Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Head gasket finally let go

[CumminsPower98]

Well I'm up in Calgary, AB where I dropped my last 5th wheel trailer and I finally blew my head gasket. When I got to my motel I poped the hood to look things over and saw that the overflow tank was plumb full but had not run over other then a few drops. I let it sit over night and it didn't suck it back in. I removed the radiator cap and on the bottom there were a few small pieces of orange rubber gasket traces used around the water ports so that told the story right there. I have 247k on the truck now so it was bound to happen at some point. I have been trying to keep my boost below 30 psi to save the stock gasket (should have adjusted the boost elbow) but yesterday I saw it get up to about 37-38 for a few moments while on cruise before I noticed so that probably nailed it. I may have gotten up there other times too but not much. It was -23F in places in northern Montana yesterday morning along with wind and I was towing so that made for easy high boost. Now I hope I can make it back to Utah without any major problems and fix the thing. Hopefully the head is straight and uncracked.

 

[MrDiesel]

Your truck is cool! I live in the Goshen/Middlebury area, I'm surprised I haven't noticed it around. I looked at your Wish List and thought I might add you could try a Posi-Lock front axle kit that would also allow you to run in 2-Lo and not engage your front axle. Good luck on your return trip.

 

[CumminsPower98]

Thanks, yeah I'm pulling Jayco's for Classic out of Middlebury right now. Been doing it for a year this month. I don't like it but it's my best means of income right now. What is this Posi-Lock front axle kit you are talking about? Is it the calbe kit for engaging the axle? I have the vacuum valve needed to do the kit I just haven't taken the time to set it up.

 

[DJWyckoff]

first things first nice truck! I wish mine looked that good. but as i skimmed through your mods there was no fuel ajustment so how did you get 30psi or better? and after all those mods I was suprised that you havent allready had studs or bolts replaced to prevent this? sorry about your luck

 

[MrDiesel]

Posi Lock removes the vacuum motor that engages the front axle, and adds a cable pull positive engagement. Think of it like old school lock outs but you operate it from the cab. I'm sure they have a web site, and lots of off road shops sell the kits too...

 

[CumminsPower98]

I have listed custom ground fuel plate on the "my ram" page. I don't have any details listed on it though. A cousin of mine got a trace of a #5 plate from a shop and I copied that. It didn't come out exact but it works well. It's putting out roughly 300 RWHP. 4" exhaust, 16 deg. timing and medium AFC spring. As far as studs and such goes I didn't figure I was pushing things hard enough to need them and I'm not rich enough to get too crazy. I suppose I should consider studs when fixing this. This head gasket had a tiny seap (little run no more then 1. 5" down block) in the normal spot under the t-stat before I even started towing but stopped after I started so it just goes to show it was starting to corrode some time ago, although not related to what just happened since this was blown out from compression probably.



MrDiesel, yeah that's what I thought, I have seen those. I prefer to leave it vacuum for now, just need to install the parts at some point.



Hmmm, just looked at price of head studs and that's out of the question for now, I'm trying to get out of debt and it's been going slow. Maybe I can add them down the road a ways when I have more money flowing. At least the truck is finally within one payment of being mine!

 

[WaynesWorld]

CumminsPower98,



When my head gasket let go at the race track last year, it was from age.



A suggestion, o-ring the head while its off.



It will be able to take more boost that way. I'm pushing 47 right now. Oo.



Best of luck,

WAYNE

 

[CumminsPower98]

I would like to do all kinds of things while it's off but money won't alow. I would love to get it ported/polished maybe 0-rings, studs and so on but just can't. This one has 247k on it and most of those miles were with the current fuel and timing so it has held up pretty well I think. A new and improved gasket will probably go a long ways for me. I will probably go ahead and adjust my boost elbow to limit boost to 30 or so psi also. I'm not trying to build a monster here, I just need it as dependable as I can get for towing on a very limited budget and fast so I can get back out there.

 

[tp0d]

Well if you're not towing on the way home, drive at a low rpm and watch the hills, you should be fine. But if you're towing, I wouldnt attempt it. Definetly adjust that boost elbow before making the trip.



if the coolant is in the bottle, where did all the displacement come from? Air? pockets of air in the cooling jacket is a baaad thing. might be a good idea to look up a shop in AB and get it taken care of.



good luck



-j

 

[CumminsPower98]

I will be empty for sure and will keep things low key. I put the extra fluid back in so will keep a close eye on things. I would have someone come up and get me if it came to not driving it home as I do all my own work.

 

[DJWyckoff]

"Hmmm, just looked at price of head studs and that's out of the question for now, I'm trying to get out of debt and it's been going slow. Maybe I can add them down the road a ways when I have more money flowing. "



GO TO A REPUTIBLE FASENER SUPPLY STORE and buy some allen head bolts grade 12 or better and some washers (get the washers smaller and hone out the center to fit standard size will not fit some places on the head rocker covers ect. ) mine were $70 I replaced them after work one night one at a time front to back my stock head gasket is still living today (329k mi and has seen 42lbs) because of this mod. some may think of this as a "hack" but when I saw a 12V pull truck running 100lbs of boost with these bolts I was sold (pull truck was O-ringed) the head didnt lift. +timming = extreme head pressure. I have seen trucks in your case where you could unscrew 4 to 6 bolts w/your fingers after gasket failure.



sorry it has been a year or so but I will post the torque size length thread pitch and source later.

 

[CumminsPower98]

Well I'm happy to roport that I made it home just fine. I started the thing up and first thing checked for pressure building in hose and found none, I then checked for bubbles and found none. I put most of the coolant back in the day before. I kept the speed at my normal 70 and kept the boost below 20. It never pushed out a drop that I could tell as the tank stayed at the level I left it the whole time. Now to get it apart and see what's in there and figure out what rout to take for holding the big piece of cast down. I will keep this updated and probably post some pics.

 

[TurboFan]

What would you say is maximum recommended boost for a stock head gasket & bolts?



Thanks,

Greg

 

[JJW_ND]

I don't think age had anything to do with your HG failure. I am not sure when Cummins started using the "better" HG but it seems to be getting more common seeing later model (96+) trucks with HG failures. Especially the manual - higher HP trucks. Many of these failures are in trucks that are stock and NEVER pulled.



Using the revised (Marine) HG, having a flat deck, everything extremely clean and new bolts or studs and you will be in much better condition then you were originally. And be able to handle increased fuel.



Im guessing you ran done I94 through MN, ND up to Calgary? I just wonder what drivers think when they head down I94 westbound in the open country into 20 - 40 mph NW winds and then the cold we recently had. I seen dozens of campers rolling west this weekend. I used to pull and know what it is like to pull into a strong, subzero headwind.



jjw

ND

 

[CumminsPower98]

Yes I was on I94 in ND and then in MT I was up on hwy-2. In ND I had very strong cross winds from the north. In MT I think I had north west winds. I will tell you what I was thinking, I hate the wind and it was really ticking me off those two days I was in ND and MT. I was on a tight Schedule trying to deliver before closing time Friday so I had to push it a bit. I wanted to drop my speed back to 60 or so but instead was trying to maintain 65 as much as possible. I was running well over 20 psi most of the time. I was watching the gauge closely most of the time but my problem probably came when I had the cruise on and it shot up on a small hill and I didn't get it disengaged fast enough. I'm just glad I had a small 5th wheel (27 ft. ) rather then a TT.



I got the head off yesterday and didn't see anything real obvious but there are a couple spots that I figure are probably where it blew through a bit. I always look for the rusty places on the sealing rings where they were not make good contact. I agree that age could have played a roll here. The cylinders look great and I can hardly detect any wear, just nice cross hatching and the slightest little ridge that I just barely detect. I have not cleaned anything up yet but I on first glance I don't see any cracks. Today I will probably strip it down and head for the machine shop 110 miles away in my Dad's 3 of 4 cylinder '87 Civic, hahaha (bad valve I think) and uses oil like gas.



Oh and this HG looks about the same as the revised ones I have worked with on a '97. The original on the '97 had a gasket with narrow orange sealing traces and the replacement had much wider ones as does my stock one. So judging by that I may have already had the revised one.

 

[CumminsPower98]

The head is at the shop and showed about . 008 end to end so it will get surfaced and a valve job. I have pretty much decided to get a stud kit even though I can't afford it. I figure that's better then my head lifting again. I ordered a . 010 gasket set (should handle higher boost). I have stud questions though. ARP or Haisley studs? I have no clue if one is better then the other or not. I have been looking mostly at ARP. Now if I can figure what ones to get and where to get them so I have them this week. I know Piers has both and many places have ARP. Thoughts?

 

[Katmandu]

I finally blew my head gasket.

Oh man... . I FEEL your PAIN Brother!

My 98 12 Valve blew the head gasket last month. :{ Loooong Story.

Here's the drama... ...

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149035

Was a $1300 job. I only paid $300 of it though since I owned the truck <30 days.

 

[CumminsPower98]

Katmandu, glad you finally got it going, that really sucks that yours let go right after buying the truck, wow! I remember seeing your thread a while back. I'm just glad mine didn't blow very bad so I was able to get home 1,125 miles without any trouble.



I finally found some ARP studs at Jeg's after trying a bunch of other places who were all out of them so I should be getting it back together on Friday.

 

[CumminsPower98]

No luck getting it back together today. I got the ARP studs and was down to putting in the long ones and found they were fine thread on both ends rather then the 12x1. 75 on the lower end. I also got one nut with no threads at all. Called ARP and will be getting replacements on Monday at my expense for shipping both ways. I can't believe they are charging me for the over night shipping when this is clearly their screwup (they are coving what ground would have cost). I told them this truck was my source of income and I needed the parts ASAP. Took me some time to convince the girl on the phone that she needed to go out and get them shipped today, otherwise they would not have shipped until Monday. Oh well such is life. I have everything together except those missing studs, torque it, adjust valves and fill with coolant.



They had to take . 012 off head to get the fire rings to clean up where the gasket had worn into the head.



Update: I sent a letter back to ARP with my incorrect studs complaining about having to pay shipping and they just called me today saying they are crediting me for all the shipping so I feel better about that now.

 

[Fishell]

I have a 98 12 valve that i just had the headgasket go on. I had the the head checked out and resurfaced (. 005 or less) shaved off the head. What I need to know is if I need a thicker than stock gasket. The only mod on the truck is a 75hp fuel torque plate. The guy that did the head didn't think I need a thicker gasket, but I know I'm putting out more than stock boost psi. I will be installing a boost gauge but don't have one at the moment. What do U folks think I should do? Headgasket jobs aren't fun no mater what there on.