are they serious?!?!?!
 

Cummins wants nearly $290 for a vacuum solenoid for my exhaust brake. The thing shouldn't cost more than 30 or 40 bucks from what I can see! Am I missing something?? If this is for real then a rebuild looks to be in the works...

ebay:pca1:

Their trying to rip you off.

economy, need i say more

You will find quite a few parts like that will cost a larger amount than one would think @ a dealer.

Supply/demand/cost vs. turnover......all a numbers game.

The solenoid is for your exhaust brake, which is made by Jacobs, who supplies them to Cummins/Dodge to be factory installed.

Try to locate a Jacobs dealer directly and see what the costs are that way. Could be cheaper.

I lucked out, after testing the parts, it ended up being the control relay was destroyed by corrosion. We rewired the plug for a relay I had lying around and the brake worked, kinda. With the brake on the truck won't turn off, it kinda sputters when I turn the key off like the solenoid isn't closing all the way. The brake also makes an annoying whistling sound, along with howling, and I can hear a relay in the dash clicking...ended up pulling the fuse out of the system to kill it since it didn't help me slow down that much anyway...

call this guy, ask for doug its a pacbreak vaccuum switch that is $80 delivered (304) 864-3399. i have bought 3 of them from him: 1. exhaust break. 2. custom 4x4 actuator. 3. air horn. you will be pleased

If I go this route, do I have to close the switch everytime I want to use the brake or is it activated electrically? Oh yea, how did you do your 4x4 actuator? Mine jumped out of 4x4 a couple times this weekend at very inopportune moments.

One word - markup. Dealerships mark up parts huge. Even the commonly used ones, and parts they sell out of.