Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) blown head gasket, cracked gear cover....

[paulsmith]

1996 2 wd 3500 Auto. 302,000 miles.

Problems:

I have been dumping water into it for weeks, and know it seems I have a oil leak up high on the front, which is oiling my serpintine belt. Also, about a year ago, took it to the shop, the replaced the fuel shut off solinoid, but left out the long "horizontal" bolt, which caused the two top AFC cover screws to break off. Now I have only 2 AFc screws, and the one long bolt holding the shut off. Truck is beat up, bed sides smashed when a goose neck slid off the fifth wheel, the tail gate is about to fall off, paint on hood and roof are all but gone, and the steering has about 6" of free play in the steering box. Interior shows 300,000 miles. The exhaust stops in front of the rear axle. The truck has a salvage title and was a factory buy back, so the VIN number does not exist in factory records. (The front coil spring mount broke off the frame rail when the truck was 6 months old, and I guess tore the hell out of the body and frame. It was bought by a good ole boy in Mississippi and welded back together better than orginal and fixed the body like new).



Now the good:

It has the bullet proof DTT trans and converter.

It will pull 15,000#, 40' trailers at 80 mph and love it. (Over 300 hp for the last 160,000 miles)

I Love the truck, sits good, set up the way I like, all gauges, stero, etc.



I took it to the shop for repair of a blown intercooler hose, and a estimate... .



He put some stop leak in it (REAL GOOD SECRET STUFF) and it has stopped the water leak! (I was putting a gallon in every 300 miles) but he says there is a crack in the timing cover. He will reapir, but he will pull the engine, turn it upside down to move the lifters out of the way, and replace the cover. (He says the lifter "lifter" tools dont work well. )



So, as you can see, this truck could be considered "nearing the end of its useful life". It looks like crap. I cant see pulling the engine and spending $2500 repairing the cover on a 302,000 mile engine, even if it does run like a bat out of hell. I cant see scraping the truck over a oil leak, but dropping $5000 on a full rebuild is really more than the truck is worth.



So, after the long story, what would you do? CAN YOU J B WELD the oil leak. It only leaks/burns about 1 to 2 quarts every 3000 miles, so that is not a problem, but belt is oily. It looks like the leak is right about where the fan is mounted. I am not sure how the shop saw the leak, or crack, as I cant see it, only the oil.

 

[DieselTweaker]

I would do anything but JB weld it Come on man it's your rig fix it right and go for another 300,000 the money you put in fixing it is alot cheaper than buying a new one.

Just my 2cents

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Reads to me like the joke ad to recover the pet dog with one leg missing, blind in one eye, etc. that answers to the name "Lucky"

Seriously, it is time to test drive a 2005. You won't look back.

 

[mike r]

How much you want for it?

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

Sounds like the KDP has done its thing... Thats the first time I've heard of having to turn the engine upside down to repair the timing case /pull cam. I'd look fo a better mechanic.

 

[TrqMonster]

I agree, find a different mechanic. My truck is getting a new cam, fire-ringed or some other stuff at Scheids after I blew the head gasket. I went in to see how it was going and he had a setup so the lifters wouldnt fall down with the engine still in the truck to do the cam. Sounds like lot of B. S. to pull the engine just to fix that. That would probably save you at least $1000-$2000 just in labor costs. Just my . 02.

 

[paulsmith]

Well, After getting the replies I di, I felt bad about even considering retireing "ole Bessie" So this afternoon I took off work, came home and pulled the fan and shroud. Guess what, it was just a couple of loose bolts on the sheet metal cover on the gear case.



But, I read in another post "timing case bolts" about bolts loosing up, falling out and causing damage. Right now I have most of the timing gear case cover exposed. should I just go ahead and take off the sheet metal cover and check the rest of the bolts inside? Can I get to the KDP to loctite it? At 302,000 miles should I worry about the KDP? How hard it is to pull the crank pulley?

 

[mike r]

Darn it, lost another one! :{

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Paul, you're most of the way there, you've done the hard part, go for it! About all you need to finish the job is some locktite and RTV sealant, but once you take it apart you may want to replace the front crank seal. Go with RTV black or gray.



I pulled my cover and removed the 3 timing case retaining bolts I could get to and loctited them, pulled the 4th one part way and dribbled some on the threads.



I also tightened up every other bolt in there I could get to, and found most of them quite loose! My KDP was out 1/8" and I had 351,967 miles when I went after it.



Have fun,



Vaughn