Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Head gasket replacement where to get it ?

[Valv]

Ok, I am ready to replace my head gasket.



What do I need and where to get it ?



Do I have to get a . 10 or a . 20 ?



Truck is a 1997 2500 4x4 auto "project" I recently purchased, it will get 370 injectors and a fuel plate but that's it, nothing else extra, since it will be a towing and work truck.

 

[JFaughn]

When you take it to a machine shop to have surfaced & checked for cracks they can tell you whitch gasget , it depends how much head is left after surfacing .
Then go to Cummins for the gasget .

 

[Valv]

For what I am reading there are only 2 thicknesses available, . 10 and . 20



The later is used where you have to lower compression to install large turbos and have more air/fuel volume

 

[WDixon27]

theres standard, . 10 and . 20 over, i got my cummins head set from a ebay seller outside of ebay, i didnt see the set i was looking for so i e-mailed his with the part# i wanted and got it about $40 cheeper then the local diesel shops wanted, it had the marine gasket in the set

 

[CumminsPower98]

Unless you want to lower the compression the stock gasket is the way to go even if the head is surfaced. The head is flat so makes no difference in compression except for maybe a tiny bit because of the small space around the valves (and the change here will be even less if you have a valve job done as I did). My first gasket was a . 010 over and it increased the cold start smoke by quite a bit and of course made it a little slower to start. I went back to the stock gasket and I'm glad I did. My head had about . 012 taken off. The stock Cummins gasket is the "marine" version so there is no need to ask for a marine gasket when ordering. My '98 even came stock with this gasket. '97 and older did not. I personally buy my Cummins parts from Cummins Rocky Mountain out of SLC, UT or Grand Junction, CO since both are near by.