killer dowel pin
 

what is the kdp where is it what does it do and can i do away with it

if you have a first gen its not as much of a concern and it is located in the timing case. the pin falls out and falls into the gears and destroys everything. hope this helps

Theres a thread in the sticky if your concerned. its titled fixing your kdp for cheap or something like that.

Why is it not as much of a concern if you have a first gen?:humm:

Is there any way to check whether it's been fixed without taking everything apart?

nope. gotta take the cover off and look at it

ok i'll check it out thanks

I got lucky and I know the original owner and he did the fix in 1995, I also know the kid i bought it from a few years latter and he has not had the cover off. Iam planning on a teardown just to make sure every thing is OK.

Could someone tell me why its not as much of a concern if you have a first gen?

i believe that was sarcasm, all 12v's are prone to the problem

pick up the new diesel power mag theres a tech article tells you ALL ABOUT IT AND HOW TO FIX :w2:

yep

what is the kdp purpose do you even need it:humm:

Dowel Pin Repair Kit for 94-98 Dowel Pin Repair Kit for 89-93 or 99-02

If you have heard of “dowel pin issues” on the 12 valve Cummins 5.9 with the P7100 Bosch injection pump then you may already have taken care of your truck. This dowel pin issue applies to all ’89-’98 12 valve Rams with Cummins engines and many other non-Dodge Cummins 12 valve engines. If you have not heard of the issue, or you heard yet have done nothing and you are the owner of one of these vehicles, listen up. A dowel pin failure could destroy your engine completely or do no damage at all.

The aluminum front gear housing on the 5.9 Cummins is precisely located on the front of the cast iron engine block using dowel pins. The dowel pin is about 5/16 inch diameter by 3/4inch length made of steel. During engine assembly the dowel pins are driven into holes drilled in the block such that about half their length protrudes. Matching holes in the gear housing permit a precise fit of the housing the block. Several cap screws are used to hold the housing to the block. The problem with the dowel pin occurs because the hole in the aluminum gear housing was drilled through. During engine operation vibration could cause the dowel pin to work its way out of the hole and fall into the gear case. When the dowel pin falls, it can drop right to the oil pan or land in the gear housing, causing no damage at all.

On the other hand, the pin can be caught in the camshaft gear and forced into the aluminum gear housing, breaking out a big chunk of the housing which would cause a huge oil leak and an expensive, time consuming failure.

Worst-case failure is when the dowel pin goes between the cam and crank gears, or cam and injection pump gears, breaking the gear off the camshaft. The camshaft stops rotating instantly causing valves to stop operating, leaving some valves open and some closed. The crankshaft continues to rotate for a few seconds, slamming pistons into valves, and possibly ruining block, crank, rods, cylinder head, and valve train. Almost no reusable parts in this case, a complete engine swap could be required.

If you are the owner of one of these 12 valve 5.9 engines and you haven’t taken preventive action, we suggest you take action before the vehicle strands you in a bad location and sticks you with an expensive repair bill. TST offers a “Dowel Pin Kit” that includes the parts you need to access the dowel pin, positively lock it in place so that it does not come out. Installing this kit requires removal of the engine fan shroud, fan, damper, and front gear cover to gain access to the dowel pin. Once the dowel pin is secured, a new crankshaft seal included in the kit is installed in the gear cover and all parts are reinstalled. This kit sells for $65 and takes about 4 hours to install. See DowelPina.pdffor complete installation instructions

Kit includes the parts needed to fix the famous dowel pin problem on the 1989-1998 Dodge diesels.

i have heard on the cummins forum that the KDP isnt as much of a concern as the 2nd gen and newer?
:humm:

i think that for the first gen owners, that if it hasn't happened yet it probably isn't going to. but that is just my opinion:

would you really want to take that risk though? compare $65 and a few hours to a new engine and a lot of hours. of course it could still happen. it may just be slow or just pop out all of the sudden. $65 is cheap insurance

Run a few searches on the other forums, can happen to any of them, anytime....

Also don't forget the 53 Block Issue.....

http://www.genosgarage.com/GenosGara...erDowelPin.pdf
From what I have read the dowl pin is a problem all the way to 01 or 02. Cummins was good on not leaving parts lay around, so if it was there for the taking it was put on the engine.
http://dieseldatabase.com/dodge-cumm...-dowel-repair/
Some more info on the kdp
http://dieseldatabase.com/the-infamo...mins-53-block/
Info on 53 block

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From what I here its more of a problem on the 2nd gen 12vs. The non stepped cases have been found on 2nd gen 24vs. It is a concern on ALL 12vs. The pin killed the cam on my 91 about 6 years ago.

yes $65 is cheap insurance, but if mine does happen to do it it gives me one heck of an excuse to rebuild the motor.

Its a concern on any 12v and some 24v's. If you have not fixed it your tempting fate. I did a write up on how to fix it on teh cheap useing a coat hanger. Its in the sticky.

ive got 200,000 miles and hasnt happend yet but will be doing it in the future to make sure of not happening

Had over 400k on my 91 before it happened

What happend to your engine when it fell out? What kind of noises did you hear?

Headin home from work and it made a little pop and died. Got it home and tore into it to find out the cam was snapped.

I was wondering if u can just take the pin out or does it need to be there?

yeah but when you have pistons slamming into valves it gets more expensive and what if a rod breaks and puts a hole in your block? no more rebuild. i dont know if its ever happened but i wouldnt take the chance

no it needs to be there. something about the timing slipping

But they say if your lucky it can just fall into the oil pan but you don't know until you take it apart and check so if you can't tell the difference then how would it hurt anything to just take it out?:humm:

i'm waiting for a cummins guy to chime in about it but from what i've researched on it if it does come out your timing may slip so you will probably notice it if it does drop either way.

it didnt make any grinding noises? i am just curious if it ever happens to me i know wat it is

i'm guessing his pop was the pin going through the gear. breaking in apart

Is there anything to stop somone just using chemical metal and a a small strip of metal from the garage to tab the pin in place and replace relevent seals rather than paying for the kit, or is it particularly special?

the kit is a tab to keep it in. just research how it is installed so you understand exactly how it needs to be. it's not like your casting an engine block in your bathroom. just a simple little thing to prevent a very bad failure. i would think any backyard mechanic with metal cutting tools could fabricate it

I agree, if you look it up and see what the kit consist of, you could fabricate your own. just becareful and make sure its something that wont fall apart on you.. (that would kinda ruin the point of the whole kit...) :w2:

well use some loctite and make sure its good and snug. but ya thats the thing. if you can do it you could probably fix it much cheaper than 65. idk how much the gasket costs though

I used a coat hanger as shown in my thread in the sticky.

Also guys dont forget the timing case bolts. I had one or two finger tight, they do just as much damage.

thanks for all the help mike337 now i know where and what is i think i will fix it this week end

Just make sure whatever you put in there doesn't add new ways for things to come apart. That's why I like peening. The new trucks use a tapered hole in the case for the same effect.

Never heard of the timing slipping. I have heard if the pin is not in there there is enough slop in the holes for the case to move around and the gears could come in contact with case.

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No noises to warn me that something was wrong. Cruisin down the highway at 65 and a pop and it was dead. Broke about 3 teeth out of the cam gear and a couple out of pump gear and snapped the cam.

hm i coulda swore i saw that somewhere but i don't do cummins so i can't give a definite answer on it. i'm guessing gears hitting the case could wake you up a bit though

There's no problem losing the KDP as long as it doesn't get caught in the gears on the way out and the case bolts stay tight. The problem is the case bolts come loose too, as bobby mentioned. The first indication you had a problem in that area would probably be an Exxon Valdez-sized oil leak from the crankshaft seal.