another head gasket

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gwhammy

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Sep 14, 2006
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Well, popped a nother head gasket. I noticed earlier this week it bubbled into the overflow tank. Today just driving it completely let go, might have ruined the motor I don't know. It got warm before I got home. I've never had this much trouble from a cummins before.

Can't figure this out the head was flattened and the block checked out good. What am I doing wrong.

Motor has 18 degrees of timing and boost is around 63 lbs. It will be a couple of weeks before I get it tore down, lucky or unlucky I was just about to take off in it saturday to shreveport la. Just glad it decided to this here instead of 400 miles down the road.
 
no I had bad luck with a oring once. I'm going to put it back one more time and torque to 150 lbs. If this doesn't hold I guess I might put a different motor together for it.

This is a daily driver, I really don't run it that hard. 99.9 percent of the time it never sees over 30 lbs. of boost. I see guys like blue running 80 on stock headbolts with no problems. Guess I'm just unlucky.
 
When you pull it apart, take some pictures of the gasket itself. I'd like to see where it was blown.
 
I can do that, it was bubbling up are the exhaust studs between two and three cylinders. I'm going to back the fuel off so it tops out at 55lbs. of boost. It will be a couple of weeks before I tear it down, I started it this morning and it seems to run fine. It had a miss on a couple of cylinders but once it run a few seconds it cleared right up.

I'm going to have a buddy come and check everything for straight with a machinist straight edge just to make sure I didn't miss something last time.
 
I run a single O-ring on my 98, did it with the old motor and studs@65 psi and with 14mm's on the newer motor to 85 psi and have never had one gasket failure. If it has an O-ring in it now look at how the O-Ring bites into the gasket, that will tell you allot, if it doesn't have one your on borrowed time at 18 degrees and 63lbs.....did that first and it lasted 6 months.

Jim
 
I'm on borrowed time then. No oring. My buddy has one of the old oring tools you set in the bore and turn it, probably from back in the 60's. I might try to find a head with an oring groove cut in it before I do a gasket again. Anybody got one close for sale?

You are right forrest, I had some bad stinky stuff when I was a teen and it didn't scare me away! Same difference ain't it?
 
Maybe run some additive with high silicate content after the new gasket? seep in and solidify inside any leak pockets.
Aside from all that, Id make sure a machine shop does the grooves, not some guy with a hand tool. the depth needs to be consistent Im not sure how youd do that with anything thats run by hand.
I havent had issue with mine but they havent gone over 45psi, that will change real soon.
 
gwhammy said:
You are right forrest, I had some bad stinky stuff when I was a teen and it didn't scare me away! Same difference ain't it?
Click to expand...

Not really head gaskets are easy to fix. STD's are forever :hehe:

You'll need a good O-ring set up for longevity.
 
There is nothing wrong with with (BHJ) hand cranked o-ring tool as long as the person doing the work has a fully functional brain. My truck with hand cut o-rings and studs has held 100 psi for a several years now. You just can't let any run of the mill window licker do your o-ring work. $.02
 
i would check the obvious and make sure everything is flat. also just for ****s and giggles you ever have your torque wrench checked? i had a head gasket last me 3 months did back to back 60psi + pulls and she popped. had the wrench tested 130lbs was actually 90
 
No haven't thought of that. I might borrow a buddies, he does pulling tractor and race motors all the time.I'm still a couple of weeks from working on it.
 
hes talking about a iskey o ring tool where it cuts into the block. I did mine like this they work great you just need a bridge and a good dial ind. to check the depth.
 
I had a piers head that was oringed, and that thing was bullet proof. Standard ARP 12MM studs, and pulled it for over 4 years. Had seen all sorts of heat, even hot enough that I stalled the engine and it wouldn't crank for about 15 seconds cause the pistons had seized in the bore. LOL
 
Where in Mo. does orings? I had a guy do one with a cnc mill but I don't think he will do another one.
 
Had simular issues, not to over state the obvious, check and make sure the locating pins didnt fall out at some point. Also what kind of gaskets are you using, had all kinds of issues with aftermarket gaskets.
just a few simple suggestions
 
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