truck with the 6.6 Duramax".  Yeah, I guess that's a good engine.  But I've found GM pushrod iron block V-8's to be about as reliable as any machine I've ever owned.  Good truck and I'm keeping it.  Only thing I did wrong was rebuild the entire suspension with polyurethane bushings.  Bad idea.  The ride was so rough I had to remove at least the poly mounts between the cab and frame and put in new GM rubber mounts.  Felt like I was going down the road on the rims.  Just a word to the wise to any old truck owners here who are thinking about a suspension overhaul.  Stay away from polyurethane.  Just my .02.

[rocker59]

   Stay away from polyurethane.  Just my .02.

at least on the cab mounts !!!

[old head]

Well, the aftermarket pump lasted three days 
three gallons of anitfreeze wasted, wife not happy, and me having to to the same job twice.

drove to Morgan City to get a genuine Cummins pump.  so far no leaks.

called around BR to dealers that are Cummins dealers, but one wouldn't take the time because it was going in a pickup.

Couple others said they didn't stock it.

Old Head

[Two Checks]

One GM pushrod V8 to stay away from (if any even exist any more) is the early 80s 350 Diesel.
Not a matter if if, but when they crapped the bed.

[Penderic]

My replacement water pump is still going strong after a year - I believe I got it online at Rock Auto with a discount and they had 3 different manufacturers under several brand names and the price spread is big. I got the water pump that looked the best at the lowest price or bought the one that was the most popular.

It is very simple.

How did the new one fail? Water leak past the thick rubber gasket? Bearing failure on new pump?

The hardest part is replacing the old belt and dealing with the tension pulley arm, while reinstalling the new belt.

[old head]

My replacement water pump is still going strong after a year - I believe I got it online at Rock Auto with a discount and they had 3 different manufacturers under several brand names and the price spread is big. I got the water pump that looked the best at the lowest price or bought the one that was the most popular.

It is very simple.

How did the new one fail? Water leak past the thick rubber gasket? Bearing failure on new pump?

The hardest part is replacing the old belt and dealing with the tension pulley arm, while reinstalling the new belt.

water coming out the web hole....

[not-fishing]

Diesel-Smiesel,  my #2 son's 97 Ford F150 gasser has 285,000 miles with the same water pump and it spent the first 13 years as a Construction Company truck being throughly abused, then a High Schooler's transportation, then 4 years down in 29 Stumps ferrying Marines to Vegas, San Diego, LA while being left in desert for many months.

My brother had a late 90's Dodge Diesel 3/4 that we sold because the tranny bad after 275,000 and other than the engine truck was generally falling apart.

People just have to learn to do some of the maintenance themselves (like with Guzzi).  If you rely on a shop you'll be trading them early because you get tired of paying shop rates for maintenance.

That being said, I just got through replacing the #2's Ford headlight-turn signal assemblies, last year I put a new starter, battery, radiator, rebuilt fuel injectors, new gas tank filler hose, new Tranny filter and new dash lights in it