How to Install a Valve Cover and Oil Catch Can on a 2009 Ram 3500 6.7L Cummins

Updated on August 04, 2026.

Installing an aluminum valve cover and oil catch can on a 2009 Dodge Ram 3500 6.7L Cummins is not difficult because the truck is old. It is difficult because the job changes the crankcase ventilation path, opens the top of the engine, and leaves very little room for a bad hose route or a loose sealing surface. Treat it like engine work, not a dress-up Mod.

Key takeaway: Confirm the exact valve-cover and catch-can configuration before removing the stock parts. Keep dirt out of the valvetrain, hand-start every fastener, use the torque and sequence supplied for your exact hardware, and never connect a breather hose to an exhaust port unless the specific kit is an engineered exhaust-venturi system with its own instructions.

Scope, Skill Level, and Installation Time

This is a 2009-specific walkthrough, not a blanket claim that every 2007-2024 Ram uses identical brackets, wiring, sensors, or CCV plumbing. The cover family spans several model years, but the installer still has to verify the exact truck and kit variant.

Plan on 3-5 hours for a careful first-time DIY installation, including cleaning, labeling, hose layout, and leak checks. A diesel shop familiar with the platform may quote roughly 2-3 labor hours before custom hose work or seized hardware. Chassis-cab equipment, auxiliary wiring, aftermarket intake parts, and a custom catch-can bracket can add time. Do not schedule a loaded trailer run immediately after the job; leave time for a full heat cycle and cold recheck.

What the 2009 Ram CCV System Does

The 2009 Ram diesel supplement describes the 6.7L Cummins as using a closed crankcase ventilation system. Blow-by gases pass through a CCV filter on top of the valve cover and are recycled instead of being dumped freely under the hood. The same manual ties CCV-filter replacement, EGR-valve cleaning, and EGR-cooler cleaning to the truck's Perform Service reminder. You can verify the factory description in the official 2009 Ram Diesel Supplement.

An aftermarket cover can remove the factory filter housing and provide ports for a catch can or another approved ventilation arrangement. That does not make every hose layout interchangeable. A closed-loop catch can returns cleaned vapor to a designated intake connection. An open system vents through a properly sized, filtered outlet. An exhaust-venturi kit uses purpose-built hardware downstream in the exhaust. Those are three different systems.

Fitment Checks Before You Turn a Wrench

This job is written around a 2009 Ram 3500 with the 6.7L Cummins. The current SPELAB aluminum Cummins valve cover lists 2007-2024 6.7L Ram 2500/3500 fitment, but the page offers multiple cast, billet, and catch-can combinations. Match the truck year, engine, cover style, catch-can style, port count, fittings, and supplied hose before starting.

If your box contents do not match the instructions, stop there. Do not build a ventilation system from whichever fittings happen to thread together. The 2007-2009 Ram 6.7L parts collection is useful for checking the correct model-year family, but the individual product page and supplied instructions control the install.

Tools and Supplies

• Metric sockets, extensions, ratchet, and hand drivers
• Inch-pound torque wrench if required by the supplied fastener specification
• Plastic gasket scraper and lint-free shop towels
• Oil-safe cleaner applied to the towel, not sprayed into the open engine
• Labels, masking tape, and a phone for reference photos
• Hose cutter, hose clamps, and abrasion-resistant loom where needed
• Inspection light, mirror, drain container, and absorbent pads

An electric driver can speed up removal, but keep it away from final tightening. Aluminum threads and rigid flanges do not forgive an impact tool.

Step-by-Step Valve Cover and Catch Can Installation

1. Park Cold, Isolate Power, and Clean the Work Area

Park on level ground, set the brake, let the engine cool fully, and disconnect the negative cables from both batteries according to the truck service procedure. Clean loose dust and oily grit from the top of the engine before opening anything. Jobsite dirt dropped beside the rocker gear is a bigger threat than the old cover.

2. Photograph and Label Every Connection

Take wide and close photos of the stock CCV hose, electrical connectors, harness retainers, intake plumbing, and brackets. Label both ends of every connection you remove. Do not pull on wiring or use a connector as a handle.

3. Remove Only the Components Needed for Access

Move the intake tube, factory CCV plumbing, harness retainers, and brackets only as required by the exact truck and kit. Cap or cover open intake connections immediately. Put fasteners in labeled trays. A 2009 chassis-cab may not present the same access as a pickup, so do not force a bracket because a video showed a different Ram.

4. Remove the Factory CCV Filter and Valve Cover

Release the cover fasteners evenly, then lift the assembly without dragging debris across the sealing rail. The factory CCV filter is integrated at the top of this assembly. As soon as the cover is off, protect the exposed valvetrain with clean, lint-free material that cannot shed fibers or fall into the engine.

5. Inspect and Prepare the Sealing Surface

Check the old gasket for a pinched area, hardened rubber, and a track where oil escaped. Inspect the head rail for nicks, leftover gasket material, and oil pooled in bolt holes. Use a plastic scraper and a dampened lint-free towel. Do not gouge the aluminum, use abrasive discs, or flood the open engine with solvent.

Lay the new gasket into its intended groove and verify it stays seated at every corner. Dry-fit the cover without sealant first. Confirm the cover sits flat, the injector harness is not trapped, and each bolt starts by hand. Use RTV only where the cover or engine service instructions explicitly call for it.

6. Install the Aluminum Valve Cover

Lower the cover straight down. Hand-start every fastener several turns. Tighten in gradual passes using the supplied sequence, generally working evenly across the flange rather than pulling one corner down first. Finish with the specified torque tool and value for your exact kit. Do not copy a random forum number or convert inch-pounds to foot-pounds from memory.

OEM torque reference: The public 2009 Ram Diesel Supplement does not publish a rocker-cover capscrew torque. Cummins service information is selected by engine family and Engine Serial Number (ESN), and Cummins explains how to locate that number and open the matching manual through QuickServe's ESN lookup instructions. That ESN-specific factory value is a useful reference for stock hardware, but it does not override the instructions for an aftermarket cover with different fasteners, isolators, gasket compression, or flange thickness. Published torque values for other Cummins engine families are not valid substitutes for this 2009 ISB 6.7L.

The product listing identifies cast and billet aluminum options and lists the cover assembly at 7,282 grams, about 16.1 pounds. Support that weight during positioning. Cast aluminum is formed in a mold and is economical for a complex shape; billet parts are machined from solid stock for tighter control of features. Either one still depends on a flat rail, an undamaged gasket, and correct bolt load.

7. Mount the Catch Can Before Cutting Hose

Mount the can upright on a rigid bracket where the drain, fittings, and service points remain accessible. Keep it away from the turbo, exhaust manifold, steering shaft, belts, fan, and sharp edges. Leave room for engine movement. For an off-road or Payload-heavy truck, check that suspension articulation and frame movement cannot pull the hose tight.

The standalone Cummins oil catch can option uses a self-draining arrangement, while other valve-cover bundles may use a serviceable reservoir or multiple ports. Route the drain only as its instructions specify. A drain is not a vent, and a vent is not an oil return.

8. Route the CCV Hoses Correctly

Identify the cover outlet, catch-can inlet, catch-can outlet, and any drain before connecting hose. Follow arrows or port labels when present. Use sweeping bends, maintain the specified inside diameter, and avoid low sags that can fill with oil or water. Clamp the hose without cutting into it, then add abrasion protection anywhere it may touch a bracket.

Do not route a plain breather hose to an exhaust opening. Only a dedicated exhaust-venturi kit may connect to the exhaust, and it must use its supplied check valve, bung location, orientation, heat-rated line, and instructions. A closed-loop catch can returns vapor only to the designated intake-side connection. If the kit does not clearly show where the outlet goes, stop and contact the manufacturer.

9. Reassemble and Perform a Static Check

Reconnect the labeled harnesses, retainers, intake plumbing, and batteries. Before starting, account for every tool, rag, cap, and fastener. Verify that no wiring is pinched under the valve cover and no hose sits against a hot or moving part.

Will removing the factory CCV filter trigger a fault? The 2009 Ram manual describes the Perform Service message as a set-interval emissions-maintenance reminder; it does not describe a crankcase-pressure sensor as the trigger. A correctly configured 2009 installation therefore should not be judged by the absence of an immediate warning light. Improper routing can still cause pressure, airflow, oil-leak, or emissions problems, and any new code or message deserves diagnosis rather than an automatic reset.

10. Start, Heat-Cycle, and Recheck Under Load

Start the engine and let it idle while checking the cover perimeter, fittings, cap, hoses, and catch-can mount. Watch for oil seepage, whistling, hose collapse, excessive vapor, a pushed dipstick, or new fault messages. Shut down immediately for a major leak or abnormal crankcase-pressure symptom.

After one full heat cycle, let the engine cool and inspect again. Do not blindly retorque unless the cover instructions require it. Recheck after the first towing trip, long grade, Jobsite idle period, or rough off-road run because heat and engine movement expose weak routing faster than a five-minute garage idle.

Symptoms After Installation and What to Check First

A catch can separates some suspended oil and moisture; it does not repair worn piston rings, a damaged turbo seal, or severe blow-by. If the can fills unusually fast, establish a baseline by measuring what it collects over known miles and duty cycles, then diagnose the engine instead of installing a more restrictive filter.

Maintenance for Towing, Cold Weather, and Work Trucks

Do not use one fixed drain interval for every truck. Check a new installation after the first 100-200 miles and again after its first loaded trip. Record the amount collected. A truck that tows in summer, idles at a Jobsite, or makes short winter runs can collect a very different oil-and-water mix than a highway commuter.

• Towing and Payload: inspect for seepage and soft hoses after long grades because sustained load increases blow-by flow and underhood heat.
• Off-roading: check the bracket, hose chafe points, and drain clearance after vibration or contact with brush and mud.
• Extreme cold: inspect more often for water emulsion or ice restriction. A frozen can or low hose section can block ventilation.
• Dusty jobsites: keep any atmospheric filter clean and positioned where it cannot ingest direct dust or water spray.

DIY Cost and Shop-Labor Planning

Prices change by finish, billet versus cast construction, catch-can configuration, and availability, so use the live product variant instead of an old article price. Build the estimate from these lines before ordering:

DIY saves the labor line only if you already own the correct torque wrench and can verify the routing. A shop quote is usually the better buy when the kit needs a custom bracket, the factory harness is brittle, or the truck must return to towing duty without a troubleshooting day.

Street-Legal and Warranty Check

The factory 2009 system is closed and part of the vehicle's emissions configuration. Changing or venting that system may affect emissions compliance, inspection eligibility, and warranty coverage. The EPA vehicle tampering policy explains the federal standard for aftermarket work that may affect emissions. Verify the product's certification and the rules where the truck is registered before modifying a road vehicle.

This guide provides general installation and diagnostic information. The instructions and specifications supplied with the exact product, the vehicle service information, and applicable law take priority. Stop and use a qualified diesel technician if fitment, hose routing, or crankcase-pressure behavior is uncertain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does a 2009 Ram 3500 6.7L Cummins have a factory CCV filter?

A: Yes. The official diesel supplement describes a closed CCV system and places its filter on top of the engine valve cover. It also links filter service to the Perform Service reminder.

Q: What is the valve cover bolt torque on a 6.7L Cummins?

A: Use the value and sequence supplied for your exact cover, gasket, and fasteners, or the applicable OEM service procedure for factory hardware. Aftermarket covers do not all share one reliable torque number.

Q: Can I connect the catch-can hose to the exhaust?

A: Not unless the system is a dedicated exhaust-venturi kit with the correct bung, check valve, hose, orientation, and manufacturer instructions. Never place ordinary oil-resistant breather hose near or into a hot exhaust connection.

Q: Should a catch can return vapor to the intake?

A: Only when it is a closed-loop design and the outlet is connected to the designated intake-side port. Open-vent and exhaust-venturi systems use different plumbing. Follow the exact configuration instead of mixing layouts.

Q: How often should I drain or inspect the oil catch can?

A: Check it after 100-200 miles and after the first loaded trip, then set an interval from measured accumulation. Inspect more often during cold, short-trip, heavy-towing, or high-idle service.

Q: Why did the truck start leaking oil after the installation?

A: First inspect the valve-cover gasket and bolt load, then check for a kinked hose, blocked separator, undersized fitting, or wrong port routing. New leaks in several areas can indicate elevated crankcase pressure.

Q: Will a catch can fix excessive blow-by?

A: No. It can separate part of the oil mist from normal crankcase vapor, but it cannot repair worn rings, cylinder damage, or another mechanical source of excessive pressure.