4BT Cummins Maintenance Schedule | When to Change 4BT Cummins Parts

July 21, 2021

The 4BT Cummins diesel engine for sale is extremely popular. Not only is it durable, but it is also smaller than some of the other Cummins engines. Because of that, you’ll often see the 4BT engine powering SUVs or Jeeps. In addition to its size and durability, it also has impressive performance specifications and, if taken care of, will power your vehicle for hundreds of thousands of miles.

However, as with any machine, the 4BT Cummins needs regular maintenance to keep things working smoothly. Keep reading to learn 4BT Cummins specs and how following a maintenance schedule can improve your engine’s performance and prolong its life.

The best way to maintain Cummins engine parts is by following the recommended service schedule. You can either have a professional come in and do it, or you can do it yourself. Either way, take some time to familiarize yourself with the schedule so that you can keep both your engine and your wallet happy.

Fuel Injectors

Even though fuel problems with the 4BT Cummins aren’t as prevalent as they can be with other new diesel engines, you still need to clean the fuel injectors routinely. That’s because all fuel injectors, especially those in a direct injector system, can leak and get clogged. Fuel injectors will, over time, lose their ability to hold in their pressure — that loss of pressure can lead to fuel leaks.

How can you know if this is happening to your engine? Look for symptoms such as:

Bad fuel economy
Lots of misfires
Rough idling

If you experience this, you’ll want to replace the fuel injectors with Cummins parts.

Oil Change Interval

One of the great things about doing a 4BT Cummins swap vs. other diesel engines is that you can get by with going longer between oil changes. While the recommended interval is 250 hours, most 4BT Cummins owners will go at least 5,000 miles before changing the oil.

That being said, everything depends on the type of oil used (whether fully synthetic, blended or conventional) and your type of filter. With a synthetic or blended oil and a premium filter, you should easily be able to make it to at least 10,000 miles before getting it changed.

Another thing that will impact your oil change interval is the type of driving you do. If your 4BT Cummins sees most of its miles on the highway, it will be easier to make it to a higher mileage interval. However, if your driving requires more off-road or frequent overloading, then you will need to change your oil more often.

No matter what type of oil or filter you use, changing your oil regularly helps keep your engine clean, which can help increase efficiency while decreasing wear and tear. Be sure you use Cummins engine parts when changing the oil.

Fluid Replacement

Oil isn’t the only fluid that you need to replace regularly. Diesel maintenance should always include all the different fluids that keep the engine running efficiently for a long time.

Cummins recommends having the engine’s cooling system flushed and refilled every 60 months or 100,000 miles. You’ll also want to ensure that you flush the engine coolant and replace it with new coolant.

You’ll also want to change your transmission fluid regularly. Most Cummins owners recommend changing the transmission fluid once every 120,000 miles or so, although some 4BT Cummins specs manuals will recommend you do it earlier, like at 60,000 miles, if you’re operating your 4BT under severe conditions.

Finally, the two other fluids you should worry about if you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle are the front and rear axle fluid and the transfer case fluid. The recommended intervals for those are as follows:

15,000 miles for the front and rear axles
48 months or 60,000 miles for the transfer case

When it comes time to change the fluid in your 4BT, you’ll also want to look over the corresponding Cummins parts to see if any need to be replaced. It does no good to change the fluid when the part itself is broken.

Conclusion

If you own a 4BT Cummins diesel engine and have been neglecting it for a while or need some routine maintenance done, don’t wait any longer. It’s essential to maintain the health of any machine for it to work correctly and last a long time.

If you’re interested in buying Cummins parts online so that you can get started with your 4BT maintenance, be sure to visit Diesel Pro Power. We’re here to make things easier for you. If you have questions about how often you need maintenance on any 4BT Cummins parts, what types of services are available, or anything else related to maintaining your vehicle, reach out to us anytime.