01 Cummins Dodge Ram 2500, 24300 miles, RT6

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From Polaris Labs.

Truck Odometer: 235600 mi
Miles on oil: 24300
3 quarts of makeup oil added since 12k mile oil sample.
Oil filter changed halfway through OCI to NAPA Gold.

Wear Metals:
(Element, 12k, 24k)
Iron; 27 ppm, 42
Chromium; 1, 3
Al; 2, 4
Cu; 1, 3
Lead; 2, 9

Contaminants:
Silicon; 5, 6
Sodium; 8, 8
Potassium; 0, 62 (flagged)

Multi-source metals:
Moly; 70, 75
Boron; 42, 83

Additive metals:
Mag; 1239, 1333
Calcium; 900, 960
Phos; 1122, 1138
Zinc; 1316, 1439

Fuel Dilution; Soot; Water;
KV100; 15.0 cSt, 15.1
TBN; 7.3, 6.54
Oxidation; 13, 15
Nitration; 9, 10

Polaris' Comments: Flagged data does not indicate an immediate need for maintenance action. Continue to observe the trend and monitor equipment and fluid conditions. MODERATE POTASSIUM level could be a coolant indicator; Coolant leaks at this level will most likely not be detectable through normal diagnostics; Suggest MONITORING COOLANT LEVEL closely between samples; LEAD is at a MINOR LEVEL and may be overlay metal from bearings.

A somewhat interesting oil analysis on my Dodge. Polaris has detected Potassium, which has never been found in previous samples. They are saying it could be coolant, and to monitor coolant level. I have always monitored coolant level on this truck, and it has always used some.

I have made some engine modifications since the last oil sample, putting on a bigger turbo, and adding an Edge Comp tuning box. These mods have added ~150 HP at the wheels, and raised max boost pressure from 25 to 38 psi. I have done runs on a chassis dyno to verify the horsepower readings, and used the truck to set speed records at the Ohio Mile. Maybe I over-pressured the engine, lifted the head, and caused it to ingest coolant into the oil system? I doubt it. Cummins engines have a lot of margin for cylinder pressures.

I'm not very worried about it because the ultra-hard running only amounts to a small fraction of the 24000 miles during the OCI. When doing daily driver duty and for towing, I keep the power box either off, or set at level 2 of 5.

Residual TBN is quite strong, and I could have extended the OCI even further, but I wanted to change the oil and get a reading on what the engine modifications have done to the oil . I was worried that the relatively lazy turbo was going to cause more sooting. Apparently it hasn't.

So I am planning to go to 15k miles on the new oil, and take a sample then to see what the Potassium is doing. Maybe I can extend the next oil change to 30k if all is well.
 
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Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I doubt it. Cummins engines have a lot of margin for cylinder pressures.


You can find post after post from '98-'02 guys that have popped their head gasket around 40psi...
 
Yeah running harder, time at temperature, etc. all degrade stuff. Who knows if the OE dodge engien is set up exactly the same as when a B series is used for other vendors. Putting more stress introduces lots more chances for issues.
 
Look throught the various Cummins websites and you'll see it is common to pop the head gasket by upping the boost. There's some things you could have done beforehand but it appears to be to late now. Sorry.

Other than that the OCA looks good.
 
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The general rule I have read on the Cummins enthusiast sites are that head gasket problems don't occur until boost pressure goes over 40 psi. I have put 3000 miles on the truck since making my runs at the Ohio Mile, and the engine still runs fine in towing use. The oil didn't look abnormal when I drained it. We'll see.
 
What's your block number? If it's a 53 block, & has been losing coolant for an extended period, look for cracks & antifreeze tracks under the freeze-out plugs. If it's been leaking, look for a (non 53) long block for it.
 
My friend has a 53 block with arp studs that he ran with a chip at 53 psi. It even took a 50k/2yr (unknown makeup oil) OCI then it blew a hole in the filter and he had to get towed home... it still runs at 320k miles after 100k of pure abuse....

I was having a loss of words when he told me the 50k oil that "demanded it wanted to be changed" as he said.

Those numbers are nothing to lose sleep over, just something to watch.
 
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Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
What's your block number? If it's a 53 block, & has been losing coolant for an extended period, look for cracks & antifreeze tracks under the freeze-out plugs. If it's been leaking, look for a (non 53) long block for it.


I knew about the 53 block issue before buying my Dodge and avoided it from the start. I have never seen any coolant leakage from the engine.
 
Originally Posted By: Brenden
My friend has a 53 block with arp studs that he ran with a chip at 53 psi. It even took a 50k/2yr (unknown makeup oil) OCI then it blew a hole in the filter and he had to get towed home... it still runs at 320k miles after 100k of pure abuse....

I was having a loss of words when he told me the 50k oil that "demanded it wanted to be changed" as he said.

Those numbers are nothing to lose sleep over, just something to watch.
Weird thing is, it was a luck thing-but our company had a Sterling (Freightliner chassis) 28' straight truck that had a 53 block 5.9 that made it to 375K before they got rid of it-leaking AF the whole time!
 
Yeah, the water jacket cracking in the 53 block was in a non-structural zone. A lot of owners have fixed their blocks using the "Lok-n-stitch" repair.
 
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