Help I want to buy a 2500 3500 Diesel, How do I check for a good engine?

Hi, I want to buy a Dodge Diesel, I know how to check for blow by and leaks. When I check a gas engine I rev it up under load and no load and listen for strange noises. With all the noise of a diesel how do I check to know if the engine is good?
John

All diesels are going to have a little blow-by, your going to have to determine whether the truck has too much. Check blow-by by unscrewing the oil filler cap.

As far as the engine itself, check how it starts, drive it 15-20 miles keep an eye on the oil pressure. You'll know if something doesn't seem right.

You could run it by a mechanic and have it checked, most will probably be happy to look it over for you.

The Cummins is a tough engine, very little ever goes wrong with them. I think they are great, and they run for a long, long time.

My two cents.

-slacker

Thanks slacker, I am going to have to drive a few miles to look at one of these as they are so rare. I might not be able to find a mechanic at the time I am there. I could buy from a dealer, but they want so much for them. I wish I knew more about checking out this engine. They make so much noise.
John

hey john, don't worry about the noise, its when they get quiet that you need to worry.
I have a 2001 2500 q/c diesel 4x4, with the HO option for that year, and a 5 speed. The fuel lift pump went on it around 80,000 km, but other than that it has been great. I frequently pull heavy loads with it, and have noticed no problems at all. The only thing you want to watch for, is the blow-by bottle on the front cover of the engine, if you get a newer one. This thing allows the blow by vapors to coat the rad, and plug it up, resulting in an over heating problem.
Otherwise, I have seen the older 12 valve cummins engines, with over 900,000 km on them, with nothing done to them but oil changes. I have also seen a great number of 24 valve ISB trucks with over 300,000 km on them, no problems to report with the engines. The throttle position sensor goes wonky on some of them, not cheap to replace, but not difficult either.
If you have a 5 speed, do not run in 5th, under 1600 rpm while towing. The vibration induced from the engine at the lower rpms like that will rattle the retaining nut off of 5th gear, resulting in downtime for the transmission.
Other than that, check on your test drive for steering wander, or a tendency to pull to the right. THis is another common problem.
Basically, if the engine pulls well, and does not have too many miles on it, check the service records, and if all is in place, you should have many thousand miles of happy motoring.

I thank you very much, I need one of these to start a business as I have been out of work for a year now. I can not afford to make a mistake, but I must go forward and any help is much appreciated.
John