Alwaysworking

most likely near 5 or 6

farmer0_1

sean i just got back into town from bozeman and reading your thread . wow. anyway you are more than welcome to use my proto torque wrench. and i have and engine hoist also if you want one. to bad you couldn't have got it out to my farm shop. i have a new cheap straight edge also. i haven't pulled a head on a cummins yet but can't be worst than a jd or 6.2. let me know.

SeanB23

Thanks for the offer, I already picked up a cheap Schmucks torque wrench and a Harbor Freight hoist. It's dead in the driveway anyway, don't want to mess with towing it.

Don't have a straight edge yet, I'll probably wind up buying one of those. It's cold out there anyway, I'm not exactly eager to go outside and assemble the hoist tonight.

farmer0_1

just want you to know us locals got to help each other on occasion. tools are always a good investment.

wannadiesel

Bad ones go "thunk". If you get the gasket from Cummins it will come with a bolt gauge (it's cardboard, don't get too excited) that will show up a stretched bolt.

SeanB23

I've got a gasket sitting in the cardboard still. Haven't taken it out yet, in case I wind up having to get a thicker one in the event my block has been machined.

Where do you find the cardboard gauge in the package ?

It's kind of difficult to tell the "ping" from a "thunk" with the short bolts.

SeanB23

Pulled the head off tonight with the aid of a high-quality cherry picker from Harbor Freight. Nothing like using heavy equipment from "Pittsburgh, China." Only dinged the front grill a little and bumped the oil filler tube off. I still have all my fingers.

Can't see where the gasket blew, but it looks plenty old and worn out.

So I'm scraping and washing the head and the block.

The upper ends of the cylinders are all crusty with what looks like carbon buildup. The article doesn't say anything about this, just to wash the block down in the same fashion as the head.

Shouldn't I be concerned with getting water and crud down in the cylinders, or is this a non-issue ? Meaning, just clean the heck out of the block deck and vacuum it later ?

bigbaddiesel416

when you get done wd40 every thing.....rust

Alwaysworking

i would not wash with water or it will get into your oil.

bigbaddiesel416

Brak-cleen?

Alwaysworking

i wiped brake kleen on and off with towels or used paint thinner or solvent again applied with towels, except when cleaning the head bolt holes, i sprayed brake-kleen in while vacuming it out

SeanB23

I've got a can of brake parts cleaner spray around here.

Why would that article on here recommend cleaning the block with water, in the same fashion as the head ? Well, the oil is already plenty contaminated, I've had the drain plug off for days now, hoping most of it will drip on out...

SeanB23

Another thing. What should the tops of the pistons look like ?

Mine are all nasty, almost like chipping or peeling paint. Is this the same crusted on carbon fouling I see around the tops of the cylinders ?

What do I do about this ? I am on a real tight budget here, and the deeper I get into this, the more problems it seems I find.

RollinCoalSmoke

Get your vacuum going and scrape the piston tops but don't use something that will score them. Cleanliness is the ticket to long life. When you re-assemble use Calgon dishwashing detergent made for automatic dishwashers, it won't foam and it's cleans extremely well. The foaming can cause overheating, in our big trucks we will leave it in there for a couple hundred miles and drain it out then repeat. Normally a couple of times thru the system it will be squeeky clean. Good luck.

SeanB23

What kind of solvent can I use to get the carbon off ?

I've tried the brake parts cleaner and WD40, neither does much. I'm afraid to soak the cylinders and pistons in anything overnight for fear of messing the rings up, so I just wiped them dry with paper towels. Still dirty.

Also, How much dishwashing detergent in the coolant ?