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)
Not all engine noise is the same.
A ticking sound and a knocking sound may seem similar, but they point to very different issues inside your diesel engine.
In many cases, both originate in the valve train system – and both can escalate into major engine damage if ignored.
Continue reading Diesel Engine Ticking vs Knocking: How to Diagnose Valve Train Noise Before It Causes Damage
Belt noise on a diesel engine is not just an annoyance.
It is often an early warning sign of misalignment, bearing failure, or improper belt tension.
Ignoring it can lead to:
Proper diagnosis requires understanding how the belt system operates under load.
Continue reading How to Diagnose Diesel Engine Belt Noise: Identifying Pulley, Tensioner, and Accessory Failures
Dirty or clogged diesel fuel injectors are one of the most common – and most misunderstood – fuel system problems.
A lot of people think it’s just a restriction issue. Spray some cleaner, maybe swap a filter, and you’re good to go.
But in reality, injector contamination leads to precision failure inside the injector itself – and once that starts, performance drops fast.
Before you try a quick fix, it’s important to understand what’s actually happening inside your injectors.
Continue reading Dirty Diesel Fuel Injectors: What’s Really Happening Inside (And Why Cleaning Isn’t Enough)
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.
Blow-by is not just a symptom.
It is a direct result of combustion pressure escaping past the piston assembly.
On a Detroit Diesel DD15, controlling blow-by comes down to one thing:
How well the piston, rings, and liner seal under load.
If that seal fails, everything else starts to follow.
Continue reading DD15 Diesel Engine Pistons: How They Control Blow-By and What Causes Failure
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 ReplaceTwo piston rings can look identical.
They can share the same OEM part number, measure the same dimensionally, and appear interchangeable during installation.
But one may have the correct radial tension for the application, while the other may not.
That difference is impossible to see by eye. You cannot feel it by hand. You cannot check it with a standard caliper or micrometer.
Yet ring tension can determine whether a rebuilt diesel engine seals properly, breaks in correctly, controls oil, and avoids excessive blow-by.
That is why Episode 4 of the Black Series Lab focuses on one of the most overlooked specifications in engine rebuilding: piston ring tension.
Most diesel engine components are marketed the same way.
They’re advertised as the best solution for every truck, every fleet, every rebuild, and every application.
The problem is that real-world diesel engines do not all operate under the same conditions.
A long-haul owner-operator running hundreds of thousands of highway miles has different priorities than a local delivery fleet. A repair shop performing commercial overhauls has different concerns than someone chasing maximum horsepower.
Black Series was not designed to be a one-size-fits-all product line. In fact, the Black Series is not for everyone.
The better question is: Who was it actually designed for?
Heavy-duty diesel engines live very different lives.
Some spend their careers pulling loads across the country.
Others spend their days making short trips, sitting in traffic, and starting cold multiple times per day.
Some engines are rebuilt by repair shops whose reputation depends on every overhaul performing exactly as expected.
When operating conditions change, the stresses placed on engine components change as well.
That means the ideal solution for one customer may not be the ideal solution for another.
The Black Series was developed around one specific goal: Long-term durability and reliability in demanding commercial diesel applications.
A long-haul truck, local delivery vehicle, vocational truck, and performance build may all use similar engine platforms—but their operating conditions, maintenance requirements, and component priorities can be completely different.
If you’re planning to keep your truck for the long haul, Black Series was built with you in mind.
Many owner-operators are not looking for the highest horsepower number possible.
They’re looking for:
For these operators, engine components are an investment.
Every repair decision impacts future operating costs, maintenance expenses, and vehicle availability.
The Black Series focuses on durability enhancements and component consistency designed to support long service intervals and dependable operation.
Fleet operators face a different challenge.
Many delivery and vocational fleets experience:
These operating conditions place significant stress on engine components.
For fleets, a truck sitting in a repair bay is often more expensive than the replacement part itself.
The Black Series was engineered to support the kinds of operating environments where uptime matters and component durability directly affects operating costs.
Repair facilities often face a challenge that many truck owners never see.
When a component fails, the repair shop may be the first phone call the customer makes.
That means every overhaul carries risk.
A comeback does not just cost labor: it affects customer confidence, future business, and reputation.
That is why many repair facilities prioritize consistency and repeatable results.
Black Series components were developed for customers who value predictable performance and application-specific reliability.
Black Series Philosophy
The goal is not to build a component for every possible application. The goal is to engineer components that perform consistently in the environments they were specifically designed to support.
This may be the most important part of the conversation.
If your primary goal is building the highest horsepower truck possible, Black Series may not be the solution you’re looking for.
Performance-focused applications often prioritize:
Those applications introduce operating conditions that differ significantly from the commercial environments Black Series was engineered to support.
That does not make one approach better than the other.
It simply means different goals require different engineering decisions.
Black Series was designed around reliability, longevity, consistency, and uptime—not maximum horsepower.
One of the most common mistakes in the diesel industry is selecting parts based on marketing claims instead of operating conditions.
Before selecting any major engine component, ask:
The answers often point toward the correct solution.
Designed to support combustion sealing stability, thermal stability, casting integrity, and long-term durability in high-load diesel environments.
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Engineered for durability, thermal stability, and long-term sealing performance in severe-duty diesel applications.
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Designed to support lubrication stability and oil delivery consistency in high-load diesel engine environments.
View ProductThe best component is not always the most expensive one.
In addition, it is not always the highest-performance option either.
The best component is the one that matches the application’s actual operating environment.
That is why Highway and Heavy Parts takes an application-based approach to recommendations rather than assuming every customer needs the same solution.
Whether you’re managing a fleet, rebuilding a work truck, or planning a long-term overhaul, understanding the duty cycle is the first step toward selecting the right components.
The Black Series was never intended to be a universal solution for every diesel application.
It was engineered for owner-operators focused on longevity, fleets focused on uptime, and repair facilities focused on delivering reliable, repeatable results.
If your goal is long-term durability, consistent performance, and reduced downtime, Black Series may be exactly what you’re looking for.
✓ You prioritize reliability over maximum horsepower
✓ Downtime costs you money
✓ You plan to keep the truck long-term
✓ You want consistent performance over extended service intervals
✓ You view engine components as long-term investments
Talk to one of our ASE-Certified Reps if you’re unsure whether Black Series is the right fit for your application.
Call 844-304-7688 or visit highwayandheavyparts.com/black-series to discuss your application with our team.
From diagnosis through delivery, we’re Highway and Heavy Parts.
If 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 OverhaulView self help and informational diesel engine videos in Highway and Heavy Parts extensive video library.
