I lost a piston oiler. Pressure wouldn't go above 20 PSI (Cummins N14, ~30 PSI is normal), and the engine was wanting to shut down, but I managed to coax it (against my own better judgment, but I don't own the truck, or pay the tow bill) to the shop by running a gear low, and keeping it wound tight as hell.

I never knew engines had piston oilers. I should educate myself, so maybe I can catch the next one before it goes critical on me.

More than likely had a piece of trash in the oil system happens sometimes. Then it hit that oiler that broke and it was a simple matter of Hydraulic pressure it built up behind it and broke it off.

the highest possible hydraulic pressure behind that piston oiler" is equal to the engine oil pressure.... 30 psi

that's a hard way to get 'er to the shop

high horsepower diesel engines have them ; an old, 280 small cam 855 cummins doesn't have them, many series 60 engines don't use them

the n14 cooling nozzles are plastic, and will not endure shock or vibration. if internal engine work has been done (bottom-end bearings or inframe for example), a nozzle may have been bumped and cracked. the nozzles will become more brittle in high-mile engines

you most likely will have no warning of an impending failure

It has 300K on the in-frame, and has had a whole new set of piston oilers since then. The boss was surprised that the truck lost another one.

Shock or vibration. Hrm.

That's what I was thinking too. lol.