Diesel Engine Problems and Repairs

Leading heavy-duty diesel engine manufacturer, Cummins Inc., is pioneering the use of 3D Printing technology to produce and repair critical engine parts. Unlike many manufacturers in the diesel industry, Cummins has its sights on future technology; recently unveiling the first electric engine for semi-trucks. The company believes that in order to thrive in the 21st century it must innovate new technologies rather than adapt to them. Although, 3D Printing is still in its infancy it is becoming more common place for manufacturers due to the potential cost and time to market savings. ... read more »

Electronic engines get a bad rap in the heavy duty diesel engine world due to the amount of issues that can go wrong with them. However, the good news is that if you have an electronic Caterpillar engine you can easily obtain more horsepower and torque via the ECM. Re-rating an engine is an electronic process of powering up or down the default horsepower via the electronic control module (ECM). Re-rating a diesel engine is the easiest way to beef up an engine without digging into the hard internal parts. You can do modifications to the engine by changing out the pistons, injectors, the camshaft or damper. Adding an updated turbo is also another way to increase HP. However, these modifications are expensive and may not work as required which we will discuss later in this article. ... read more »

The Cummins N-14 is a great engine; quite possibly the best Cummins engine ever produced. These engines are the stuff dreams are made of if you’re an old school guy looking for reliability. No doubt, the N14 is part of “1,000,000 mile club”. The engine features the best of engineering fundamentals mixed with one of the first electronic control system. First designed in the late 1980s it was sent into full production in 1991. The N14 engine is the follow up to the vastly popular Cummins 855 Big Cam which was produced 1976-1985. Cummins listened to it customers and designed a more powerful version of the 855 while maintaining a similar profile and bore/stroke architecture. Overall, the biggest structural difference between the 855 and N14 is the air-to-air cooling system changes but both engines are very similar. ... read more »

We here at Capital Reman are experts at grinding and remanufacturing diesel crankshafts. Crankshaft grinding consists of removing a minute amount of finished material from the rod and main journals to rebuild the part back to OEM spec. The full 25 step crankshaft remanufacturing process is quite intensive but is critical to complete engine rebuild. This article will explain the main components of a crankshaft’s design as well as the finer points of crankshaft remanufacturing. ... read more »

Technology continues to integrate itself in the diesel engine industry. The old guard is on its way out and 21st century technology is alive and well over at Cummins, Inc. The company announced the release of its new Guidanz mobile app which allows customers to access engine fault code and diagnostics within minutes. ... read more »

A brand new diesel engine running at full load will experience a little bit of blow-by upon startup. Blow-by is a condition where diesel fuel, air and vapor are pushed past the rings into the crankcase of the engine. Correct pressure should be maintained in the cylinder chamber in order for proper combustion to occur. In a new diesel engine the rings need time to seat properly and develop an air-tight seal. After a short period of break-in hours under load, the blow-by problem should correct itself. Consequently, a proper running diesel engine should produce no visible smoke from the exhaust. If there is smoke coming from the exhaust it could indicate a more serious problem with the engine. This article will help diagnose the underlying causes of diesel engine smoke. ... read more »

At the turn of the century there was a lot of buzz around a new diesel engine being produced at Caterpillar, one that could meet the growing emissions requirements enacted by the EPA. The Caterpillar C7 Engine was supposed to be the “golden child” in Caterpillar diesel engine lineup; one that combined raw horsepower with computer controlled clean emissions. However, sometimes things don’t go according to plan. The engine was produced from 2003 to 2009 and was installed primarily in over the road medium duty class 8 trucks. All of the big players in the trucking industry hopped on board hoping the CAT C7 was going to live up to the hype. Paccar Freightliner, Ford and GMC all purchased the engine in droves ... read more »

The most common place for the diesel engine builder to look for leaks, on the outside of the engine, is crankshaft. If nothing is found you can then then work your way up the engine. First, look for any oil leakage at the seals at the end of the crankshaft. If everything looks fine the next logical place to look for leakage at the oil pan gasket and all lubrication connections. If there are still no leaks you should inspect the crankcase breather. This is a very common spot for oil leaks which are caused by a combustion of gas around the pistons. ... read more »