Blown head gasket

[bvanetten]

Driving to work this morning I noticed I wasn't getting hot air out of the heater. Engine temp was down also. Truck was running good, plenty of power, oil pressure good. So i pulled into a gas station and got out and noticed right away something was amiss. Water dripping under the motor. Popped the hood and it was a mess. A water/oil misture was gushing out of the radiator overflow port. So now I got water in the crankcase and oil in the radiator. How hard is it to do a head gasket job on this motor. If it isn't that big of a deal (time wise) I'll do it myself otherwise it's going to the shop. Would this be considered unusual at 230K miles?



Bruce

 

[JLEONARD]

Bruce,

While I have not done one of these engines, I've done head gasket jobs on other diesel engines and plenty of gas engines.

IMHO the diesels were really no more difficult than a gas engine...

If you feel comfortable working on engines in general, give it a shot.

Jay

 

[bvanetten]

Jay,



It's not the technical aspect that has me leaning toward sending it to a shop, it's the time. Being a cheap SOB I'll probably do it myself in the end. I'm still scratching my head as to why it went in the first place. I'm not that modifed and it only has 230k miles on it.

 

[jbolt]

Here is a previous thread on replacing the head gasket.



Head Gasket



Jay

 

[JLEONARD]

Being a cheap SOB I'll probably do it myself in the end

I think most of us here resemble that remark!

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The updated head gasket 3283335 seals better. Be sure the surfaces are super clean, scrape, lacquer thinner, do it again, then again. Mop out all the head bolt holes with about 100 q-tips. Don't let crud go down the 6 oil feed holes in the deck for the rockers. The complete head weighs about 150 lb, use a cherry picker.

 

[BushWakr - RIP]

Well, I can atleast confirm what Joe said about the head... . darn heaviest thing I've ever seen.....



bob

 

[bvanetten]

Went to the gas station where I left it to strap it home... they towed it! It wasn't there more than 10 hours! Now I have to pay for the tow, the impound fees, and another tow to get it home! Thanks for the part# Joe.

 

[JLEONARD]

... they towed it! It wasn't there more than 10 hours!

That sucks!

That's why I joined AAA last year... . situations like that.

Already paid for itself when my wife's alarm (3 year old Jetta) wouldn't let her start her car.

Good luck Bruce. Let us know what you find when you get the head off.

Jay

 

[MMiller]

I just did my head gasket before christmas. It was gravy. I pulled it in the shop and in about 1. 5 hrs the head was hanging from the hoist. It is simple in a first gen, I did pull the hood so it was out of the way. I would recommend two things. A service manual for you 5. 9 and REMOVE the injectors either before you remove the head or before you clean the bottom of the head. I goofed and got into the ends of two of the injectors with the buffing wheel, and now they will be replaced because I am worried that the tips will blow off with time.



Just my $. 02.



The gasket kit from cummins is very complete and has everything I needed. Just make sure the block and head is insanely clean upon reassamble.



One more. When installing the push rods, they will be very difficult to get in the lifter. Get a flashlight, put your butt up in the air and peer down along EVERY push rod to ensure they are in their proper place. This can be very tedious and disscourging but NOT immpossible.



Michael