Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) From Bad To worse

[snidley1]

I love my truck but its beginning to test it. I had a leaking cam seal and was already going to need to pull the whole front end off. That was bad enough but yesterday the head gasket decided to go. #@$%! I may be wrong but I thought head gaskets blew because of large!! amounts of boost. Mine is 32 psi max. Possibly two much timing ?? Any way Does anyone have a lot of advise for what needs to be done while my truck has the head and the whole front end pulled. Anything to prevent future problems or things that would be good to do while in to this thing this far. For the love of pete I don't want ever do it again!! Thanks for all the help.

 

[AKAMAC]

With your mods, I don't see any reason for your troubles. You can do different options for the head mating surfaces but they would only apply to higher HP applications. As to the front end problems... ... . They are there and can be fixed with the proper application of parts and labor. Just be sure to replace with good after market stuff.



The cam seal that went? Is that what your asking about FE removal?



How many miles on the rig? Mike

 

[snidley1]

I have 115,000 on it and I don't see the reason for the troubles either? I thought that someone else might se a reason. Some had metioned to me that to much timing on a cold morning could do it?? What I was wondering is that

what else do I need to do while I am this far?? Not planning on any more power upgrades at all. But if there is something I can do to help prevent more trouble and make my truck last longer and be more dependable. I had though I would have my valves groung while the head is off.

 

[Cummins724]

That is unheard of to lose your headgasket..... possible that you had too much timing, but still wierd. You should check the head/ block with a straight edge & see if the head is warped. It is possible that the valve guides may need done, but I would just change the gasket with a new cummins gasket... . no aftermarket. Are you sure it is a gasket & not a freeze plug in the back of the head? Where is the leak at... . front/rear?

 

[snidley1]

The leak is from what I could tell is in the front on the exhaust manifold side. Were the head meats the block . Its not completlety gone yet but, Im scared to drive it. It will leave al little puddle every were you park it. It might Have been leaking before because were my cam seal is leaking I could see a little coolent in it every once in awhile on the ground. Im scared that it might get worse. For example my head coud be cracked or the front cover might be cracked causing part of the oil leak. I thought that I had stayed mild enough with my bombs to avoid most of this but it seems like Im having more trouble the high hp guys. Sometimes I feel like trading it but I love the truck. I have a family unckle that owns his own diesel shop though. If it wasen't for that this would suck realy bad. But its still not going to be cheap.

 

[SnoKing]

Sure it is not the water pump. My dripped at the right front corner of the engine. I was very difficult to see that it was coming from the water pump!!!! Check it out. SNOKING

 

[Cummins724]

It could be the water pump or the oil cooler perhaps.

 

[snidley1]

It could be but Im pretty sure its the head gasket. I can see were its running out. Whats every one think about the odds of the head being cracked.

 

[CSnyder]

Ive been driving my 2000 with a leaking headgasket for the last 30,000 miles. It started leaking when I was in New York state loaded down with a gooseneck and a heavy load over Thanksgiving last fall. I leave a puddle everywhere I stop but I just keep adding a bit of coolant each time I drive it until I get the ring cutter down here from the north shop Im gonna keep running it as is. Unless its pouring out or mixing with oil I wouldnt be afraid to drive it but watch your coolant level. Ive personally made several long out of state trips with mine leaking.

 

[MHagen]

My last motor did the same thing but in the rear of the head. Swapping a head gasket is really easy. I did it in less than 4hrs and it was my first time.



Mike

 

[snidley1]

Well I guess that I will try to get it in in the next week or so thanks for all the advise. There was one other thing that I was wondering about, not related to the motor. Has anyone else ever had there truck try to roll backwards on a hill when parked and loaded. Mine tried to roll back in low gear with a large load of cattle behind it the other day.

 

[GKing]

As long as it is not mixing water in the oil or vice versa and the exhaust is not wet, it is more of a nuisance than a big problem. I've had 400 Cummins Recon that the back head leaked from day 1. Put over a million miles on that old girl. Got a N-14 Celectplus now and the front head leaks and has been leaking for almost 430,000 miles. Cummins always told me as long as it leaks to the outside no problem. Just a nuisance. Every 2 years we change the head gaskets and no leaks for about 20,000. Even changed the head with a Recon from Cummins same scenario, it came back. I guess some of these Cummalongs are going to leak.

 

[Ragain]

I hear that its quite common for the head gasket to wash out on the front corner. Mine did @ 60,000 mi & I ran it 3 years that way. Took it to a Dodge dealer near home 3 times only to pick it up 3 days later untouched! Wichita area Dodge seemed like they weren't interested in Cummins repairs. That was ok though, didn't really trust 'em anyway. The leak eventually got bad enough that I couldn't get coolant warm enough for cab heat, so I tore it down. Be sure you trust the head shop that does your machine work. Also heard that Cummins brand head gaskets are ones to stay away from. Several persons in the know recommended the Fel-Pro set. No problems since!

 

[NIsaacs]

What cam seal are you talking about?





"NICK"

 

[KCanepari]

look at the casting number on your block. if it's "53" it's cracked. sounds like just the location your talking about.

 

[snidley1]

I Didn't think a 53 block would be in an 02 ?

 

[Huff N Puff]

My thoughts exactly,what cam seal

What cam seal are you talking about?





"NICK"

I think he means the gear housing,my thoughts on that is the head gasket is leaking somewhere up front making the gear housing look like its leaking. Check that first before you pull the timing cover.

 

[PSchwering]

another place to check for the coolant leak is the water outlet pipe. the one the rad. hose hooks to. it is very difficult to distinguish a leak there from a headgasket leak.



Also, describe this oil leak to us. The Camshaft has no seals to leak, so What is really leaking??

 

[snidley1]

let me Start form the beggining. since I bought my truck with 60,000 on it the the oil pan and the oil pan and the front of the motor has stayed preety wet with oil. I took it to be the vent tube boddle and went on. I done away with the bottle and ran a hose back behind the motor. Block still stayed wet and know In the last year it started leaving little drops of oil were I ever I park it. So I took it to my Unckles shop who has worked on over the road tractors and light duty diesels for 25 years or more. He said that there two stages two the front of my truck outer cover and behind that in the second stage was were my oil leak was coming from. He had replaced more than one of them and that the cam would need to be pulled to fix it right. He also said he could do it with out pulling the head by using some rig he heas to hold my valves open. This was before the head gasket. Latley I when I looked at the little oil puddles I could see just a little coolent on top of the oil. Saturday I moved cattle with my truck not four miles down the road. Stoped at the store and now Im leaving coolent puddles. I didn't pull the truck hard either.

Poped the hood and the leak is in the font were the head and the block come togeather. I can see were coolent has been running down the block. Sorry for the long post but maybe this will help answer some questions, and help you answer mine. Im going home after work and check to see if my block is a 53 after some of the last post. If it is that might be the final straw!!

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

snidley1,

I hear your frustration man!

You have two leaks, right? An oil leak that you believe is between the gear case and the front of the block on the drivers' side, correct? And a coolant leak that appears to be coming from the head just behind the thermostat, right?

Two recommendations:
1. Torque the oil pan bolts, see if the leak stops. If not, check the vacuum pump for oil leaks, very common and easy to fix with a seal kit. Could also be crankshaft seal. If these do not fix the leak then use dye in the oil and the light/glasses kit to find where the leak is. Don't throw money at an expensve repair that may be unneccessary.
2. Torque the head bolts. My head leaked for 180,000 miles exactly where you say yours is. I torqued the head bolts and the leak stopped. Needless to say, I didn't let the coolant run low during that time. If this doesn't stop the leak and you are sure it is the head gasket then throw a head gasket on it and, if it will relieve anxiety, replace the gear case gasket AND vacuum pump seal AND crankshaft seal at the same time; much eaiser done at the same time and less down time.

If you decide to sell the truck as is there are probably several members who would be interested. These really are minor, but annoying, problems.

Let us know what happens.

Godspeed,
Trent