CattleKev

In a previous thread I asked about a problem with no heat in the truck.
I have tested, replaced and tried everything to solve this.
When the cooling system is properly filled and the truck is tested while parked everything is great, good heat, proper engine temperature, all ok.
You put the engine under load (take a drive) and within minutes a pressure is built up and the coolant fills the overflow tank and blows out the overflow. At the same time an air lock is found in the heater core lines and you loose cab heat.
My mechanic friends say that the head is cracked or has a bad gasket.
Anyone have any advise? Is this common for a cummins? Is it hard to fix/replace?
Kevin

apache

Sounds like the head gasket is spent. It would seem when you drive under load and and start making boost and really workin things is when it pressurizes the cooling system. Regarding it being common? seems I read about HG`s to often IMO. Also the local shops Ive talked with regarding the repair say theres a more than 50% chance the head is trash due to cracks. My stock 95 needs one also at 140K. Personally Ive had enough of dumping $$ into it so it sits in my junkyard with the rest of my broken toys.

CattleKev

Wow, Is that ever discouraging!
I used to drive Chev diesels and my local diesel shop told me that cummins is the best and that Fords and GM keep him in business. My dodge only has 80000 miles on it.

robert chilton

I havent changed a head gasket on a cummins but it looks pretty straight forward and relatively easy if you have the tools and possible a helper. Most of the popped head gaskets I have seen on the boards are moded trucks. I have also read that higher turbo boost numbers on a cold motor are far more likely to lift a head than hard working the motor after it is up to temp.

apache

Dont let my bad luck discourage you. The good folks here swear there the best thing since the hula hoop. Me............ I have my opinions. I prefer a bike anyhow.

big jimmy

Then why frequent a dodge diesel website?? I know more than a few bikes with problems all their own... but I don't condemn them for the fact.

Big Jimmy

TravisG

If it was a bad headgasket wouldn't you be loosing coolant? Maybe a stuck thermostat. But I could be wrong. I don't know about a bad HG w/ only 80k. I just replaced mine w/ a new head and gasket and studs at 333k. Not a leak one.

gunracer1

mine make it to 268k before it poped. but it sounds like a head gasket to me. sorry

marksmith

Sounds like a bad head gasket to me also.


Is this truck stock??



You can get a gasket from cummins for 75 bucks and have the head milled for 70 bucks. A few hours of your time and a torque wrench and you will be back on the road again.

All I can stress on is GET IT CLEAN. When ya think its clean... get it cleaner.

The head is HEAVY. Cherry picker is handy.

To get the rear pushrods out of the block there are two plugs that will come out so you have room (you get there.. it'll make sense)



Good Luck.
Mark


PS Start the truck... let it warm up. Retorque when it cools down. You will probably be disappointed if ya just torque and go.

apache

Yeah Big Jimmy I suppose your right. I figured the third one would be a charm. Not the case for me. Suppose my bad attitude and comments outweights my attempt to help others with the same issues Ive had with my 3 CTD`s, so with that I Guess I`ll say "stick a fork in me, Im done". Thanks to all for the years of help, laughs and good stories.
Thanks a bunch.

robert chilton

Just curious but did you ever have the heads decked or the block checked for straightness? Did you reuse the head bolts or use cheap gaskets? I dont mean this this to sound negative towards your mechanical abilities but that is alot of head gasket problems! My wifes pontiac had similiar problems, 3 times, from dealership mechanics till I rebuilt it almost 40K ago. Sometimes it is just a minor difference in the way thinks are torqued or the way things are retightend after heat cycles. With any member having this many problems there is definatly something for the rest of us to learn about. It may possibly save someone else the aggrevation that you have been through.

Superduty

Here is a tip: buy a shop manual. It is the best money I spent in my whole Cummins experience, and I don't even own the truck that goes with it, just the engine. But it covers everything.

I'm fearless with that shop manual.

CattleKev

Thanks everyone!
I appreciate your help.
Answers to previous questions:
Truck is stock, t-stat is new and not stuck.
The head is coming off today.
Thanks for advise on re-torqueing, pushrods and extra clean.
I'm still going to stick with the CTD.
After I get more experience, I hope be able to help someone else like y'all have helped me.
Kevin

ccmckee

Doing a head gasket is not a big deal, just a lot of nuts and bolts. Try shopping around for the gasket at engine rebuilders as they are $240 from cummins, we found one for $85 from a local rebuilder that does a lot of oilfield work. There is also a head gasket kit from cummins that has all the other gaskets in it for the top end as well, the little copper washers for the fuel lines and the like etc. for around $400.

fordsux8269

I dont know what kind of headgasket you got but mine was $93 for a marine 20k over gasket.