TIL the hard way: manual compression release vs decompression cable on an old Cummins

So I was messing with this 1992 Cummins 5.9 in a Dodge W250 last weekend, trying to get it started after sitting for 2 years. The truck had a manual compression release on the valve cover, but I'd also heard about people using a decompression cable to make it easier on the starter. I figured the cable would be smoother and less hassle, so I spent a good 2 hours installing one from a parts kit I got off eBay for $40. Hooked it all up, turned the key, and the starter just grinded and barely turned the motor over. Then I tried the old manual release - pulled that lever by hand, cranked it, and it fired right up on the second try. The cable just didn't give me the same leverage or feel. Now I'm thinking I should've just replaced the starter solenoid instead of messing with the cable. Anyone else ever try one of those cable setups and have it flop on a 12-valve?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyc333d ago

Honestly, did you lube the cable good before you ran it? I messed with one of those on a '91 12-valve a few years back and had the same problem until I realized the cable was binding inside the sheath. Once I got it greased up and made sure the lever at the valve cover had a clean return, it worked way better than the manual release for me. I still had to replace the starter solenoid anyway though, that old one was barely pushing juice. At the end of the day, both the cable and the solenoid needed doing together to make it crank right.

ryang773d ago

Yeah but was it really that bad though? I mean sure a sticky cable can be annoying but swapping the whole solenoid on a 12-valve is like a 15 minute job if you know what you're doing. I've run beat up cables dry for years without any real issues, just gotta yank it a little harder sometimes. Feels like people overthink this stuff when half the time the starter just needs a clean ground and a solid battery connection. Not saying you're wrong about the cable binding but sometimes you gotta ask if it's really worth the trouble for something that might just be a ten year old battery or a loose terminal.