Headgasket blues

[Jeosbolt]

The other day i was on the 4 lane and may have fed the beans a little too much to my truck and lifted the head.
It’s pressurizing the radiator some and giving me a bubble at the cap every 10 seconds or so.
ive got a magnaflux machine so I’ll clean and check the head then gonna take it to the machine shop couple miles away and for 600 hes gonna deck the head 3 angle valve job and install all the parts I supply for the head. Springs seats retainers all that stuff.
I’ve also got a heavy duty fluid cooler that is a heavy equipment application but I believe it’ll work good with my setup especially in the stock location.
Im also putting a new h20 pump on and power steering pump at the same time the work is taking place.
This isn’t my first Cummins head gasket, but I’ve only done one other on a common rail and it’s been so long I don’t remember what to watch out for.
The ones I’ve done were 12v.
So what do I need to do to make this easy as possible for myself and have a good work space?
Should I leave injectors in for removal then install them in head before installation so it’s easier to get the right torque?
Should I have the exhaust manifold resurfaced?
Pull radiator support and cooling accessories then fan hub?
Leave the charger on the manifold and down pipe and just remove manifold from head ?
Any pointers or tricks I would appreciate it.
Ps: if I had a bigger budget I’d put a good single on it and cp3 and be happy with it forever it’s already got a 650hp trans, tuned via hptuners by Guy at Fummins tuning ( very pleased with how that went), flux 2 100 hp sac injectors, 4 in exhaust and intake tube running factory filter and box,and a gdp 2 micron filter kit inline after the factory fuel bowl filter (still using the factory as well ) and a fleece sure Flo in tank pump kit.
Parts list
mcbee upper gasket kit
Xotic studs
103 valve springs
Valve seats/seals
Retainers
Water pump
Valve job
head resurfaced

 

[Red Sleeper]

Sounds like you have a good plan of attack. Exhaust studs could be frozen to the head. They would be easier to remove with the head out and manifold mounted to the head. You technically don't need to pull the front end apart to remove the head. You could also drill and tap the coolant plugs in the head. There are several.

 

[Jeosbolt]

Here’s a update..
Working on this little bit at a time after work for a week or so.
These working conditions are tortuous, but it’s better than outside.. head is at the machine shop, he said he’s only had one Cummins head not have any cracks. It sounded like he was leaning to if the head had any cracks it wasn’t worth the time and money, or it was a waste for him to do the work.
I understand if it’s cracked into the coolant passages then it’s not useable in the sense of putting springs, retainers, etc into it.
I also have seen a head have 10-15 cracks in it and put down 800+ and I believe it’s still running that head today?
The engine has been hot I know of when the idler pulley bearing locked up and popped the belt and I was starting up a hill towing got to the top, looked down and 220 and climbing.
That was last summer?
I’m on a very tight budget.
What’s your thoughts and what you’d do?

 

[BigPapa]

Man, that thing’s full of rust.

 

[biggy238]

Cracks in the head are usually tolerable as long as they aren't to a jacket and they aren't valve to valve.
You need to check your head studs for stretch. Compare overall length. Check the cylinder deck for straightness. No point in putting a flat head on a deck that's out of spec hoping for a different outcome.
Your coolant doesn't have enough rust inhibitor. Cummins has a gallon jug cooling system flush that is acidic. Once you get it back together I would flush it several times and then put in a quality diesel rated coolant.
Also think strongly about dumping the water pump, you don't want one of those blades fracturing due to corrosion and eating the other blades.

 

[bateman]

Not sure if it’s a thing so much with diesels, but I dealt with electrolysis on our Trailblazer SS. Bad ground was causing current through the coolant. It decays metal fairly quick.

 

[biggy238]

Not sure if it’s a thing so much with diesels, but I dealt with electrolysis on our Trailblazer SS. Bad ground was causing current through the coolant. It decays metal fairly quick.

This absolutely is a thing. If the coolant looks like chocolate milk or is almost black like diluted ink, it's usually electrolysis. Also, you can open the cooling system, dip a lead of a dvom in the coolant and ground the other lead, and you will have voltage.

 

[Jeosbolt]

Cracks in the head are usually tolerable as long as they aren't to a jacket and they aren't valve to valve.
You need to check your head studs for stretch. Compare overall length. Check the cylinder deck for straightness. No point in putting a flat head on a deck that's out of spec hoping for a different outcome.
Your coolant doesn't have enough rust inhibitor. Cummins has a gallon jug cooling system flush that is acidic. Once you get it back together I would flush it several times and then put in a quality diesel rated coolant.
Also think strongly about dumping the water pump, you don't want one of those blades fracturing due to corrosion and eating the other blades.

Yeah I’ve got a Napa brand coolant flush I’m going to do when it’s back together, also got the gold heavy duty coolant with Cummins spec, it’s super s brand but retry much the same as the zerex g05 coolant or whatever it’s called.
Got a new water pump as well. My head is at the shop and I’m gonna bet it had a crack to a cooling jacket, is there any fix for those cracks?
I had an old Harley ironhead that an old machinist and I built. I bought after market jugs for it and we had to move the base studs out on the cases and filled the head bolt holes with silicate bronze so we could bore it even more then tapped new head bolt holes. Would that be a possible fix? Cleaning the cracks up and using silica bronze to fill the holes?

 

[bateman]

The way these things crack with no prior damage I would guess they will definitely crack around any repair welds. I’ve not ran across anyone doing it on the usual forums at least.

 

[biggy238]

I agree, I would consider anything like that a temporary repair.

Old World Industries makes the vast majority of North America's coolants. I forget the other one. Just keep track of what chemical technology it uses and don't cross contaminate it.

 

[Jeosbolt]

I agree, I would consider anything like that a temporary repair.

Old World Industries makes the vast majority of North America's coolants. I forget the other one. Just keep track of what chemical technology it uses and don't cross contaminate it.

Do you know what the name of that coolant additive is?
When I drained my old coolant it was clean green but I’m sure someone had ran straight water in it for sometime and over heated it