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Project Ram: Adjusting timing & Fixing KDP Issue

This is part 4 of the Project Ram Series

For about a week straight, I have been hammering out various projects for this truck to improve reliability, performance, etc.

Two days ago, I finished my modifications for the AFC and fueling, which should drastically boost the horsepower.

Today's project is to advance the timing about 4 degrees from stock, fix the killer dowel pin, and ensure all of the timing case bolts are properly torqued with loc-tite.

Goals

  1. Advance injection timing by four degrees
    • Should result in gains of around 2mpg, and more torque/hp.
  2. Resolve KDP issue.
    • If left unresolved, can result in rapid unscheduled engine disassembly.
  3. Ensure timing case bolts are properly torqued and secured.
    • If left unresolved, can result in rapid unscheduled engine disassembly.
  4. Install wear sleeve on crank.
    • Helps prevent oil leaks, especially on higher mileage engines.
  5. Install new front mail seal
    • Oil leaks are no fun.

Parts Used

  1. Power Driven: P-Pump Timing Kit
    • This is a magnetic timing wheel, which allows you to adjust the timing from a known position.
    • Note- only works from a known timing position! I adjusted based on factory timing position, and advanced four degrees.
  2. Amazon: Front Main Seal / Wear Sleeve Installer Kit1
    • Has a tool for pressing the wear sleeve onto the crank, as well as a tool to install the new front seal.
  3. Amazon: Front Main Seal & Wear Sleeve1
    • Weird unknown brand. But, has held up great so far.
  4. Amazon: Loctite Blue1
    • I wouldn't recommend using red, or green. Those- aren't intended for removable bolts. You may need to remove these bolts in the future! Purple, is intended to be easily removable, which is not wanted here either.
  5. Amazon: FEL-PRO TCS 46001 Timing Cover Gasket Set1
    • This, included a front-main seal.... which of course, I poked a hole through on accident 🤷‍♂️
  6. Amazon: Killer Down Pin Tab1
    • This, is just an aluminum tab which covers the dowel pin, to prevent it from backing out.
  7. Amazon: Permatex Ultra Black1
    • I always apply a light coat of permatex when installing gaskets.
    • If you already have some- make sure to check it. My tube... had set up.

Optional Parts/Tools

  1. Amazon: Sewer Inspection Camera1.
    • If you are working by yourself, this makes the job of lining up the timing pin much, much easier.
  2. Amazon: Barring Tool1
    • This lets you easily turn the engine with a standard ratchet.

Special Tools

Torque Wrench

Make sure to have a torque wrench. I used a proto click-type wrench.

You will need a torque wrench which can torque up to 140 ft-lbs.

You will also need to torque a lot of bolts to 18 ft-lbs.

A barring tool, would be a good idea to have. I did not have one. It makes the process of turning the engine back/forth quite a bit easier.... especially after you have the crank pulley removed.

Amazon: Barring Tool1

Fixing KDP & Timing Bolts

Step 1. Remove the fan.

Remove the fan shrould. Each side, has two bolts. Then unbolt the cable running across the top of the radiator.

Remove the two clips holding the radiator to the shrould.

The washer fluid tank can slide up, and come out of the shroud without any tools. I left the coolant tank attached.

If- you have been reading through the posts, you may have noticed the homemade fan removal tool I created....

Picture of my homemade fan removal tool

Now- I will tell you- the fan does not come off easily. At all. Matter of fact, My fan didn't come off.

After sitting down, and resorting to the internet to figure out WTF....

I found this YouTube video:

Essentially, you just take the bolts off of the pulley. And- thats exactly what I did.

This is how my fan came off, and also exactly how it went back on. You do have to remove the shroud at the same time, carefully to avoid dinging up your radiator. I was able to do it by myself, so, its not too tricky.

Picture of the cooling fan, and bracket removed from the truck.

Clean

After, getting the fan out of the way, I realized it was quite dirty and grimy.

Picture of the front of the engine, without the fan in the way showing the timing cover, crank sensor, crank pulley.

So... I pulled out the pressure washer to clean it up a little.

Same as previous picture, but, cleaned with a pressure washer. Still wet.

Remove Timing Cover

Next up, you will want to remove the crank sensor.

Then- remove the Crank Pulley. 4x 15mm bolts IIRC.

At this point, I pulled out the air ratchet to remove the couple dozen bolts holding on the timing cover.

Picture of the crank pulley and timing cover sitting on the ground, removed.

And now- we can see the timing gears.

Showing the timing gears behind the timing cover

Fixing Killer Dowel Pin

For the KDP, its a pin visible on the left of the timing case. Essentially- over time, vibration causes the pin to work itself out.... And, as you can imagine, that is not a location you want a piece of metal flying around.

Showing the killer dowel pin, without any protections added

But, thankfully, the fix is pretty simple. Remove the bolt next to it.

Apply loctite.

New bolt, with aluminum tab to cover dowel pin, with loctite applied

Install, and torque.

Image showing dowel pin now covered

Depending on what year you have, the "KDP" tab I linked can be installed in two ways. If you have a flat case, then install the flat side to the case. If your case has a ridge, then flip it upside down to match the ridge.

Fixing Timing Bolts

BUT- while you are here, that is not the only issue which causes rapid unscheduled disassembly of these engines.

The bolts inside of here, need to be re-installed, with loctite applied. They can also come loose over time, becoming lodged inside of the timing gears.

I removed them one at a time. Applied Loctite, and reinstalled, then re-torqued to spec.

One of the timing bolts removed with loctite applied, ready for reassembly

There are four bolts which can be accessed, without pulling gears.

  1. The killer dowel pin bolt.
  2. There is an easily accessible bolt on the left.
  3. There are TWO bolts which are accessible through the window of a gear.

To turn the engine over, you can either reinstall the crank pulley, and use a 15mm ratchet to turn it using one of the bolts... (which I did)

Or, you can use a barring tool.. which I did not have.

But... you will need to rotate the engine, in order to turn the gear until they are exposed.

Picture showing bolts hiding behind a gear.

The lower one was a bit of a pain to get started too.

Picture showing my ratchet going behind one of the gears to reach the bolt.

It was a pain, because the bolt sits on a tiny ledge... and I kept missing the ledge.

Picture showing the ledges around the bolt

At this point- you should have successfully (mostly) resolve the issues with the KDP & Timing bolts. There IS another bolt, however, you would need to pull the gears off to fix it.

Changing Timing

At this point, I was ready to set the timing.

Here- is a Youtube video from PDD, showing the steps. If, you plan on using this method, I'd strongly recommend watching their video.

The method I am going to use, does not require any special tools. But, it does require you to know what your timing is set at.

Such a beautiful sight.

Picture of the timing gear on the injection pump, with a large MADE IN USA written on the top

Magnetic Degree Wheel

To set the timing, I used Power Driven's P-Pump Timing Kit.

Just stick it to the front of the harmonic balancer.

Picture of magnetic degree wheel on harmonic balancer

Then, get a piece of stiff wire, and fashion a needle. I used a piece of stainless tig rod, and bolted to the engine using the timing cover bolts.

Lock ignition pump timing

On the injection pump- there is a socket, which covers a plastic dowel pin used to lock the timing.

Picture of the timing pin cover on the right side of the P-Pump

However- before you worry about locking the timing- you need to ensure the engine cannot turn (I put it into 5th gear), and you need to break the big nut loose on the timing gear. After, you have broken it loose, then, lock the timing. Don't remove it, or loosen it more then needed! Just break it loose.

Danger

Do NOT lock the timing until you have broke the nut loose.

If- you did lock your timing before breaking the nut loose, then PDD has a replacement pin for you. Also- you don't need to worry about the tiny piece of plastic which fell into the engine... There are thousands of 12v cummins driving around with that tiny piece of plastic floating in the oil pin.

Power Driven: P-Pump Timing Pin

The next part can be a bit tricky. I found the easiest way to do this by myself, was using a cheap pipe-scope I picked a while back for plumbing issues.

If- you are interested in the scope I used, you can find it here: Amazon: Sewer Inspection Camera1.

Picture of my sewer camera while turning the engine to lock out the timing.

I placed the camera inside of the port, and turned the engine until the pin was centered in the hole. After the pin is centered, you can place the plastic timing pin on it, which will keep the pump in time while we remove the timing gear.

Pull Timing Gear

Using the timing gear puller with Power driven's timing kit.... I pulled the timing gear off.

Not pictured- but, with the gear loose, I then turned the engine four degrees, which should bring my total timing up to 17-18 degrees. To account for gear lash, go past your mark, and back up.

Afterwards, you need to clean the timing gear's shaft very well. Brake cleaner works good for this.

And... finally, torque to 144 ft-lbs. I used PDD's locking washer to keep it from slipping too, since only friction keeps this gear from spinning.

And.... your done.

Installing wear sleeve

The last modification I will be doing, is installing a wear sleeve on the crankshaft. I used the sleeve, and tool linked near the top of this post.

If you look closely, you can see the fridge forming on the snout of my crankshaft. The wear sleeve will cover this, and will help the front seal... seal.

When, installing the seal, I did use a liberal amount of loctite inside to help it seal.

Holding the timing sleeve in front of the crankshaft

Put- the sleeve onto the front of the crank.

And... start torquing little by little, moving side to side.

Picture showing the wear sleeve slowly being pressed on, little by little.

And...... after a while, you will be done.

Picture showing the wear sleeve completely installed onto the crank

The front-main seal will install over the wear sleeve normally.

Results?

While, there shouldn't be any noticeable difference for fixing the KDP or other timing bolts.... there is the peace of mind they won't be the reason this engine fails.

The four degrees of timing, did seem to increase drivability quite a bit. However, I am unable to determine the fuel economy differences, as.... this upgraded is happening at the same time that I basically doubled the stock horsepower. Under the same driving scenario, it should be pick up around 2mpg. That is, of course, assuming you aren't using all of the extra fuel available.

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