| Configuration | In-line 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel |
| Bore & Stroke | 102 mm x 119 mm (4.02 in x 4.72 in) |
| Displacement | 5.9 L (359 in3) |
| Aspiration | Turbocharged/Aftercooled |
| Rotation | Counterclockwise facing flywheel |
- Highest production 6 liter diesel ever made and is still in production in over 6 countries worldwide
- The most proven mid-range diesel platform and is used in multiple markets
- The 6BT is the engine that put the Dodge Ram on the map and is still the most popular diesel pickup truck made today
- HX or Keel Cooling configurations / Seawater or Jacket Water Aftercooled
- Simple 12 valve mechanical design with parts pricing that no other engine can touch
Technical Resources
Idler Pulley Issues on Cummins 6BT / 6BTA 5.9
For the Cummins Marine B & C series engines released in the late 80’s to early 90’s, the idler pulley arrangement had an unacceptable failure rate. The engineers updated the idler pully support arrangement and... Read More
Cummins 6B & QSB Oil Filters
Lots of questions come up on what oil filter I should be using on the Cummins B or QSB 5.9. Below is what I can share based on using and working with this engine since... Read More
Cummins Marine 6BTA 5.9 & 6CTA 8.3 Maintenance Procedures
General Information Perform maintenance at whichever interval occurs first. At each scheduled maintenance interval, perform all previous checks that are due for scheduled maintenance. Maintenance Procedures at Daily Interval Coolant Level – Check Fuel-Water Separator... Read More
Dealing with the Seawater Pump on a Cummins Marine 6BTA 5.9
Mr. “6BTA 5.9” Cummins owner. Welcome to the world of “couch engineering”. The team of engineers who designed the mounting arrangement for this pump on the later Cummins 6BTA engines, cramped behind the engine mounting... Read More
Boost Fitting Locations for B & C Series Marine Diesels
The following images depict the possible boost fitting locations & ports to obtain boost pressure readings from the engine’s intake manifold. Many of the ports can be tapped directly or also can be “tee’d” into... Read More
Cummins Marine EP9 Nippon Denso Fuel Solenoids
EP9 Fuel Solenoids There are two types of external fuel Nippon Denso EP9 injection pump solenoids that I have seen used on the marine engines by Cummins. Pics below: “NUB” style ... Read More
