Grid heater bolt

[GBB]

There’s a lot of talk about the grid heater bolt failing and some are doing deletes with after market intakes. From what I’ve read it’s the grid heater relay staying on too long causing the bolt to melt. I had a recall couple years ago on my ‘21 where they replaced the relay. Is it certain years of trucks that had a bad relay causing the problem? My SIL just installed a Banks intake on his ‘12 and the grid heater bolt was fine and this truck lives in Alaska . Just curious.

 

[Ritchie_Rich]

A lot of fear mongers on the internet. Search Cummins Forum for extensive posts and threads on the subject.

 

[CdnHO]

Grid heater bolt failures are rare. My truck lives in a temperate climate so I’m not worried. Regardless of the climate, an easy way to prevent the engine failure is to check that bolt by wiggling it at every oil change. If it starts to feel loose time to deal with.

 

[Dodgeman]

For anyone that has removed their OEM (stock) grid heater and still has it, I have a question. Does is look like the heater fins could be bent slightly without breaking? If so, It would be possible to look at the grid heater nut with my borescope. I'm reluctant to change anything if I don't need to. The borescope needs 5 mm and from the pictures I've seen, it wouldn't take much bending to make enough room. However, I wouldn't want to try it if there is any chance of a fin breaking.

 

[Dodgeman]

Grid heater bolt failures are rare. My truck lives in a temperate climate so I’m not worried. Regardless of the climate, an easy way to prevent the engine failure is to check that bolt by wiggling it at every oil change. If it starts to feel loose time to deal with.

Based on some of the pictures I've seen, where the nut has been partially eaten away but not enough to seem loose, I wonder if the wiggle test might not be a foolproof indicator of impending failure. Thus my question in Post #4 about using a borescope to look at it every couple of years.

 

[AH64ID]

The potential for the grid heater nut to fail exists on all 6.7's with an OEM grid heater, 07-24. It's very very rare, but extremely catastrophic when it occurs.

The fact that it went 18 model years without a re-design or recall should indicate how rare it is.

 

[Deleted member 47449]

Grid heater bolt failures are rare. My truck lives in a temperate climate so I’m not worried. Regardless of the climate, an easy way to prevent the engine failure is to check that bolt by wiggling it at every oil change. If it starts to feel loose time to deal with.

We didn't purchase our 2024 Ram 3500 4x4 6.7L last Fall until we finally got power a month afterwards to our pole barn where it's parked in order to plug in the engine block heater for when the temperatures are below 0F. The temporary 300 feet of extension cords remained frozen in the ground for 5 months until April. Cold Semi-Arid climate just below a Sub-Alpine climate in the Colorado Rockies. I would say the majority of Ram trucks are used in more temperatate climates based on the attached map of the lower 48. That's where the majority of the population lives.

Our family's 2014 Ram 2500 4x4 6.7L in Wyoming is in a sub-arctic climate. Much harsher and colder than in nearby Cheyenne and Laramie. It's plugged in during winter. Sub-arctic in winter is worse than it sounds.

Always went with gas engines prior due to our high elevation cold spells. It was a decision for the purchase of our 2016 Tradesman Power Wagon vs a Manual Shift Cummins 6.7L in 2017.

Puts less electrical current usage through the grid heater bolt by being plugged it in at subzero temperatures, but it's still a concern.

 

[Dodgeman]

The potential for the grid heater nut to fail exists on all 6.7's with an OEM grid heater, 07-24. It's very very rare, but extremely catastrophic when it occurs.

The fact that it went 18 model years without a re-design or recall should indicate how rare it is.

That’s a good point. The few pictures around do make for good scare marketing for fixit products. However, looking at it this way would give me a good excuse to justify my new borescope. Actually, it was only $120 on Amazon and I am pleasantly surprised at the quality of the build and the pictures. Based upon the pictures of the grid heater I’ve seen, it looks like I would need to bend two of the heater fins apart slightly to get the borescope through. Thus the earlier question for anyone who might have removed their stock grid heater and could take a look at the fins for flexibility.

I certainly don’t intend to pull everything off to apply one of the grid heater nut fixes if I don’t have to. It is doing it’s job though. Based upon my locations, the grid heater is operating on every first morning start for about 10 months of the year.

 

[AH64ID]

That’s a good point. The few pictures around do make for good scare marketing for fixit products. However, looking at it this way would give me a good excuse to justify my new borescope. Actually, it was only $120 on Amazon and I am pleasantly surprised at the quality of the build and the pictures. Based upon the pictures of the grid heater I’ve seen, it looks like I would need to bend two of the heater fins apart slightly to get the borescope through. Thus the earlier question for anyone who might have removed their stock grid heater and could take a look at the fins for flexibility.

I certainly don’t intend to pull everything off to apply one of the grid heater nut fixes if I don’t have to. It is doing it’s job though. Based upon my locations, the grid heater is operating on every first morning start for about 10 months of the year.

Unless it’s below 10°F, even colder TBH, there isn’t a good reason to not bypass the full or most of the WTS cycle. It’s mostly emissions based above 10°F and comes on as high as 66°F in the intake manifold.

I would fully bypass my WTS light in temps down towards 10°F and below that only allow up to 10 seconds or so before staring. There is still a post-start heat cycle but you can eliminate a lot of grid heater on time by shortening the pre-start heat cycle.

 

[superjoe83]

That’s a good point. The few pictures around do make for good scare marketing for fixit products. However, looking at it this way would give me a good excuse to justify my new borescope. Actually, it was only $120 on Amazon and I am pleasantly surprised at the quality of the build and the pictures. Based upon the pictures of the grid heater I’ve seen, it looks like I would need to bend two of the heater fins apart slightly to get the borescope through. Thus the earlier question for anyone who might have removed their stock grid heater and could take a look at the fins for flexibility.

I certainly don’t intend to pull everything off to apply one of the grid heater nut fixes if I don’t have to. It is doing it’s job though. Based upon my locations, the grid heater is operating on every first morning start for about 10 months of the year.

You may be able to put your borescope through the manifold air temp sensor port, it should be big enough, it's on the rear part of the intake plate.

 

[Dodgeman]

You may be able to put your borescope through the manifold air temp sensor port, it should be big enough, it's on the rear part of the intake plate.

Thanks for the pictures. I think the turn thru thre temp sensor hole may be too tight. However, from your 1st picture, it looks like there is enough space between the plate and the corner of the grid heater to get through. The “picture is worth a 1,000 words” comes through again.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

My coworkers 22 3500So just dropped the heater stud last night. He told me he has a knock suddenly I went and grabbed the grid heater wire its completely loose so its the reason for the knock clearly. He is 5k within the powertrain warranty so hopefully he gets a new powerplant free. I just ordered the GPD heater for 3 of us here at the shop today lol

 

[GBB]

Disconnect mine from battery two years ago just do the double tap when it’s cold. Plan on doing the grid heater delete this summer

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Disconnect mine from battery two years ago just do the double tap when it’s cold. Plan on doing the grid heater delete this summer

We are in northern canada you cant do the delete unless you always park where you can plug in lol

 

[GBB]

I live in Alaska if it gets below zero I plug in

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I live in Alaska if it gets below zero I plug in

cant always plug in unless you are dragging a generator wwith you everywhere.

 

[cj8rockcrawler]

My coworkers 22 3500So just dropped the heater stud last night. He told me he has a knock suddenly I went and grabbed the grid heater wire its completely loose so its the reason for the knock clearly. He is 5k within the powertrain warranty so hopefully he gets a new powerplant free. I just ordered the GPD heater for 3 of us here at the shop today lol

My 22 just had a grid heater failure too at 34k. @H3LZSN1P3R, What happened with your Co-Workers truck? Thankfully, a long block has been approved through STAR for my truck to be covered under warranty. I was just told yesterday though that the long block is backordered through March!

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

My 22 just had a grid heater failure too at 34k. @H3LZSN1P3R, What happened with your Co-Workers truck? Thankfully, a long block has been approved through STAR for my truck to be covered under warranty. I was just told yesterday though that the long block is backordered through March!

My coworker tried warranty they refused at 3 different dealers because he bought it used and had no service records.

So after it failed it made a knock for about 20 mins then went away so I used my camera in the bore and the piston looked nlt bad a couple of smaller dents and no head or valve damage visible and no nut to be found in 5 and 6 (6was the only one with damage). We used the BD kit to get him going so he had a grid heater and the truck runs and tows flawless. We are going to build a used engine from a wrecking yard that has low miles and keep it as a spare for him.

I just ordered the GDP heater for my 19 as I don’t have time to pull it apart to change it with the BD kit

 

[cj8rockcrawler]

That's frustrating on the warranty coverage for him. I had a little bit of a battle too as I did my own oil changes. To me, the maintenence is irrelevant for a grid heater failure. I understand for the lifter failures why they want oil records given the oil requirement change for the 19+ trucks.

 

[Ritchie_Rich]

My coworker tried warranty they refused at 3 different dealers because he bought it used and had no service records.

So after it failed it made a knock for about 20 mins then went away so I used my camera in the bore and the piston looked nlt bad a couple of smaller dents and no head or valve damage visible and no nut to be found in 5 and 6 (6was the only one with damage). We used the BD kit to get him going so he had a grid heater and the truck runs and tows flawless. We are going to build a used engine from a wrecking yard that has low miles and keep it as a spare for him.

I just ordered the GDP heater for my 19 as I don’t have time to pull it apart to change it with the BD kit

So you are leaving the OEM heater in place? And just adding the GDP heater?