Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Which Head Gasket and O rings

[Black-Smoker]

I know this question has been asked a thousand times and yes I have done a search and I got a thousand different answers. I need to replace my head gasket mine let loose today at 37 psi of boost it is leaking between number 5 and 6 exhaust ports. :{ I want to know which gasket to use and if i should fire ring or O-ring. Which is best. I do a lot of towing and this is my work truck so it has to be reliable. I plan on installing a small set of twins in the future mabye a hx- 35 and a ht-3b. I am also going to install some edm 2. 5's and that should be it. My other mods are in my sig below any help would be appreciated. Also can I keep driving it like this or am I going to hurt something? Thanks for the help.

 

[tURBOdIEZEl]

mine is leaking as well. put some bars leak in it to cure it for the time being. i would say a marine 0. 20 head gasket, and ARP 12mm studs..... my truck's getting dropped off later this week for a head job. while its off, you might as well have the head o-ringed. i say no sense in doing the same thing twice.

 

[Black-Smoker]

How do I put the 12mm studs in? what is involved. I plan on doing the gasket myself and taking the head to a machine shop. Does anyone know of a good shop to o-ring the head in the central florida area?

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

There's a good thread about this on NW Bombers. The O-ringing philosophy is almost sort of yesterdays news, and guys are having success running upwards of 60lbs of boost on engines with no O-ring work. . . but with studs. Certainly it has its place but for the less than radical setups maybe it's not the automatic thing to do?



http://www.nwbombers.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=11502

 

[Black-Smoker]

What is the process for centering the o-ring groove on the head? I talked to a machine shop today that does a lot of gas race motors and he said that he uses a template to center the grooves on the head. Problem is that he doesent have the template for the 24v head and the tool costs 800 bucks. He was wondering if he could center the o-ring groove using the injector hole.

 

[Mad Bomber]

What is the process for centering the o-ring groove on the head? I talked to a machine shop today that does a lot of gas race motors and he said that he uses a template to center the grooves on the head. Problem is that he doesent have the template for the 24v head and the tool costs 800 bucks. He was wondering if he could center the o-ring groove using the injector hole.

With the price of a head I'd sure like to have it done right the 1st time. I've seen what happens when it's not. PDR does it right the 1st time

 

[Black-Smoker]

I talked to piers today about my head and they said they would take care of me but the bad thing is my truck will be down for 4 weeks. This is my work truck and I cannot afford to have it down that long, so I am kinda leaning towards the local machine shop. They said that they could do the work in half the time and the guy seemed to know what he was talking about. Is their anything special that I should ask him to do like tell him how wide and how deep to cut the groove? Also what diamater wire should he be using? I just want it done right the first time so I dont have to pull it again. He also said he could use the injector hole as a centering point to cut the o-ring groove, is this correct? Thanks for the help

 

[paulb]

Give Rip a call at: (866) 211-1533. They can cut o-rings, and according to their web site he even has a new head in stock, if you should need it. I think he said that they charge $300. 00 to cut o-rings in a head.



Paul

 

[JWilkinson]

Isky Cams has an o-ring kit, centering tool, cutter, and wire for those who are interested.

 

[Mad Bomber]

Rip's a great guy to deal with. BTW how do you know that the local guy knows how to do a diesel. Do you really want to take a chance or do you just feel lucky today. I'd sure not want to take that chance with my truck.

 

[Black-Smoker]

How would cutting o-ring grooves in a diesel head be any different than in a gas head? What does piers do that is so special? And since you asked, no I am not feeling lucky at all since I just had to replace the injector pump three weeks ago and the lift pump two weeks before that and now this. :{ The bombing account is kinda low after taking care of the high dollar maintance items lately. :{ :{

 

[Mad Bomber]

How would cutting o-ring grooves in a diesel head be any different than in a gas head? What does piers do that is so special? And since you asked, no I am not feeling lucky at all since I just had to replace the injector pump three weeks ago and the lift pump two weeks before that and now this. :{ The bombing account is kinda low after taking care of the high dollar maintance items lately. :{ :{

I've heard that some shops having screwed up the diesel because they think it's like a gas pot. Remember we run ALOT more comperestion than a gas. I would ONLY trust people who have LOTS of background with a diesel experiance. My truck is WAAAYYYYY to much $$$ for someone to be learning on. Sorry for the injection pump loss did you have a FP gauge? If I were you I'd call Rip and ask alot of questions.

 

[Black-Smoker]

I called Rip and talked to him for quite some time also and his prices seem to be about the same as PDR's The only problem is that he is in oregon and I run into the same issue about how long my truck will be down. Does anyone know of any good diesel machine shops that do head work on the east coast or in Florida. Thands for the help guys.

 

[Mad Bomber]

I called Rip and talked to him for quite some time also and his prices seem to be about the same as PDR's The only problem is that he is in oregon and I run into the same issue about how long my truck will be down. Does anyone know of any good diesel machine shops that do head work on the east coast or in Florida. Thands for the help guys.

Sounds like a great road trip LOL Not aware of shops down there. Might check the local chapters of this club.

 

[Got Smoke?]

Try Jeff Garmon..... Garmon Diesel Performance in Georgia... . I know CumminFast on this site has a lot of work done by him as well as Twin's so he must do O-rings or have a place near by that does.



I know its not Fla. but its a lot closer than Oregon.