i bought a 2006 ram 3500 with a 5.9L, but until i got it home i didn't see the fairly excessive blowby. the motor has massive power has no sign (engine knock and such) of serious damage as near as i can tell. i have already called cummins nw to check into re-ringing but wonder if there is something esle i should look at 1st? please, i am not a mechanic so dummy down your reply.

 

how many miles are on it and what are you calling excesssive blowby. Until I ran my blowby tube lower on the truck I didn't think mine had any. Now when it it setting idling you can see it and anybody looks would thank that it is excessive but it is probably not.

 

well i think its excessive, when i remove the oil cap i need to have a good grip or it would probably blow it a foot in the air? the truck has 160k. the crankcase breather tub is venting just to the side of the tranny so unless i bring it to ground level it wouldn't make any difference. the smoke is a light bluish and there is usually a drop or 2 of oil left behind where i park. I just paid about 800 to have ALL fluids changed it the truck but after only about 400 miles the oil is very black and looks as though it was never changed? There doesn't appear to be any water or fuel in the oil (no smell)? when i am sitting at a stop, the smoke is very appearent.

 

It sounds like your crankcase vent is stopped up. It shouldn't have any pressure on the oil fill cap. If the vent is not stopped up and you are building that much pressure you could have a blown head gasket. My truck will usually leave a spot of oil anywhere I park about the size of a quarter. I would check the vent or remove it just to see how muck blowby is coming out there. All the vents I have ever seen look like they are stuffede with steel wool.

 

i'll have it checked by a diesel mechanic, it had my fluids changed by a automotive repair shop that admitted they don't do diesel repairs. i did ask them to removed the breather box and give it a look, they said it looked fine but i'm not sure they even knew what they were looking at? i'm not going to rush right out and have the truck re-ringed but based on my limited knowledge of what i see so far (and my luck) i expect the worse so maybe i'll get a nice surprise? if anyone has any additional ideas, i would like to hear them.