Dealing With the 2008 6. 7 Cummins Turbo Replacement
If you've started realizing your truck feeling sluggish or listening to a strange whistle below the hood, the 2008 6. 7 cummins turbo replacement could be within your near potential future. It's one associated with those jobs that most 4th-gen owners dread, but let's become honest, if you've got a 2008 with high usage, it's almost the rite of passing. These trucks are absolute workhorses, yet that early VGT (Variable Geometry Turbo) technology wasn't precisely bulletproof.
When that turbo begins acting up, this usually isn't the "maybe it'll repair itself" kind of scenario. Usually, you're searching at a slipping nozzle that's gummed up with soot or an actuator that's finally made the decision to throw in the towel. It's frustrating, expensive, and a bit associated with a literal headache to swap out there, but getting your boost back the actual vehicle feel brand brand-new again.
Exactly why Do These Turbos Give Up?
The particular HE351VE turbo discovered on the 2008 6. 7 Cummins is a clever piece of engineering, yet it includes a huge Achilles' heel: soot. Because this was the first generation of the 6. 7 with all the new emissions gear, the turbo was designed to act because both an increase provider and a good exhaust brake. It uses a moving nozzle to modify the housing's element ratio on the particular fly.
The issue is that diesel exhaust is dirty. With time, carbon and soot build up on that sliding mechanism. In case you spend a lot of period idling or puttering around town without having letting the pickup truck "stretch its legs, " that soot hardens. Eventually, the nozzle gets trapped. Your actuator tries to move it, realizes it can't, and then you get the dreaded check out engine light plus limp mode.
By the time you're searching at a 2008 six. 7 cummins turbo replacement , you've probably already tried the "cleaning" methods or the German tune-up (driving it hard to burn off off soot), and it also just hasn't worked. Once the inner parts are actually scored or the actuator motor fries itself from attempting to move the stuck slide, it's game over.
Spotting the Indicators
Before you go dropping the couple of grand on the new unit, you wish to be sure that's actually the issue. Most of the particular time, the vehicle will tell you. You'll see codes like P00AF or P04db .
Beyond the codes, pay interest to how the particular truck drives. Will be the exhaust brake suddenly weak? Does the boost gauge seem to lag behind your correct foot? You might also hear the mechanical "screech" or even a weird rattling sound when the particular turbo vanes try to cycle. When you see oil pooling in the intercooler pipes, that's another bad sign—it means the seals are gone, and you're potentially risking the runaway engine when that oil will get sucked into the intake.
Choosing Your Replacement: Share vs. Aftermarket
This is exactly where actually need a huge decision. When you're staring down a 2008 6. 7 cummins turbo replacement , you have three main paths:
- A New or Remanufactured Stock VGT: This is the easiest "plug and play" choice. You retain your exhaust system brake functionality, plus you don't require any special fine tuning. However, you're putting the same style back in, which usually means you'll likely face the same soot issues down the road.
- Upgraded VGT: Businesses like Fleece or Stealth offer revised VGTs. They take the particular stock housing but put in much better internals and more reliable actuators. It's an excellent middle floor in order to keep the particular exhaust brake yet want more dependability.
- Fixed Geometry Swap: This is actually the "old school" route. You ditch the VGT entirely for any standard turbo (like a good S300 or S400). It's far more dependable because there are no moving vanes to get stuck. The particular downside? You lose your factory exhaust brake, and you must have a tuner to inform the computer never to freak out mainly because it can't find the turbo actuator.
Getting In to the Nitty Gritty of the Exchange
I won't sugarcoat it: doing a 2008 6. 7 cummins turbo replacement is a bit of a keep. It's not that the steps are overly complicated; it's just that every thing is heavy, filled, and usually corroded in place.
You're going to need a good group of 12-point electrical sockets and probably a few long extensions. The particular turbo sits upon the passenger part, tucked long ago towards the firewall. You'll have to empty some coolant because these turbos are usually water-cooled (another thing that makes the task messier than the old 5. 9 swaps).
The hardest part for many people is the oil drain line and those bottom installation nuts. There isn't much room regarding a wrench, and if you round away from one of these nuts, you're heading to have a very bad Sat. A bit of advice? Start placing every bolt in PB Blaster or even Kroil at least 24 hours before you plan to turn a wrench. Your future self may thank you.
Don't Forget the particular "While You're In There" Parts
When you've obtained the turbo off, you're taking a look at the particular exhaust manifold and a lot associated with open real-estate. This particular is the perfect time for you to check with regard to broken manifold studs—they're notorious for taking on the back cylinders (#5 plus #6).
You should furthermore definitely replace the particular oil feed and drain lines. It's cheap insurance. In case your old turbo failed because of oil starvation or even debris, you don't want that same junk feeding directly into your shiny new replacement. Also, create sure you have got new gaskets intended for everything. Reusing a good old metal seal is just asking for an exhaust leak that will generate you crazy afterwards.
The Installation Process
As soon as the old unit is out plus you've cleaned the mounting surfaces, it's time to hoist the brand new one in. Remember, these points weigh about 50 pounds, so watch your back when you're leaning over the fender.
One of the most essential steps in a 2008 6. 7 cummins turbo replacement is priming the new turbo with oil. Don't just bolt this up and fire the truck up. Take a small bottle of clean engine oil and pour it into the oil feed pit while spinning the compressor wheel manually. This ensures the particular bearings are lubricated for those very first few seconds of operation. If you start this dry, you can actually damage the newest bearings before a person even leave the particular driveway.
After everything is attached down and the particular coolant lines are usually reattached, you'll want to top away your antifreeze plus bleed the air out of the system. If you went with a stock replacement, the actuator might need the "calibration" depending on the brand a person bought. Some come pre-calibrated, while other people need a scan tool to tell the pc where the "open" and "closed" roles are.
Conclusions on the Job
Wrapping up the 2008 6. 7 cummins turbo replacement is a gratifying feeling. If you lastly take it for any test drive and hear that crisp whistle and experience the truck draw hard again, the particular sore as well as barked knuckles suddenly experience worth it.
The six. 7 Cummins is really a legendary engine, even though the VGT program can be a headache, it's the price we pay for that massive low-end torque and the particular ease of an built-in exhaust brake. Simply keep up with your maintenance, attempt to avoid excessive idling, and probably provide some "heavy lifting" every today and then in order to keep those vanes clean. If you undertake that will, your new turbo should live an extended, boost-filled life.