'05 Budget Engine Rebuild

[MGreer]

That's amazing the pistons were good with broken rings in five holes. What size bbi's are you running. I'm planning on using the .1's.

 

[MGreer]

Number 5 hole on mine has a melted piston which seized the top two rings in the grooves. Thought I had a broken ring but they were just seized. Was going to do an in frame but mine isn't going to clean up with a hone.

 

[MGreer]

DV, sorry to see you have a cracked head.

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

You're livin' my dream RollOver.

Build looks sweet. Inspirational!

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

DV, sorry to see you have a cracked head.

No prob MG. Had a pity party for a minute that's all. I love these ol' workhorses. I just have to keep searching for the right combo to match my wallet. Please tell me how your's turns out.

 

[RollOver_Pete]

That's amazing the pistons were good with broken rings in five holes. What size bbi's are you running. I'm planning on using the .1's.

Yeah... It surprised the hell out of me. I knew that I had issues long ago... about 100k ago. But it still ran fine. Oil consumption wasnt bad if I kept the boost under 15psi. If I let it go above that, I'd get oil out from the valve cover gasket and I'd see oil leaking from the intercooler hoses. Like I said, It still ran fine. You could tell it had low compression (50psi) when you hit the starter. When #1 came up on the compression stroke, the starter would speed up. The blowby issue got pretty bad the last 50k or so. So bad that I actually ran a garden hose from the breather hose down along the frame rail and tied it into the exhaust pipe just before the rear diff. I drilled a hole, stuck a piece of 1/2 in pipe in the hose and shoved it at an angle to the exhaust pipe. Instant venturi effect. I'd change oil every 200 hrs. Cutting the oil filter open and they would always be clean..no metal. So I ran it. What made me finally take the time to do an inframe was when the rear main seal started puking out oil. About 1 to Banning and back. About 100 miles. Yeah...it was bad. Oh...BBI's..
kept it stock. .5's.
I know I got off lucky. I just wasnt about to assume the worst and spend $ like I had lots of it.

 

[RollOver_Pete]

You're livin' my dream RollOver.

Build looks sweet. Inspirational!

LOL... Thanks.
But truthfully, its been a damned nightmare.
And its nobody's fault but mine.
Poor life decisions, bad financial planning, a short fuse and refusing to file taxes.

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

https://www.littlepowershop.com/dod...007-dodge-5-9-cummins-new-cylinder-head-bare/

Anybody ever try one of these little power shop bare heads?

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

LOL... Thanks.
But truthfully, its been a damned nightmare.
And its nobody's fault but mine.
Poor life decisions, bad financial planning, a short fuse and refusing to file taxes.

Honestly, everything you did sounds like something I'd do.
Before I tore the 5.9 apart I bought a vented oil cap, then I built an elaborate oil catch can in conjunction with the cap. I also had a T'd hose run from the crankcase breather down the drivers side rear of the engine bay, down to the frame just aft of the driver's side torsion bar or radius arm or whatever they call it. All this was in an attempt to mitigate the blowby. I finally decided to tear it apart when the truck left a haze in the neighborhood well after I was gone.
Could be worse, we could be relying on other people to maintain our vehicles.
Keep on rollin' bro.

 

[Bromiley99]

Every head I’ve purchased I’ve done through the machine shop I use. I’ve never asked where he gets them. He gets the head, surfaces the head, and it’s extremely fast at a fair price, I don’t have to deal with shipping and core charges
That being said I’ve always thought the ones from power driven diesel sounded like a good one to try. Use a ported 6.7 head with hardened seats, but shipping and core charge have always prevented me from trying it

wait I did buy a new 12v head off Craigslist once

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

The cheapest move I can make is buy the little power shop bare head and use my valve train. Won't know if that's doable yet as I've not cleaned up the valves or measured spring heights. At cursory glance all looks good. Plus, when I took the valves out they all came out easily (meaning I don't think they're bent).
Will keep y'all posted.

 

[jghflys]

Machine shop called. Head is cracked.

My head was cracked also, common problem with third gens as are the broken rings.

 

[MGreer]

DV, any luck with a new head yet? Just got back home from the machine shop with my cracked head. Five of six cylinders have cracks. Planning on calling little power shop, they say they have an improved head casting. Just wondering if you had talked to them.

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

Sorry 'bout your cyl hd Mac.
Yes, I did contact LPS, but I didn't pull the trigger. When I asked questions about the bare hd they advised it was just that, a bare hd: no valves, springs or seals. I anticipated that, no problem so far. Then I asked about plugs, nope don't get those either. Then I did the math, doesn't work out in my favor.
So, I decided (once I save up another two months) to go with the Fleece street hd from XDP. Comes loaded, with screw in plugs. Knowing my core is trash, I'll have to eat that cost. But also won't have to pay core freight charge either. That doesn't get recouped if your hd isn't rebuildable.
Anyway, I got it down to $2,140 total. Now you know why I have to go collect aluminum cans by the side of the road and sell my blood plasma for two months (jk).
But yah, $2,140 and that's with tax and shipping and screw in freeze plugs and valves and springs and seals and a new hyrnea when I try to install it.
If you find a better deal I'm all ears. The wife gave me the pissed off librarian look when I told her how much. Good thing I didn't tell her 'bout the injectors I'll have to purchase, which probably caused all this hella mess in the first place.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
DV

 

[RollOver_Pete]

I did the math on my inframe.
Total parts, tools, chemicals and vodka came out to $5,000.00 plus 3 weeks of extremely hard labor.
So far, so good. No leaks, no strange noises and no blow by!
Oh....I did change the vacuum pump last week but other than that, its all good.
It's time for a 200hr oil change. A clean filter and I'll be a happy man.
How's the build coming D Vet?

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

I did the math on my inframe.
Total parts, tools, chemicals and vodka came out to $5,000.00 plus 3 weeks of extremely hard labor.
So far, so good. No leaks, no strange noises and no blow by!
Oh....I did change the vacuum pump last week but other than that, its all good.
It's time for a 200hr oil change. A clean filter and I'll be a happy man.
How's the build coming D Vet?

$5K, that's very cool! 'Bout half the price of a complete rebuilt crate engine. Plus, you know its done right.

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

My budget build is at a halt for funding. Plus, the Mahle rings that were supposed to be here by Nov 12th didn't make it. Vendor says new ship date is Nov 30th. Mind you, I ordered this rebuild kit in July. Everything got here except rings and oil pan gasket.
I am anxious to at least put the short block together, but that will have to wait.
Glad to see Rollover Pete got his engine together. Hoping to follow that success story some day.
Can't even think about buying a new (or good used) truck now since the prices have shot way past my income range.
I did decide to get a coolant bypass kit. That may suck up more funding but since the block is out its too easy to accomplish. I know we all have an opinion about their usefulness, but I see some value added in circulating additional fluid past # 5 and 6 cylinders.
Also thinking 'bout installing a heat exchanger bypass hose and running a non-fan transmission cooler under the bed of the truck to piggy back off the transmission cooler in the front stack. Again, I know we all have an opinion, but I see value added by going this route...yes I see people getting emotional about this stuff in other threads. Just doing what I think is right for my particular build.
The problem lies in funding, not motivation or time. The head will be $2,140 unless inflation tears through that like everything else this month. Then the fuel injectors are another $2K estimated.
In the mean time I'll have to prowl the threads looking for other success stories like Rollover Pete to keep me on track.
More than happy to here your success stories if you send them my way.

 

[sag2]

Also thinking 'bout installing a heat exchanger bypass hose and running a non-fan transmission cooler under the bed of the truck to piggy back off the transmission cooler in the front stack. Again, I know we all have an opinion, but I see value added by going this route...yes I see people getting emotional about this stuff in other threads. Just doing what I think is right for my particular build.

Just wondering why you want the cooler under the bed? Is it to eliminate the oil to coolant cooler on the engine so it can't leak and ruin the transmission, or to add additional cooling capacity? The stock engine mounted cooler can't be beat for efficiency, so even with an oil to air cooler with fan it will not provide the level of cooling an oil to coolant will. Just something to think about.

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

Just wondering why you want the cooler under the bed? Is it to eliminate the oil to coolant cooler on the engine so it can't leak and ruin the transmission, or to add additional cooling capacity? The stock engine mounted cooler can't be beat for efficiency, so even with an oil to air cooler with fan it will not provide the level of cooling an oil to coolant will. Just something to think about.

Sag2,
I've seen this subject addressed in multiple threads, not just here in the Register, but also in other forums. I'm not an engineer, I don't even claim to be smart. I plan to bypass the heat exchanger for two reasons: (1) to declutter the engine compartment. Is that a petty reason? Maybe, but as I already conceded I don't claim to be smart. (2) From my non-engineer POV, the heat exchanger is built around a finned heat dissipation concept. The cooling block is designed to dissipate the heat away from fins in the blocked rectangle heat exchanger main body.
The coolant side is more for heating the transmission fluid than cooling it.
I plan to put the transmission coolers in series in the hopes of lower temps for towing.
I don't claim that this is the right plan for everyone. I live far south, and tow only in the south. I don't tow in cold temps. I idle the vehicle for a few minutes then go on my way. I say this to emphasize the fact that I'm not asking the transmission to operate in a cold or below operating temp environment.
I'm installing the coolant bypass for the same reason, trying to reduce engine temp in heavy hauling operations.
If you look back through this thread you'll see that someone corrected me when I tried to call the heat exchanger a transmission cooler. They were right, its not a transmission cooler.
Let me again concede the fact I'm not an engineer. If my cooling configuration dies not work I'll put it all back to original, don't plan on throwing anything away.

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]