Getting a good Headjob

[HPLAGER]

As you can see from my info I am a long time listener and now a first time caller. My beloved baby has developed a coolant leak between cylinders 2 & 3, due to a bad head gasket at only 104,500 mi. I am planning to do the job myself and want to solicit some opinions and advice. My plan is to pull the head and send it to the regional NAPA machine shop to have it dipped & decked, 3 angle valve job, and possibly ported and polished. I feel that I can do the gasket matching myself, and upon reassembly installing a set of Diamond B 370s, along with Pier's Gov Spring Kit and an AFC Spring Kit. I would welcome any input, experience, or advice/opinion. (I also recently replaced the waterpump, thermostat, hoses and KDP tab). Thanks!

 

[dmurdock]

make sure you check the the block, too . . hopefully the gasket failed for some other reason besides warped head or block, but check it while you've got it all apart.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Very few shops can put a fine enough surface finish on the head for diesel compression. If the stock finish is flat enough, leave it alone. Get the head and block very clean, clean out the bolt holes carefully so when you thread in the head bolts they don't push oil and crud onto the deck. Use the Cummins gasket dry, no sealers added.



I wouldn't open the exhaust to gasket size as the ports would be very thin and probably would crack soon. Also the manifold holes are about the size of the head ports and both are smaller than the gasket.



I doubt if a gasser shop will know how to do the best job on porting your head. I have tried camshafts from prestigious gasser cam companies and they were junk. Hence Lawrence of Diesel Dynamics and I are using cams we designed from scratch, and they are radically different from what gas engines would use.



Torque the head bolts either the factory way or to 120 ft lb in steps like I did.

Hope this helps.

 

[HPLAGER]

Thanks Joe! After reading your reply and speaking to Piers yesterday I think I will pass on the gasket matching. I spoke with the machinist at the regional NAPA machine shop and he said that they do a lot of diesel heads there. Is there something that I could ask them to validate that they are qualified and equipped to do a good job on my head?