5.9 Cummins Torque Specs
by Thomas West
Cummins is an American company that has been manufacturing diesel engines since the early 20th century. Before 1989, Cummins engines were probably best known for powering medium- and heavy-duty trucks, but in that year, Dodge began installing them in its three-quarter ton trucks. Although General Motors had been using diesel engines in its light trucks for more than a decade, those power plants did not compare to the heavier-duty Cummins engine.
Fuel System
The injection pump gear nut bolts require 125 ft.-lb. of torque. The banjo fittings on top of the fuel and water separator, and on the fuel supply and return lines should be tightened to 18 ft.-lb. The "T" fitting on the fuel drain manifold needs to be tightened to 106 inch-pounds. The fuel filter canister bolts require 18 ft.-lb. of torque. The fuel filter canister mounting nut needs to be tightened to 10 ft.-lb. The fuel filter drain valve mounting screws need only 30 to 40 inch-pounds of torque. The fuel tank mounting nuts need to be tightened to 30 ft.-lb. The injection pump mounting bolts need to be tightened to 32 ft.-lb. The fuel line fittings at the fuel injectors should be tightened to 30 ft.-lb. The fuel transfer pump mounting bolts require 9 ft.-lb. of torque.
Sensors
The camshaft sensor bolt needs to be tightened to 15 ft.-lb. of torque, while the crankshaft sensor bolt requires 18 ft.-lb. The engine coolant temperature sensor retaining bolt should be torqued to 10 ft.-lb. The accelerator position sensor bolts require only 105 inch-pounds of torque. The manifold air pressure sensor bolts get tightened to 10 ft.-lb. The water-in-fuel sensor bolts should be tightened to 15 to 20 inch-pounds.
Miscellaneous Components
The retaining bolts for the engine lift hooks require 57 ft.-lb. of torque. The engine control module (ECM) bolts should be tightened to 18 ft.-lb. The air intake housing bolts need to be tightened to 18 ft.-lb. The intake manifold air heater relay bolts should be tightened to 40 inch-pounds. The power control module (PCM) mounting bolts require 35 inch-pounds of torque.
