HHP Spotlight: Diesel Engine Rocker Arm vs. Pin and Roller Kits
When it comes to overhead cam engines your Detroit Diesel Series 60, your Cummins ISX, your Caterpillar 3406E, and C15 to name a few. We get a lot of questions on rocker levers. People call when something goes wrong, asking: "What are my options?" or "What can you offer me?"
This depends on what's wrong with your diesel engine. You might have had a cam failure. (If you think you're experiencing camshaft failure, check out our failure analysis and tips to install a new one.) Maybe you've got a roller that's gone bad. Whatever the issue is, you need to know what's wrong to find the right solution for your engine.
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What are my options?
Pin and Roller Kit
Are all your levers good? And you only have one bad roller? Maybe a pin and roller kit is the right thing for you.
Press the pin out, put a new pin in, put a new roller in, and that rocker is back up and running.
This is a great option if there hasn't been any damage to the lever itself. And this repair will keep your costs down.
New Rocker Lever Assembly
You might find yourself in a situation where maybe the pin and rollers are all worn throughout the engine. Or there's been some contamination in the oil and it's just worn some things out and the center bushing may be worn out too. (We've talked about oil contamination in other posts before The Causes of Oil Pump Failure, for instance. As we say in that article, oil contamination happens when anything but oil gets into your oil supply. This contamination can occur from debris being picked up in the engine or even a fault somewhere in the engine that allows fluids to get in.) In that case, you'd probably need a bunch of parts to make that rocker lever good again.
In this situation, a new or reman rocker lever assembly is probably going to be your best bet.
Used Parts
Sometimes you might find yourself in a situation where you the parts and pieces aren't available to rebuild those levers. So in those cases, you're going to have to explore different options to get your engine running again.
For example, say you have a series 60 Detroit with a ceramic roller. Those parts are not available in the aftermarket. But, a lot of times we'll have a dismantled engine with low hours and great components on them and we can sell you a good used part.
Have a problem with your rocker levers? Highway and Heavy Parts has a solution for you! Whether it's new parts, components to rebuild your parts, or a good used part, we've got you covered!
Looking for new components for your diesel engine? Or maybe you just have some questions. Our certified techs can help at 844-304-7688! Or, you can request a quote online!