My tow pig/DD build thread. F350/Cummins 6.7/twins/6R140

Project20v

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I had to un order my 24V valve cover. They are held on by several bolts down the center. My engine needs 6 bolts in 2 rows.

I ordered a Cummins marine aluminum cover. Part #3969481. $175. Ouch, but its blingy.

The original part number on that cover is #3969484, but it is unorderable and its just the cover. 3969481 is the complete assembly, including bolts and some breather apparatus.

Is that a direct bolt on for the 6.7?
 

me2

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Is that a direct bolt on for the 6.7?
It appears to be.

According to various Google searches, it was a bolt on for the 5.9 CRs (6 bolts in 2 rows) with certain injector wiring harnesses that didn't need a pass through for the injector harness through the cover.

Our (my) 6.7 injector harness goes through the gasket, not the valve cover, so I think its a bolt on.

If it isn't, I have a milling machine and I'll make it work.

I seriously thought about making the 24V cover work by drilling holes through it and then TIGoing a plate below the cover, but the holes would have went right through the Cummins logo.

And I wasn't sure what the cover was made of and how well it would handle being TIGed. The thought of something coming lose and falling into the valvetrain of my running 6.7 convinced me the new cover was the way to go.

It looks like this.
cummins_01.jpg


The oil filler hole is in the front. Some other covers have them in the back, where it would be under the cowl.

Did I mention its blingy ? It comes unpainted. Some people polish them, others paint them. The one in the picture looks powder coated.
 
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me2

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ProjectV20, could I bother you to post some close up pictures of your intake horn ?

The stock 6.7 intake horn sticks up pretty high. I'm probably going to make one for my engine.

I'm wondering how your intake horn handles the injector line for cylinder #1. Does the injector line pass between where the intake horn splits into 2 pipes ?

I was almost thinking of putting a pipe through my horn for the injector line to pass through. Any other ideas ?

Thanks !
 
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Project20v

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I'll get some pics. The front tube is just dimpled.

The rocker box (the piece under the valve cover) is different. The 6.7 valve cover gasket will not work with that.
 

me2

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The rocker box (the piece under the valve cover) is different. The 6.7 valve cover gasket will not work with that.
They look the same in the Cummins parts book. Tell me more.

1214091310a-Cummins%2520Marine%2520Valve%2520Cover.jpg


Its great having another guy doing a similar swap at the same time.
 
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me2

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You are right, its different.

The 6.7 box is straight on the injector side. This one has cut ins.

So it looks like we build a cover plate for the top of our 6.7 valve covers and chop down the filler pipe.

BTW, I think the front of my hood (08) is lower than yours. (03)
 
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Project20v

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You could remove the 6.7 rocker box and bolt that to the 6.7 head directly with a 5.9 gasket and harness if there are enough pins, but would there be clearance for the rockers and injectors? You'd have to cut a hole in the new valve cover also because the 6.7 head has no pass through for the 5.9 harness.
 
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Project20v

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You are right, its different.

The 6.7 box is straight on one side.

So it looks like we build a cover plate for the top of our 6.7 valve covers and chop down the filler pipe.

BTW, I think the front of my hood (08) is lower than yours. (03)

I think you are right about the 08 hood, it takes a bigger dip up front. You could just completely remove the filler neck and thread the new cover plate.
 

me2

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You could remove the 6.7 rocker box and bolt that to the 6.7 head directly with a 5.9 gasket and harness if there are enough pins, but would there be clearance for the rockers and injectors? You'd have to cut a hole in the new valve cover also because the 6.7 head has no pass through for the 5.9 harness.

I'll look into this and other potential solutions. Thanks once again for the heads up. I put my valve cover order on hold.

For those that have never done one, this sort of stuff is what makes swaps interesting and takes the time.
 

me2

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I think you are right about the 08 hood, it takes a bigger dip up front.
Ford even tilted the radiator. I think I've got less length to work with too. But still enough.

You could just completely remove the filler neck and thread the new cover plate.
Cutting it off it and plugging it with a gasket and the plate is easy enough.

The thread, however, would be hard to make without a CNC mill capable of hellical milling. Any ideas on making the thread ?

A filler tube and cap from a '99 7.3 would work.
 
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Project20v

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The thread is one thing I would have to have a machine shop do.

I suppose you could mill the neck just under flush and seal it with the plate. This would require tools to add oil, but that's not really a big deal.
 

me2

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The thread is one thing I would have to have a machine shop do.

I suppose you could mill the neck just under flush and seal it with the plate. This would require tools to add oil, but that's not really a big deal.

You must have access to better and less expensive machines shops than I do.

I've got an idea that might work. I'll share it if it does. I'll CAD it first. I'll share the file if you need it. Any waterjet place should be able to cut it.
Edit: I'm not going to do this until I see there actually is a clearance issue.

If you were going to put a logo or emblem on that cover plate, what would you put on it ? I can't just leave it a plain plate !

Dodge trucks have nice "HO" emblems.
 
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me2

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So it looks like the engine is coming out.

A guy wants to buy it and have a shop remove it and put it in his truck. Less work for me if they do a good job. Same thing happened with my 7.3 back when I sold it.

What parts do I need to keep ?

Off the top of my head,
- engine coolant temp sender
- boost sender
- intercooler pipes and clamps and boots
- air conditioner compressor and sensors
- alternator
- air intake system
- exhaust stuff past the downpipe
- engine mounts, in case I use them for the 6.7
- PS pump and lines
- fuel lines from the frame to where they attach to the engine
- ECM.
- transmission adapter plate
- radiator hoses

Anything else ?

It looks like I am going to have to get the CAN messages from another truck, at least the ones that need the engine running.

It really rips me off this thing died, with no symptoms. This is the second time. The first time was when it started smoking from injector issues. That left me in a lurch for a week.
 

Rene G

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Wow!! Good detail and TONS of info! Good luck with the build and thanks for posting all this for everyone to learn from.
 

me2

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Some people think I'm an idiot for chasing big torque numbers with this engine.

Why won't you just listen to these guys? And why the hell do you think you need 1200ft/lbs at 1600rpm? Because you want to tow? That's dumb. Your just gonna break stuff. Set more realistic goals this isn't a 15l engine its a 6.7l.
http://www.competitiondiesel.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135553

My position on this is to shoot high and be happy with what I get. I know it will live at 800 ftlbs. I'm going to push the envelope and see what I can achieve.

If we never strive, we never improve.
 

MINK

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TrailerHauler

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:whs: No reason to let others influence your plan for the build, I'd say your on the right track to your goal. Like you said if we all let peoples comments like that influence our plans then there's never any improvement upon whats already been done!
 

me2

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Thanks, guys.

I'll keep forging ahead.

I'm out of town for the next 24 hours or so, but I'll resume working on things on the weekend.

Now that my truck is basically undriveable, there is no reason to keep the engine in any longer, once I've gotten all the CAN stuff off it. As soon as I get things coordinated with the buyer and I'm done the CAN stuff, its coming out. Then I can really see what we are up against space wise.

I'm really kicking myself for not getting the CAN Bus stuff done earlier. My worst fear was finding out that I was missing a critical message AFTER I got the 6.7 in and I couldn't scan what the 6.4 was sending anymore. Well, now my worst fears have happened even worse in that I don't have a running 6.4 anymore and I don't have the formats figured out for all the messages that I wanted. Hopefully I can get them figured out without a running engine.

Its in my best interest to leave the engine hardware stuff alone for now and focus on the CAN Bus stuff, while the 6.4 is in the truck. I know I can make the engine hardware work one way or another, its a matter of getting the integration stuff more together than it is right now, while I still can.

I went through this exact same thing back in March when the injectors went out. I never thought in my wildest dreams it would happen again, though I was very leary of pulling a signficant trailer with it.

FWIW, I don't think this truck ever pulled a trailer. There are no holes in the frame and no holes in the box. And the paint in the hitch receiver was still fresh when I bought it. I'm kind of sad that I never got to experience what it would have been like to tow with the 6.4 because now when I tow with the 6.7, I'll always wonder how it would have compared.

Anyway, enough rambling.
 
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uga33

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Stock power levels, it's nothing to write home about. Tuned, it's an animal. As handy as you are, why don't you fab up your own deletes and pull the coolers off your truck. That way you can get all the info you need.
 

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