Hello everyone. Just bought a '97 5.9L Cummins Turbo and found a few oil leaks. One's the front crankshaft seal and the other the six head gaskets. So I bought a Haynes manual. I'm wicked comfortable taking apart gasoline engines and figued these couple seals would be a good start at getting my hands dirty with this motor. So while looking through the manual I noticed the maintenance schedule for periodic mileage. Truck has 132K on so I figured I'd do everything it has listed just in case the previous owners didn't. I'm going to check the valve clearances as well. I've been reading up on how to replace the front crankshaft seal and noticed a lot about the KDP and locktiting the bolts behind the timing cover. Figured I'd do all that as well. If anyone has any tips or write ups/pictures as well as special tools, or sealants/lubricants I should use on any job behind the timing cover that I should probably address, please let me know. I don't want this truck for anything crazy. I want to get well over 500k out of it, so I want to keep her as clean as possible. Thanks!

 

I would start by pulling the front timing cover and dealing with the KDP .. yes it will break you in a hurry .. and then the seals..

Is the HG leaking ? or are you meaning the Valve covers gaskets ?

these engines really like the Synthetic oils .. I'm runngin Royal purple 15/40 .. and i picked up a solid 1.5 mpg alone with the oil change ..

Big air cleaners and big exhaust will pick up some good power and econemy ..

Whats your budget for wanting more ?

 

It's just the gaskets from what I can tell. So with diesels, I should run 15w40? I in NC most of the time and the guy I bought it from had 10w30 in it. From the sound of it I'll have to switch. It's got an intake installed with dual stacks, but the stacks are 90 off the bed, so I'm gunna have a buddy fix that and make them elbows. As it looks right now, I got about 200 a month I can throw at it, but I also got a Wrangler rebuild on my hands. So it's definitely a limited budget . Not looking to do anything too crazy. Want it sounding mean, but also function as a great daily driver for now that can haul a trailer with a Jeep on it when need be .