Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Oil running out of head gasket

[haverlockee]

Just got done rebuilding my motor, new slugs, brand new cummins head, studs retorqued to 120 lbs, have 150 miles on the motor, everything was running great. While warming up the truck to go to work oil was just dumping out the front of the motor, later to find that it was coming from the front of the motor between the head and the block, dead center between the front two head studs, totally has me floored, and ideas on what it is?

 

[mcoleman]

My headgasket is leaking in the same spot. I have 200,000 miles and I'm fixing to put a ported head on with studs that has been O-ringed so I've been putting off changing it until the port work is done but I'm going to have a mess to clean up on the frame rails under the engine. Have you retorqued yet?

 

[PC12Driver]

That's where mine was leaking when the headgasket blew. If yours is leaking and everything is torqued properly, there's really nothing else to do except pull the head again and probably replace the gasket. The head was trued, correct?



Here's a pic of what my headgasket looked like after a 40 psi run. You can see where the compression blew into the oil passageway (the long, odd shaped hole) on the right side of the gasket, and then the resulting path that the oil pushed through the gasket and then out the front of the block/head.



On a side note, the chunk of missing gasket (the rest of the orange stuff) was found stuck inside the valve rocker oil passage. So make sure you clean everything up downstream if this happens to you.

 

[haverlockee]

The head was a brand new cummins part and checked for flattness before install. I did a retorque to 100 lbs after about 20 hours on the motor. so what are my best options to solving this besides the new head gaskets, I am guessing fire rings, who does them in the tacoma wa area? I would probably do the block too, but I don't want to take the damn block out again. I just can't beleive that my orginal motor with stock gasket and bolts held everything that I threw at it and this one with studs and all blew at 150 miles with only 35 lbs of boost. Thanks for the help guys

 

[Joe Mc]

Might be a silly question but, when the engine was rebuilt was the block deck milled or just checked? Hope it's just a gasket.

 

[haverlockee]

yes the block was decked and double checked before assembly

 

[PC12Driver]

Okay, I'm a bit confused now. Something isn't adding up. You retorqued the head (to 100 or 120 ft/lbs?) after 20 hours on the motor. But the headgasket blew after 150 miles? So, either you average 7 1/2 mph or you popped it before your first retorque.



New studs and a head gasket will get loose fairly quickly after a few heat cycles. Ya gotta do a retorque before you lay into it for the first time, or the HG will be damaged. If assembled properly, studs with a stock HG should work to about 50 psi of boost.



At the very least, it sounds like you need to pull the head and swap the gasket. Going by the mods listed in your profile, you really don't need to worry about o-rings/fire rings unless you plan on adding more power. Just keep your foot off the carpet until you get that first retorque done.



Another consideration; is that a "special" Catcher ECM on your truck? If not, the stacked timing between that and your Comp will also play heck with your headgasket.

 

[haverlockee]

I had about 15 hours of run time on the motor before I started driving it, I was painting my truck while it was out of commision with the motor. I probably just didn't catch the retorque in time or not enough. The catcher that I have is not the special, just the regular that was made to go with the comp.

 

[haverlockee]

just pulled the head tonight, same looking gasket as the pic above, hopefully it will hold after this... ... .