I have a 2001 dodge ram 2500 with the deisel, my wife took it the other day and she noticed the truck was lacking power, and it seemed to want to stall. when i got home the truck had very little oil in it and this is weird because I just changed the oil the day before. I also noticed that there was oil dripping from the bottom of the turbo. my wife also said that the exhaust was smoking very bad with white smoke at idle and black smoke under load, and this truck only ever smoked at initial start up in the cold. HELP!!!!

 

if I were you I wouldnt run that truck again untill you find out whats wrong. a run away diesel is a BAD thing and if your turbo is pukeing oil that can cause the engine to just start reving until detonation.

best way to tell if your turbo has popped is to remove the tube between the turbo and the intercooler, if that is caked with oil on the inside it is gone, and a good thing the engine didnt run away on you.


the HX30's that are on your truck can be found just about anywhere, but this would also be a good time to upgrade

and one more thing, if you do fix it yourself, make sure you clean out the intercooler VERY good and clean out any part of the intake plumbing as best you can.

 

Drew,
thanks for the reply.
this Jason's dad.
you mention upgrade.
what do you recommend?
he does tow our race car trailer and his horse trailer.
where is the best place/price for a replacement and/or upgrade?
is the upgrade a direct bolt-on?
or are more mods need?
thanks,
david

p.s. how do we clean out the intercooler?
what is the best way to clean out the intercooler?

 

the intercooler can be cleaned with some hot water and what ever type of de-greaser you choose. simple green works good. you are going to have to pull it out to realy clean it good. but before you put it back in make sure it is TOTALY dry. water heading into the engine is a bad thing and enough will cause hydrolock.

all aftermarket turbos that are for the Cummins are going to direct bolt on. no metal fabricating needed unless you are strapping on twins

but realy it all depends on your budget. you can go back to stock, a slightly tweaked turbo that will give you better high or low end, a turbo that will give you both, or a turbo that will with a few mods give you insane power. but one thing that you have to remember is when you increase the power of the engine, the life of the tranny will go down. however, you can increase the efficency of the engine for better mileage and slightly better power. this is something that you are probably looking for. A turbo that will give the truck a little more power for towing, but also better mileage for unloaded travel.

here is Piers Diesel website
HTT turbo's website
here is the website for Sheild Diesel


give these guys a call and see what they say, I hear good things from these guys and I know they wont do you wrong.

 

Drew,
thanks for the info and links.
one site had pricing...$950.00.
i think we will be looking for a stock replacement.
one site i found says that if the turbo quit all at once it is toast. not rebuildable.
we'll see when we get farther into it.
thanks for your time.

any ideas on good pricing for a stock replacement?
local dodge dealer quoted my son $1700.00
local Cummins dealer said $1200.00.
there has got to be someone more reasonable.
david

p.s. i called Piers...for a stock rebuild we are looking in the $400-$500 range.
this will probably be the way we will go.

 

my personal opinion, once the warranty is up, Never go back to Dodge for engine parts. the aftermarket is much better for a lower price. plus Cummins will always have the part you need but with some searching you might find something better for a little less.


I'm still gunna look around and see what I can find but give a looksee at this guy and give him a ring or e-mail

 

Drew,
we're getting somewhere.
i called Bob Wagner and he may be able to locate a good used one for a couple hundred.
thanks again,
david

 

Drew,
we got the turbo out last night.
looks like the turbine housing and wheel are OK.
the compressor wheel was wobbling and hitting the housing and it seems it is a loss.
took out the IC and a lot of oil was in it.
i'm going to take it to a radiator shop (as was suggested by someone) and have them clean it out. unless the price is crazy.(then we will wash it out per your instructions.)
i'll be getting back to Bob Wagner today and see if he was able to locate a good used one.
i have a feeling that, since the compressor housing is gouged, it will be a pricey rebuild.
thanks for your help.
david

 

a radiator repair shop should be able to do it easily. they have probably had to do much worse that that

good suggestion though, I wouldnt have thought about takeing it there.

from the sound of it, to rebuild that turbo you would have to have new bearings and the compressor side will have to be replaced. no telling what kind of stress the shaft has had. getting a new turbo, or remanufactured one will last alot longer than trying to rebuild that guy.

 

Drew,
thanks for the reply.
i'll give you an update next week.
merry xmas.
david