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Volunteer · 12-09-2016, 03:47 PM

I'm only about 45 miles from home and my Cummins B5.9 was barely able to keep me at 55 MPH coming into this emergency overnight stop. Looking "under the hood" I found that the exhaust elbow had detached from the discharge (exhaust) side of the turbo and there was exhaust soot all over the engine. The gap is about 1/16th of an inch wide and I presume this is what downgraded my performance. (or maybe my turbo crashed?)

The urgent question is, "Will I damage my Cummins by limping on home or must I have my Discovery towed to the nearest Cummins shop?" It runs OK but just doesn't have any power. Thankfully I'm in flat land and will be all the way home. Thoughts?

twinboat · 12-09-2016, 04:02 PM

That connection shouldn't effect the engines power. It would be like a muffler falling off, lots of noise and soot.

Is the air cleaner intake any where near your exhaust leak ? The filter could be full of soot.

If not, most low power issues are due to plugged fuel filters, when was the last time yours were changed ?

With out seeing your engine, " I " would not recommend driving it, but it's your rig.

mackwrench · 12-09-2016, 04:51 PM

The exhaust pipe off turbo alone probably wouldn't affect performance, however, my concern is why is it off? Perhaps a charge air cooler piping and hose brackets broken, pulling hose off and the loss of boost psi is your power issue....I'd look really close at all hoses, piping etc....I think you got bigger issue and could damage radiator if parts fall into fan....

LarryW21 · 12-09-2016, 05:16 PM

I agree with twinboat.

Lrakeahs · 12-09-2016, 05:22 PM

I just want to say, I think this site is just incredibly awesome...one can come here on a moments notice and get help.......where else can you get this kind of support.....RV'ers really are good people!

I hope you make your way home safely....

Bigd9 · 12-09-2016, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volunteer

I'm only about 45 miles from home and my Cummins B5.9 was barely able to keep me at 55 MPH coming into this emergency overnight stop. Looking "under the hood" I found that the exhaust elbow had detached from the discharge (exhaust) side of the turbo and there was exhaust soot all over the engine. The gap is about 1/16th of an inch wide and I presume this is what downgraded my performance. (or maybe my turbo crashed?)

The urgent question is, "Will I damage my Cummins by limping on home or must I have my Discovery towed to the nearest Cummins shop?" It runs OK but just doesn't have any power. Thankfully I'm in flat land and will be all the way home. Thoughts?

Good evening my friend! Like the others, I doubt the exhaust pipe coming loose just after the turbo is the culprit, at least not directly. But your statement that a 1/16 inch gap does worry me. A lot of hot gases come out of that gap and at high pressure, and anything in the way of those gases can get cooked. When I had my coach like yours, I found a rusted hole in the exhaust pipe and it shot hot gases toward the battery compartment melting the insulation from a wire.

Is the 1/16 gap before or after the exhaust brake valve? Have you oiled the exhaust valve recently? On my current 06 Discovery, the exhaust valve stuck closed and I lost power being able to only go 35 maximum until suddenly the valve must have opened and then she took off like a shot out of a cannon, or she ran like a scared rabbit!

So anyway, my thought is maybe the valve is frozen closed and restricting the exhaust flow, thus slowing you down? Also while under the hood check for cooked wiring in the area.

Be careful my friend. I wish you were closer and I could help more.

Volunteer · 12-09-2016, 06:40 PM

Hi, Peter ... glad to see you still browse these forums from time to time. In relation to your comments, this 1996 Cummins B5.9 mechanical doesn't have an exhaust brake. The braking is done solely by the transmission. The only thing on one side of that 1/16" gap is the turbo itself. On the other side of the gap is the exhaust pipe going to the muffler. The clamp that is supposed to hold the exhaust pipe to the turbo is still on the turbo portion and is tight. Actually it appears the exhaust pipe just slipped out of the turbo. Everything on the other side of the turbo (piping, etc) and air plumbing going to the CAC seem to be all connected. Likewise, the plumbing from the CAC to the intake manifold seems to be connected.

The oil, oil filter, engine-mounted fuel filter, fuel/water separator, and air filter are all fresh with only 100 miles since the maintenance.

For the first time ever, I made this short trip without my toad and all my tools are in the trunk of my toad. So here I sit all broken-hearted, blah, blah, blah. And I simply won't ask anyone to loan me their tools. Bad things happen when I do something like that. All my fault, of course. But that's another story.

Thanks for all the input and "lrakeahs" welcome to the forum. You're right on target with your comment. These are great folks and will bend over backward to help another driver in trouble.

Isaac-1 · 12-09-2016, 06:48 PM

If you would tell us where you are, perhaps someone is nearby and could offer some form of help.

SailorSam · 12-09-2016, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

If you would tell us where you are, perhaps someone is nearby and could offer some form of help.

At least give you a ride back to your Toad....

Volunteer · 12-10-2016, 08:14 AM

Those are both great suggestions and I appreciate them very much. But I have a ride lined up should my well experienced Discovery go farther down the toilet. And I'm in Sulphur, Louisiana, just West of Lake Charles, less than an hour from my home base in Beaumont, Texas.

Like most of you have suggested, my primary concern now is not the leak but why my Cummins has downrated itself. Again, thanks for all your responses.

johnhicks · 12-10-2016, 02:50 PM

A weld let go between my turbo and exhaust brake, downstream from the turbo like yours, and I had lots of power. There's something else going on.

Bigd9 · 12-10-2016, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volunteer

Those are both great suggestions and I appreciate them very much. But I have a ride lined up should my well experienced Discovery go farther down the toilet. And I'm in Sulphur, Louisiana, just West of Lake Charles, less than an hour from my home base in Beaumont, Texas.

Like most of you have suggested, my primary concern now is not the leak but why my Cummins has downrated itself. Again, thanks for all your responses.

Well Kit, how goes it? Are you home yet? Did your coach come with you or is it still 45 miles away? Inquiring minds want to know.

Isaac-1 · 12-10-2016, 03:31 PM

Wow as chance would have it I live nearby in DeRidder. If you don't already have a good mechanic lined up, I would suggest checking out the Dodge dealer in Kirbyville TX, we always take our Cummins diesel trucks there for service, they are good enough to be worth the 50 mile drive.

p.s. I also know a guy in the tow truck business Lake Charles, if you end up needing to have it towed talk to Ken at Atomic towing and tell him Ike from DeRidder sent you.

Volunteer · 12-11-2016, 11:56 AM

Finally got my Internet connection back and I'm happy to say the trip home was fine. Still can't get over 60-mph and it takes me about five miles to do that but the engine sounds great. No black smoke, no clanking, no whirring ... just a normal Cummins B5.9 running sound.

Ike, glad to know about the Kirbyville connection.

Back to my lack of power. The more I investigate and read, the more I feel like it most probably is an air supply problem, either the turbo itself or the piping between it and my intake manifold. After a day or two of rest I plan to get underneath with a good light and see what I can see. If anyone has an experience with low power like this I would really like to hear about it. For the record my CAC was removed along with the radiator and both were cleaned about 3,000 miles ago so I don't really suspect the CAC. Of course stranger things have happened.

I'll still very much appreciate feedback if you have any and my hat is off once again to members of this outstanding group.