Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Some pictures of my 24V

[MCummings]

Here's some pictures of how my truck looks like at the moment.



I've put all my tools away for the night, and will continue in the morning.



I thought I had a KDP attack, and a Piston melted. Turned out only to be a really bad blown headgasket, right into an oil port.



The oil from in front of the gear case, where a KDP would crack the case, was only a loose bolt.



Here they are.



This is what it looks like now,,



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6 in a row, built to tow,,, note #3 piston is wetter than the others. Maybe a stuck injector?



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#3 cylinder on the head. Very suspicous. Oil? Stuck injector? The liquid in the #3 cylinder FELT Like Diesel,, but didn't have too much of a Diesel smell.



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Here's a really good picture of the cam gear. You can see the Dowel Pin pretty easy.



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Here's the head bolts.

One bolt had some ruse, and another bolt was SEVERLY rusted up. The bolt on the far right is the suspicious bolt, I can't figure out why it's rusted. The bolt was not even moist when I pulled it out of the head, but it was close to the blown oil port passage.



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Merrick Cummings Jr

 

[Speedo]

#3 wet

A blown head gasket can bleed off enough pressure so that

it won't fire, just fuel and air passing through the cylinder,

no flames.



Gus

 

[Evan A. Beck]

Nice pics, seen that view many times, without the cam or gear case installed though. Wooohooooo!!!



One thing though... WHY are your injectors still IN the head???? Always remove them before taking the head off!!!!



You've got a lot of questions it sounds like... Give me a call tomorrow at work...

 

[KatDiesel]

Glad to hear it is all turning out for the better!



Just curious what made you suspect a melted cylinder in the first place, out of curiosity?

 

[MCummings]

Excessive blow-by.



With the motor running, If I tried to un-screw the oil fill cap, it would literally blow it out of my hands, and the blow-by was so severe that there was not a possible way to pour oil into the motor with the engine running. I thought with that much blow by, and the motor sounding like 5 live cylinders, and 1 dead one, it had to be a ruined piston. Turned out to be a seriously broken headgasket at the oil port.



Need to Call Evan, and Piers tomorow, and see what I'm going to do... . Maybe a PDR head Stage 1 + O-Ring, and a PDR Cam.



Keep ya updated,

Merrick Cummings Jr

 

[MCummings]

Originally posted by Evan A. Beck

Nice pics, seen that view many times, without the cam or gear case installed though. Wooohooooo!!!



One thing though... WHY are your injectors still IN the head???? Always remove them before taking the head off!!!!



You've got a lot of questions it sounds like... Give me a call tomorrow at work...

Injectors still in the head,,,, DOH! Guess I was in a hurry, and nobody I talked to mentioned to take them out. It is interesting to be able to easily see the holes in those DD Drug Pusher injectors, also the spray pattern, and hone cross-hatch marks are easily seen in all pistons/cylinders. (except #3)



Merrick Cummings Jr



EDIT: Notice the broken thermostat?

 

[americana]

good job

outstanding report and analysis. thanks for taking the time to take the photos and time to post. this can't possibly be a fun time.



please let us know how it turns out. good luck.

 

[jwilliams3]

Merrick,

Before you install your new headgasket.

I would advise that you get that head O ringed for your style of driving.

But, you will be alright with just a good set of new head bolts.

I will also suggest that you take a honing stone to your head surface to clean it up, also finish it off with scotch bright pads.



After you follow the torque process with the headbolts, I would advise a couple weeks later to untorque the head bolts one by one and retorque using the Cummins torque specs (they stretch after some use).



I will advise that you lap each of your valves before reinstalling your head. This is easily (work involved) accomplished with a proper valve removal tool and valve lapping compound and a valve lapping tool.



Good Luck!!

Drop me a PM or email if you need any help.



--Justin

 

[Sticks]

I am not going to sleep well tonight now that I have seen those pic's.



What was your total tear down time?



One more TDR page bookmarked to reference to. Great job on the Pic's!

 

[MCummings]

Here's a few modified pictures of the pictures above.



Here is where the oil passage on the headgasket broke. You can't see it on the top side of the gasket, but on the underside, there is a 1/8" gap, straight into the oil port. That explains the crazy amount of blowby.



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Here is where the KDP is, Untill I opened my truck, I didn't know exactly where it was either. The KDP is inside the gearcase, to the left of one of the bolts inside the gearcase.

To be as clear as possible,,, inside the black circle,, there are three holes, the KDP is the "hole" in the middle.



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Merrick Cummings Jr



Looks like I'm getting an O-Ring head,, a CAM is still in the works,, if I can swing the $$. No other upgrades planned for this 24V.

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

Question one: Is the reason for removing the fuel injectors first just because they stick out the furthest and if you laid it flat they would touch first? Question two: since I've never had a head off of one of these, do the head bolt holes go down into water passages like they do on most chevys? I know if you don't put goop (technical term) on the threads of the head bolts in those they will look like your rusted ones and also you'll have anti-freeze in your oil. Merrick thanks for the cool pictures and good information.

 

[BV]

Very good post - Why not put in a P - Pump while your at it ?

 

[jwilliams3]

TurboTim,

The bolts holes in the block have their own bosses and will not interact or make contact with coolant unless you have blown a gasket.



--Justin

 

[MCummings]

Originally posted by BV

Very good post - Why not put in a P - Pump while your at it ?

Then what would I do with my spare VP44 in the garage ?



I do have a P Pump,, just not on this one .



I have actually found that the VP44 is nice because of the timing that is being adjusted according to RPM, and the adjustablility when adding a box.



The P-Pump is nice, but the static timing makes the Cummins sound like a Bucket of marbles at idle. The fueling at bottom end is awesome though!!!



BTW, The truck is still torn down, just got back from Corpus Christi, didn't get to stop by Jeff Prince's Shop, but I get to call Piers tomorow, looks like a cam, and a little headwork. I'm going after a 200* EGT drop. if I can drop 200* of my current temperatures, I can run in the ballpark of 450RWHP, and have a 1250*EGT with a single turbo.



Merrick Cummings Jr

 

[MCummings]

Originally posted by sticks

I am not going to sleep well tonight now that I have seen those pic's.



What was your total tear down time?



One more TDR page bookmarked to reference to. Great job on the Pic's!

Tear down time? It took me Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but, if you worked hard, and had all the tools you needed, it should only take 1 Long Day.



Hardest part? Removing the front grill guard! The installer welded the bolts on !



Once I got the grill guard off, the A/C, Inter-cooler, and radiator was a snap!



Nothing is really hard. The hardest physical labour part was carrying the head over to the tailgate of the other truck that I was working from, I've heard it weighs 150Lbs, but after 2 seconds of holding it, I think it gains 100Lbs! :-laf



Merrick Cummings Jr

 

[C. Harlan]

Damn Merrick....

If it is still torn down in 2 weeks let me know. . I go on call this coming weekend, and will be off Late the following Friday night. . If you need any help, call me. . you got the #... it's only 2½ hours from here...



-Chris-

 

[TxDieselKid]

The hardest physical labour part was carrying the head over to the tailgate of the other truck that I was working from, I've heard it weighs 150Lbs, but after 2 seconds of holding it, I think it gains 100Lbs!

And you got some yahoo on the phone, waiting to hear what the heck happen!!!



Merrick,

It looks like your learning a TON of stuff, that is really cool!



Andrew

 

[TxDieselKid]

Merrick needs some help.....

Well Merrick has been busy as a bee in spring. Since Muncie when he had these problems with his truck, he has done a full top half rebuild. Piers head and cam, o-rings, and who knows what else. Seems as though he is STILL having bad luck though.



He starts the truck, and even with the new o-rings, he has a TON of blow-by, and you can see it puffing with what seems to be the same time a cylinder does.



I think it's the block, and that it has a cracked cylinder, but he is trying to be optimistic, and think it might still be the ring.



Any thoughts, he'd be very grateful for. He is too mad to even post about it right now, so I figured I would do it for him.







Andrew

 

[jwilliams3]

Sorry to hear about this Merrick,



Was that Head decked??



Andrew,

where are you guys noticing this blow by from? the gasket or the bby hose?



If the head was decked, I am going to suggest getting that block be decked.

Also was the "CUMMINS" torque method followed, im not just talking torque specs, but method?



Lets get this figured out!



--Justin

 

[Sticks]

Pull the oil filter and cut it in half. Look for metal shaveings. You may have scored one of the cylinders.