Vacuum Pump Problem

[cmann250]

Through some twist of fate, my bottom vaccuum diaphragm fell off and was chilling out on my front cross member. It took the part that goes between it and the vacuum pump body with it and those three bolts are gone/broken/threads pulled out of them. I also believe the pushrod is gone, but the FSM doesn't give a clear picture, so I'm not 1000% sure.

My question is this: Can I make one of these little pushrods? Or is it a Cummins only part? I'm planning on bolting it back up and replacing the pushrod later, because the brakes are as good as they ever have been. I'm betting that diaphragm was bad anyways

Thanks in advance guys

[m880cummins]

I ran into the same problem at Christmas. Two bolts of the piece that holds the pump to the body came loose, broke the flat piece in half and the pushrod slid out. The flat piece is magnesium so if you broke it, mill one out of aluminum. Not sure of the pushrod. I drove 600 miles with the pushrod out and the pump on the crossmember and lost a quart of oil. Not bad. You could hear the timing gears more with the pump hanging. I opted to run the vane pump on mine. I paid $50 for a vane pump at the junkyard, rebuilt it and it was a good swap. If the pushrod is the same length as the one that drives the one on the side I have one leftover.

Charlie

[cmann250]

Yea I noticed a new tick from the engine and I think this is the cause. So I may have been running it like this for a few days, and the first thing I did after I discovered this was check oil and I was OK. It's good to know I can run so far with out it I have a Cummins dealer about 10 minutes away so I'll have a new little pushrod Tuesday. There's no way that I could finagle it back on there without taking the whole thing out of the truck, is there?

[Mark Nixon]

I have enough pieces here to piece one complete pump assembly together, plus some pod bolts and possibly even an extra pushrod or 2.
I have the one assembly that I got from Hansen01 that snapped the shaft, plus one that got obliterated by ball bearings, which still as a good shaft.

If they weren't SUCH a mother to press apart and back together............

Mark.

[cmann250]

Thanks Mark, but I think I'm ok and nothing is damaged that bad. I do know where to look if it turns out worse than I think it is

[cmann250]

I ordered that little push rod today and it was about $40

I don't think I can get that bottom pod back on without removing the whole assembly from the truck. Is there any tips or hints that I should be aware of when I'm taking this deal out?

[Mark Nixon]

Cuss like a sailor when you remove the pump lines.
BEST way would be to remove them from the PUMP, not the steering gear.
The bottom bolt can be a mother to access, too.

Why didn't you ask me for the pushrod? I would have sent it to you for nothing.

Mark.

[cmann250]

Why didn't you ask me for the pushrod? I would have sent it to you for nothing.

Well I should have... I didn't think you'd want to tear apart a rebuildable pump just for that push rod

[Mark Nixon]

I did mention that I possibly had some, which I do:

....I have enough pieces here to piece one complete pump assembly together, plus some pod bolts and possibly even an extra pushrod or 2.....

Mark.

No harm, no foul, I would gladly have saved you the money, though.

Mark.

[Greenleaf]

I ordered that little push rod today and it was about $40

I don't think I can get that bottom pod back on without removing the whole assembly from the truck. Is there any tips or hints that I should be aware of when I'm taking this deal out?

I had to rebuild mine due to the worm bearing noise. You can hear the bad bearing, but if you don't know what to listen for, you'll drive it till it breaks or spend the $ and time to ensure reliability. I also replaced the PS pump while I had it off. Why not.........it too will fail soon enough.

What you'll need to be aware of it this; that big ball bearing spits out the balls when they wear. The balls fall down into the timing gears. Did you get that? Need a picture of what the damage will be like? Mine had lost the cage. It was gone. That cage holds the balls in alignment.

If I recall,it was like 600.00 for the rebuild;

Power steering lines and hoses etc.
Power steering pump
2-vacuum pods reman from NAPA
that BIG ball bearing
2-push rods
2-push rod guides
Seals/gasket/O rings etc.
Synthetic P.S. fluid

A friend of mine made me a rebuild manual. It was sweet. Had all the part numbers, method of R&R the bearing and pump shaft and the size of the jack screw(s) required to make a home built puller assy to do the job. If I hadn't had that, It would have been more leg work to locate all this stuff and figure out how to take it apart w/o breaking things.

[cmann250]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll give it a close look when I get it out

[Farmboy92_2009]

i remember my shop having to rebuild mine 3 times before getting it not to leak...something about the kits i was getting didnt set right, well because the pump itself was morre out enough an new seal wouldnt fit right i guess. well i had em install 1 more rebuild kit for everything and it worked otherwise ida had to buy a whole new pump

[Mark Nixon]

These pumps are marginal, at best.
Greenleaf's example is one that I have seen firsthand.
Ball bearings in the geartrain are very destructive, and it's not pretty at all.
The one I had actually broke the cam.

It's to the point that a few people have actually converted the non-intercooled engine's pump set-up to the version used on '91-1/2 through '02, mainly because of the cost and lack of parts availability for the early ones.
They are a far superior set-up, pressure lubed instead of splash and just about anyone can rebuild them in their garage, or on a tailgate, in my case.

Mark.

[cmann250]

Mr. Nixon, you have a PM