I have a 98 CTD 12 valve and I just recently did a bunch of preventative maint. on it (whether I wanted to or not, I did it. If you missed the story, it can be found here... don't laugh too hard. http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=593924 )

Now that I got it running again I've found a local shop that specializes in the older 12 valve Cummins engines. The owner has offered to adjust the valves, install a 3K RPM spring kit, grind the stock fuel plate to a #10, set the timing, kill the KDP and replace the front seal which is leaking, drop my fuel tank and modify my stock fuel sending unit so that it works correctly. He's quoting me about $1000 or everything including the parts for the gov. spring kit.

Does that sound like a fair price for what he's offering?

yep... Sounds good to me. Granted you could do all that yourself really easy but what is your time worth?

I work at a diesel performance shop and I am our main Cummins guy. The prices sounds very fair to me, our shop bill would be more.

Every one has an opinon and that is great but I disagree that all of this work is "really easy".

Scott

yep... Sounds good to me. Granted you could do all that yourself really easy but what is your time worth?

I know I could do most of it but I'm not comfortable setting the valves and things like that. I would much rather pay someone I trust and watch him do it so I can learn. :D

I work at a diesel performance shop and I am our main Cummins guy. The prices sounds very fair to me, our shop bill would be more.

Every one has an opinon and that is great but I disagree that all of this work is "really easy".

Scott

Great, so it's a 98 CTD 12 valve 5 speed with 104K miles on the clock. What else would you recommend I check or work on while I have it in?

If you've got some basic mechanical skills, adjusting the valves is pretty simple. Can't give you the specs, I've got a 24v. Took me around an hour.

A grand for all of that doesn't sound out of line, especially if you're pushed for your own time.

.010" Intake

.020" exhaust

Pin the motor with the tool under the injection pump in the backside of the gearcase. verify if you're on TDC compression or TDC exhaust. set valves accordingly. verify correct valve set by rolling the engine over 720* by hand.

The price sounds fair to me too. Shoot, just not having to wrestle that fuel tank out in your driveway or remove the bed is a big plus. Engine work isn't too bad on those, but dropping a diesel tank always sucks...

Ryan

I would much rather pay someone I trust and watch him do it so I can learn. :D
If you are going to watch he should charge more!

.010" Intake

.020" exhaust

Pin the motor with the tool under the injection pump in the backside of the gearcase. verify if you're on TDC compression or TDC exhaust. set valves accordingly. verify correct valve set by rolling the engine over 720* by hand.

Correct settings.
I use a bump starter and adjust as follows, exhaust starts to open set intake, after intake opens and is almost closed set exhaust. This is per each cylinder.

How much timing is going to be added? The 3k springs, #10 plate, and a total of 16* to 16.5* (1.5mm plunger lift over stock) seems to work really well on the trucks.

The items you are addressing should take care of you for a while motors wise.

With the 5-speed get ready for the 5th gear nut to fall of, this will cause you to lose 5th gear in the tranny.
Blumenthals (sp?) out of Oklahoma and a pretty cool fix for this.

Scott

Be carefull with how he grinds that fuel plate. Too extreme and you will have a throttle pedal that only needs to be depressed 1/2 way for full fuel. Great for smoke, shitty for driveability.

tell him to hell with it, and you want a #0 plate and gut the AFC houseing while he's at it.........
























no not really. But a #10 plate would be nice for you I'm sure.

I've got a plate profile pic saved somewhere I'll find it and post it up so you know what you;re looking at. when he holds your fuel plate up.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r193/demon_044/Cummins%20engine/allplateprofiles.jpg

Setting the timing required a few special tools if I remember, after watching a buddy set mine. The gov springs can be tricky also. The rest of the stuff is just plain labor.

The PRD gov springs are about 100 the front seal about 30 bucks. While he has the valve covers off mine as well put the marine gaskets on which are about 50 bucks but much better.

I think is a fair price if the guy has done the job before.

I know I could do most of it but I'm not comfortable setting the valves and things like that. I would much rather pay someone I trust and watch him do it so I can learn. :D

So would I...

You have to have the timing kit to time a Bosch P7100. It cannot be done without it.

You have to have a fine increment dial indicator in a fixture on #1 plunger in the pump. You need to remove the delivery valve and install the fixture. You set the plunger travel. Pop the pump gear off set the engine back to TDC and reseat the gear.

basically. Not hard to do if you know what you're doing. But setting the pump timeing I'd say on a scale is about 10x harder to do than setting the valves.

for everything including the parts and labor, it sounds good at one grand :)

You'll definitely drive away from there with a smile on your face :D