The Cummins 6BT Engine, often known as the Cummins 5.9 Engine, is one of the most widely used mild to the light onus vehicle engine. The engine was initially produced in 1988 and debuted with the Dodge Ram in 1989. Chrysler released the Ram in 1981, but it was up against intense rivalry from both GM and Ford. Their original Chrysler LA and subsequent Magnum engines couldn’t keep up with the competition. They required an economical heavy both-duty engine. After considering John Deere and Detroit Diesel as potential partners, Cummins eventually clinched the bargain of a lifetime. The performance and durability of the Cummins 5.9, 6BT engine helped the Dodge Ram become one of the most productive trucks of all time.
If you have found Cummins 6BT engines for sale, read on to know about the engine before you make the purchase:
Engine Basics
The Cummins 6BT is a 5.9L inline-6 with an OHV configuration and 12 valves; the 6BT is also known as the “12-Valve.” The 6BT was designed similarly to the AMC inline-6 of the period. The cylinder block and head of the 6BT are both made of iron. It is exceedingly heavy due to this, but it is also tremendously powerful. One of the most well-known characteristics of the 6BT is its strength. Many folks have pushed them above 1,400 horsepower, and if adequately sustained, they can travel over 1,000,000 miles.
One of the most exemplary aspects of the 6BT Cummins is its completely mechanical fuel system, which makes it ideal for engine barters because only a few wires are required. However, you won’t be able to plug in a tuner and increase horsepower because of this. This fuel inoculation cradle might be viewed as an advantage or a con. If you have an older Cummins 5.9 / Cummins 6BT engine that needs to be overhauled but can’t be rebuilt, our 6BT extended block apparatuses are a great option. If the engine has thrown a rod through all the blocks, a piston has damaged the head, a valve has fallen, or a bearing has spun, it is usually more cost-efficient to replace the locomotive.
The Cummins 6BT engine was the highest-producing 6liter engine that had ever come to existence, and it is still produced in six nations today.
Tuning Potential
You’ll appreciate the following section if factory specifications bore you as much as they do me. Who minds what the 6BT Cummins was like when it left the factory; what matters is what it can do. The 6BT’ bottom finish produces around 800 bhp and 1400+ lb-ft torque. something on the far side that necessitates the utilization of a constitutional bottom end.A beefier clutch is required for the manual transmission, while the automatic transmission will require a complete overhaul.
How can you get the most power out of your Cummins 6BT? Because it has an entirely mechanical carburetor, getting more power out of it necessitates increasing the fuel pressure, usually accomplished by grinding down the fuel plate or acquiring a performance fuel plate.
6BT Cummins: Common Problems
Because of its mechanical fuel system, easy wiring, and overall uncomplicated construction, the 6BT is a dependable engine. It does, however, enclose assured catastrophic defects, much like a gimmick. The “53” block and also the “killing joggle pin,” which might culminate in a very leaky radiator, are 2 solemn problems with the 6BT Cummins.
Between 1999 and 2002, a “53” block drawback arose in specific 24v ISB engines; concerning 100,000 engines were labeled with the digit 53. These “53” blocks were created by a Brazilian business that didn’t use the chemical composition Cummins wanted. The block cracks owing to the poor chemical combination, inflicting fluid leaks Associate in Nursingd engine overheating. A broken engine block is almost not possible to repair and will be avoided in the slightest degree costs. All 6BT engines, still as 4BT engines, have the “killing fastening.” The dowel pin is found within the temporal order gear case, and it’ll begin to return faraway from its dowel hole over time, finally falling out.
Generally, the Cummins 6BT is an eccentric engine. This was the engine that flagged the recognition of diesel pickup trucks within the United States. Its mechanical equipment makes it ideal for engine swaps whereas conjointly making certain dependableness and also the sturdiness it has.