When a diesel repair takes longer than it should, most people assume it’s the part.
Backorder. Shipping delay. Wrong item.
But in a lot of cases, that’s not where the problem starts.
👉 The delay starts with the process behind getting the part. And that’s what slows everything down.
Continue reading Your Diesel Parts Supplier Might Be Slowing Down Your Repairs (Here’s How)
The crankshaft is essentially the backbone of your truck’s engine. It keeps the engine moving and is vital to the overall health of your rig. When this critical component begins to fail in a Cummins ISX, it can quickly lead to severe mechanical damage and costly downtime. Recognizing the early warning signs of a worn or damaged crankshaft is essential to minimizing negative impacts to your revenue and keeping your truck out of the service bay.
Continue reading Diagnosing a Bad Cummins ISX Crankshaft: Symptoms and Replacement
On a Cummins N14, fuel injectors are one of the most critical components controlling engine performance.
They don’t just deliver fuel – they control timing, atomization, and combustion efficiency.
And when they start to fail, the issue doesn’t stay isolated to one cylinder. It begins to affect engine balance, temperature, and long-term durability.
Continue reading Cummins N14 Fuel Injectors: How They Fail, What It Affects, and When to Replace Them
An inframe rebuild on a Cummins ISX 870 or ISX 871 is supposed to bring your engine back to life.
But for a lot of operators, that’s not what happens.
Instead, they run into problems almost immediately:
The issue usually isn’t the rebuild itself.
It’s what happens during – and right after – the rebuild.
Continue reading Cummins ISX 870 Inframe Rebuild Problems: Why Engines Fail After a Rebuild
Fuel injectors in a Cummins ISB 6.7L common rail system don’t just deliver fuel.
They control timing, pressure, atomization, and combustion efficiency – all within milliseconds.
When an injector begins to fail, it’s not always obvious at first.
But internally, the failure has already started.
Continue reading Cummins ISB 6.7L Fuel Injectors: What Actually Fails Inside a Common Rail Injector
The Cummins ISL G natural gas engine is built for a different type of combustion.
And that difference is exactly why the cylinder head fails the way it does.
Unlike diesel engines, ISL G failures are not typically caused by pressure.
They are caused by heat, material fatigue, and valve seat wear.
Continue reading Cummins ISL G Cylinder Head Failures: Why Valve Seats Drop and How to Prevent It
You finished the in-frame. New liners, pistons, rings – everything looks right.
But now you’re seeing:
This isn’t uncommon on Cummins ISX engines – and it usually comes down to one issue:
Improper liner protrusion and ring seating during install.
If you don’t get this right, your rebuild won’t last – no matter how good your parts are.
Continue reading Cummins ISX In-Frame Rebuild Failure: Why Your New Liners Aren’t Sealing (And How to Fix It)
The oil pump in your Detroit Diesel Series 60 isn’t just another component – it’s the heart of your lubrication system. When it starts to fail, the damage doesn’t stay isolated. It spreads fast.
Low oil pressure, bearing wear, and even full engine failure can all trace back to one root issue: inconsistent oil delivery.
If you’re working on a Series 60, understanding how the oil pump fails – and how to catch it early – can be the difference between a simple repair and a full rebuild.
Continue reading Detroit Diesel Series 60 Oil Pump Failure: Causes, Oil Pressure Loss, and When to Replace
The cam follower in a Cummins L10 is a small component with a very large job.
It directly transfers motion from the camshaft to the valve train.
And when it fails, it doesn’t just affect performance – it can lead to catastrophic engine damage.
In the Cummins L10 valve train, the camshaft does not directly actuate the valves.
Instead, motion is transferred through a cam follower (cam lever with roller).
This component:
The roller rides directly on the cam lobe, making this a high-load, high-contact stress interface.
The Cummins L10 uses a roller-style follower to reduce friction and wear.
Compared to flat tappets, roller followers:
However, this design introduces a different failure risk — roller bearing failure.
The cam-to-roller interface experiences extreme contact pressure.
This is a classic Hertzian contact stress scenario, where:
Under normal conditions, a hydrodynamic oil film separates the surfaces.
But when lubrication is compromised, metal-to-metal contact occurs.
Cam follower failures typically start small but escalate quickly.
Common failure modes include:
Once the roller stops rotating:
This is where failure becomes severe.
A seized roller creates:
This leads to:
Eventually, this can damage:
The cam follower depends entirely on proper lubrication.
Oil must:
Failure causes related to lubrication include:
Without lubrication, failure accelerates rapidly.
A failing cam follower rarely fails alone.
It creates a chain reaction:
In severe cases, this can lead to:
Early detection can prevent major damage.
Watch for:
These symptoms often appear before catastrophic failure.
Cam followers should always be inspected during an overhaul.
Key checks include:
Reusing worn components increases the risk of immediate failure.
Replacement is recommended when:
It is often best practice to replace followers when replacing the camshaft.
If you’re rebuilding your engine or diagnosing valve train issues, cam followers should not be overlooked.
At Highway and Heavy Parts:
The cam follower may seem minor.
But it directly affects:
Ignoring it can lead to major repairs.
Proper function depends on correct operation across all components.
👉 Maintain Proper Oil Quality And Pressure
👉 Inspect Valve Train Components During Service
👉 Replace Worn Components Before Failure Occurs
Call 844-304-7688 to speak with a diesel parts specialist
or visit highwayandheavyparts.com to find the right rebuild kit for your engine.
From diagnosis to delivery, Highway and Heavy Parts has your back.
The turbocharger on a Detroit Diesel Series 60 14L engine does more than add power.
It controls airflow, and airflow controls combustion.
When the turbo isn’t performing correctly, the entire engine starts to fall out of balance.
Continue reading Detroit Diesel Series 60 14L Turbocharger: Symptoms, Failure Causes, and When to ReplaceIf you’re working on a Cummins ISX15 and run into fault code 0731 (camshaft and crankshaft misalignment) after an overhaul, it can be frustrating.
Especially when:
👉 Yet the code is still active.
Continue reading Cummins ISX15 Camshaft and Crankshaft Misalignment Code 0731 After Overhaul
Most catastrophic Detroit Diesel Series 60 failures don’t start with a bang – they start with something small.
A slight misfire. A little loss of power. Maybe some unusual noise. Then suddenly… the engine is done.
One of the most common causes?
A dropped valve seat inside the cylinder head.
If you’re running a Series 60, this is one failure you need to understand – because once it happens, you’re no longer talking about a simple repair.
Inside your cylinder head, valve seats are precision-machined inserts that allow the intake and exhaust valves to seal properly against the head.
Over time, due to:
…the press fit between the seat and the head weakens.
Eventually, the seat can loosen and fall out of position – this is what’s known as a dropped valve seat.
When a valve seat drops, it doesn’t just sit there.
It gets caught between the valve and piston. That leads to:
In many cases, a dropped valve seat turns a top-end repair into a full engine rebuild.
The problem with this failure is that it often gives subtle warnings before becoming catastrophic.
By the time the noise becomes loud or constant, damage is usually already happening.
Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines are especially vulnerable to this type of failure when overheating occurs.
When cylinder head temperatures get too high, the powdered metal intake valve seats can lose their press fit and fall out of place. Once that happens, the damage escalates quickly.
In most cases, this doesn’t just stop at the cylinder head. When a valve seat drops:
That’s why overheating-related valve seat failure often leads to more than just a head repair – it typically requires piston replacement and a deeper inspection of the rotating assembly.
Once a valve seat has moved or failed, the integrity of the entire cylinder head is compromised.
Even if you:
…you’re still dealing with a head that has already experienced material distortion and stress. That’s why these repairs often fail again.
A properly remanufactured Series 60 cylinder head addresses the root of the problem—not just the symptom.
Instead of patching a failure, you’re restoring the entire top end of the engine.
If you’re seeing early signs of valve train issues or unexplained performance loss, this is not something to ignore.
Unfortunately, a dropped valve seat doesn’t give you a second chance.
It goes from minor symptoms to major engine damage fast.
If you’re dealing with valve seat concerns or planning a repair, make sure you’re installing a cylinder head you can trust.
👉 Detroit Diesel Series 60 11.1L Cylinder Heads & Components
👉 Detroit Diesel Series 60 12.7L Cylinder Heads & Components
👉 Detroit Diesel Series 60 14L Cylinder Heads & Components
Call 844-304-7688 to speak with a diesel parts specialist
or visit highwayandheavyparts.com to find the right rebuild kit for your engine.
From diagnosis through delivery, we’re Highway and Heavy Parts.
