Newell Gurus

A number of Newells were powered by Cummins ISX-650, which are now known to have a head design issue that causes the #6 cylinder to fail - sometimes catastrophically, when the exhaust valve disintegrates.    There is a re-designed head that eliminates this issue - and it's far cheaper to upgrade than be faced with a complete rebuild.

Cummins/Downey - CA was supposedly working on a quote to do this upgrade...but after 2+ weeks, I reached out to Newell (who have seen several coaches go through this) who pointed me to  Cummins, Joplin MO ~ where Newell brings their coaches.  John Mecey had the quote back to me in just a few hours, was extraordinarily knowledgeable about the issue and how this would be done in a Newell.  Best yet, compared to other coaches using this engine, Newells engineering/design made this much cheaper, because the access is so much easier.

See attached quote we just received...it's one of the few times I've ever smiled at a $20k quote (after seeing $25 ~ 35k others have paid!) - and John says this includes both camshafts being replaced, which may not be required!

I'm curious how many other Newells with ISX-650 and 600 engines have failed due to this...

If you go to irv2.com and go to the Cummins engine discussion, you will find many posts about the 650 ISX engine dropping the number 6 cylinder exhaust valve and the related costs.