Official Cummins 6cta 450C thread

[ZZ13]

Fixed it. I had simply knocked a connector loose.

 

[Jaybeaux]

Fixed it. I had simply knocked a connector loose.
View attachment 117406 View attachment 117407

Awesome! I love it when the Guru's of Cummins engines find the easy things! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Bob Holser]

Fantastic thread! Thank you all.

 

[Irie308]

Looking to touch up some rust spots on my 9kw onan. Does anyone know of a match from rustoleum?

 

[Tomco]

Looking to touch up some rust spots on my 9kw onan. Does anyone know of a match from rustoleum?

Can't say for sure if the paint code is the same as the Cummins engines but my generator look pretty darn close. It is Rustolum 'Canvas White' that is a very close match - I've used this to repaint the main aftercoolers when I did the service and it is very close to the rest of the engine color. Might be a good to start with ...

I think it was Lowes that I picked mine at.

 

[Irie308]

Can't say for sure if the paint code is the same as the Cummins engines but my generator look pretty darn close. It is Rustolum 'Canvas White' that is a very close match - I've used this to repaint the main aftercoolers when I did the service and it is very close to the rest of the engine color. Might be a good to start with ...

I think it was Lowes that I picked mine at.

Ended up using plain white rustoleum. My motors are the canvas white but the gen is a more milky white

 

[Blueone]

Can't say for sure if the paint code is the same as the Cummins engines but my generator look pretty darn close. It is Rustolum 'Canvas White' that is a very close match - I've used this to repaint the main aftercoolers when I did the service and it is very close to the rest of the engine color. Might be a good to start with ...

I think it was Lowes that I picked mine at.

almost identical in color worth a try on gen….Cummins wouldn’t have used different color for the gen

 

[ZZ13]

Since I’m in salt I fresh water flush my aftercoolers if I am going to be sitting without running the engines for a month or more. I’ve tried several things but I’ve settled on a poor man’s flush that doesn’t take much longer than checking the zincs. Remove the bottom zinc. Screw in the homemade flush adapter to the top zinc port. Then hook up the engine room hose and flush away. Just takes a few seconds to get all the salt out.

 

[Jaybeaux]

@ZZ13 A perfect implementation of the KISS principle. Beauty in application!

 

[saopm]

Has anyone fabricated an engine start/stop switch in the bilge? It would be nice to be able to start the engines from the bilge when doing maintenance.

 

[Jaybeaux]

Has anyone fabricated an engine start/stop switch in the bilge? It would be nice to be able to start the engines from the bilge when doing maintenance.

Man I always wanted one of those when changing my water pump impellers. Never would the engine stop with the key at the 12 o'clock position. It would always take me 3-4 trips to the helm to "bump and check". Fun times.

 

[Forrestkk]

1999 450EB, 430 HP w/V-drives.

Valve Clearnace and belt tensioner.

Hi All

Have searched the thread a good bit and found some great info on the topics above. Hoping for some clarification to help finish up some maintenance work.

1. I am going to adjust valves this year because I think they might not have been done at the 1200 hour interval (or maybe not ever). The tag on my port engine is under the remote oil filter, and unreadable. My starboard is a recently replaced engine and legible. Can I use the valve lash on the newer engine or are each engine/year different?

2. Doing T-Stats on the port because the engine cools off at low power/idle. Assuming I've got one stuck open. Besides removing the alternator and tensioner are there any other gotchas? Does the tensioner just come off with the single bolt at the center of the tension device?

Thx advance!

 

[ZZ13]

Man I always wanted one of those when changing my water pump impellers. Never would the engine stop with the key at the 12 o'clock position. It would always take me 3-4 trips to the helm to "bump and check". Fun times.

Bumping the engine is pretty straight forward. You just need to get power to the ignition terminal of the mag switch. Using one of these, one lead clips to the ignition terminal of the mag switch and the other to the heavier battery input terminal of the mag switch. Since that terminal is hot the hand switch just jumpers power from it to the ignition terminal, activating the mag switch.
https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Start...cphy=9012427&hvtargid=pla-1384144629011&psc=1

Starting and stopping is more difficult because you gotta control power to the fuel solenoid to open (start fuel flow) and close it (stop fuel flow).

 

[ZZ13]

1999 450EB, 430 HP w/V-drives.

Valve Clearnace and belt tensioner.

Hi All

Have searched the thread a good bit and found some great info on the topics above. Hoping for some clarification to help finish up some maintenance work.

1. I am going to adjust valves this year because I think they might not have been done at the 1200 hour interval (or maybe not ever). The tag on my port engine is under the remote oil filter, and unreadable. My starboard is a recently replaced engine and legible. Can I use the valve lash on the newer engine or are each engine/year different?

2. Doing T-Stats on the port because the engine cools off at low power/idle. Assuming I've got one stuck open. Besides removing the alternator and tensioner are there any other gotchas? Does the tensioner just come off with the single bolt at the center of the tension device?

Thx advance!

Pretty sure all are the same at .012 intake and .024 exhaust.

 

[Irie308]

Since I’m in salt I fresh water flush my aftercoolers if I am going to be sitting without running the engines for a month or more. I’ve tried several things but I’ve settled on a poor man’s flush that doesn’t take much longer than checking the zincs. Remove the bottom zinc. Screw in the homemade flush adapter to the top zinc port. Then hook up the engine room hose and flush away. Just takes a few seconds to get all the salt out.
View attachment 118166

Does it make it all the way through the heat exchanger or does it just flush the aftercooler due to the shaft hoses?

 

[ZZ13]

Does it make it all the way through the heat exchanger or does it just flush the aftercooler due to the shaft hoses?

Just the aftercooler top to bottom. I can flush the whole thing if I want. I have an attachment I made for the output of the heat exchanger. I pull the output hose of the hx. Hook up my attachment to the garden hose and flush all the way through. I rarely do that. My hx and my gear oil cooler never accumulate much of anything.

 

[Forrestkk]

Just the aftercooler top to bottom. I can flush the whole thing if I want. I have an attachment I made for the output of the heat exchanger. I pull the output hose of the hx. Hook up my attachment to the garden hose and flush all the way through. I rarely do that. My hx and my gear oil cooler never accumulate much of anything.
View attachment 118206

I just bought a 3/4" NPT tap and thread set on Amazon for $25 and stainless steel valves ($18 ea.). Drilled all four of my strainer caps (mains, Gen, A/C) and I flush every day now (I've added some hoses that are permanently installed since this image).

 

[saopm]

Bumping the engine is pretty straight forward. You just need to get power to the ignition terminal of the mag switch. Using one of these, one lead clips to the ignition terminal of the mag switch and the other to the heavier battery input terminal of the mag switch. Since that terminal is hot the hand switch just jumpers power from it to the ignition terminal, activating the mag switch.
https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Start...cphy=9012427&hvtargid=pla-1384144629011&psc=1

Starting and stopping is more difficult because you gotta control power to the fuel solenoid to open (start fuel flow) and close it (stop fuel flow).

If the key/ignition is on and the helm start switch is in the run position, would the engine start using the remote starter switch in link you posted? I would think so, but not sure.

 

[Forrestkk]

If the key/ignition is on and the helm start switch is in the run position, would the engine start using the remote starter switch in link you posted? I would think so, but not sure.

Yes, it would start. If you want the ignition switch in run to bump the engine (not necessary on my boat) you could disconnect the solenoid on the fuel pump and the engine would not start.

 

[saopm]

Yes, it would start. If you want the ignition switch in run to bump the engine (not necessary on my boat) you could disconnect the solenoid on the fuel pump and the engine would not start.

I agree, I’m pretty sure it would start. My next question is getting it to stop. Perhaps I can get it to shut down by tripping the ignition breaker on the Main 12V DC panel in the bilge. Can anyone confirm?