cquestad

And for 1150hp...I would say the gasket/studs works just fine...when it is installed correctly. LOL.

Snoxracer

Explain!!!

cquestad

I am just saying...I think alot of people are not particular enough to followa slow and strict instal proceedure with the studs/gasket.

I mean clean, surfaced, flat, block and head...proper lube...proper bottom tap...proper torque sequence...proper heat cycling while BABYING it...and then the proper retorque. Sure its all a pain...but doing it only once is easier at the end!

lmills

you pretty much hit it right on the head. Go the extra mile to make sure it does not happen over and over. Not to mention I am not totally sold on stacking stuff any more. Occasionally is OK, but I prefer to stick with one box or downloader.

cquestad

Some people kinda brag about how they installed studs in a couple of hours. Heck...I brag that it took me a couple of days! More barley pops can be consumed and one gets to a next level of the relationship with a Cummins.

My truck...my time...no need to rush...no need to "make" money type thing.

Julius and I spent a hour just staring at my crosshatch in the cylinders when I pulled my head off! LOL.

Anyways...I am not sure I am over the stack stuff yet...cause I don't like having to wait 3-4 minutes to go from tow to kill...but to each is own. Maybe I am headed that direction soon anyways. Timing control is key...not too much...not too little!

Timinva

Guys I am not convinced a mls gasket and studs is enough over 750hp. On a dynojet it is probably fine but going down the quarter mile or flat out fullthrottle runs longer that a couple seconds you are on borrowed time. I blew my head gasket on the street at 80lbs of boost/ 75 lbs of drive press. You could not be more **** about installing a gasket than I was. My head was milled and polished on a cnc mill, the block deck was flat long wise within .002". Tapped stud holes, plenty of arp lube, new digital snap on wrench. It blew about 2-3" of the gasket through the insulation on the firewall, cut it like a laser. I have seen several trucks do just fine untill we got them above 750 uncorrected.
I am also not sold on fire rings in a common rail. Sometimes they are fine and then sometimes its like Dustin blows under a relatively easy load.
I personally have a 0 ringed head now and it has held great so far, 80 lbs of boost and water but we will see how it does long term. Lloyd I think you are on borrowed time, I hope not but you are pushing it. I know of people bending rods at the level you are. Tim

lmills

Really???

I guess there are guys like RC and I that are just lucky enough to not have had issues with ours. He raced his considerably and never worried a bit about his MLS gasket......

Either way at this point in time, I would much rather have the gasket go rather that anything else.

OldSmokey

When you say timing control, how do you know if you have to much or to little? Ive always wondered why you pick auto time 15, as opposed to 18 or 12?

OldSmokey

Since your watching this time, I got the turbo yesterday and everything looks great! Thanks again

Timinva

Old Smokey, thank you I hope it does well for you.
Lloyd, there is without a doubt people who are lucky, with my 00 I seen 75lbs of boost on a factory gasket and factory bolts several times, never did blow a gasket changed to a o ringed head as insurance after 2 years with twins. People never believed it was factory parts so I know how you feel. I thought you blew a gasket already? Either way if you can get away with just studs it is better and cheaper. Tim

RyeThomas

So Tim I guess what your telling me is start saving some cake for o-rings cause next time Im getting 800 .

Oh boy, move over dog Ill be sleeping beside you if my gaskett goes cause Megan will kill me.

lmills

oh without a doubt Tim,, I have always felt lucky with this one. I just always felt there was no reason to fix what isn't broke. The MLS gasket works great for me. I have replaced one at 40K and the one that is on here now, has 38K on it. It gets abused daily. Just because this truck does not hit the track, don't be fooled. LOL Iffff I were in a place where I could not get the MLS to seal good on mine, then I would have no choice but to find an alternative. I know of one person that was trying to do o ringing or something of the sort with the MLS gasket. Unfortunately, they never called me back to let me know how it worked out. Also, how many people that have blown headgasket's have ran stacked combos? I still think that has a lot to do with it.

I hope and pray that this thing does not come apart this year.

tritont

Unbelieveable Dustin ! I'm glad to hear Scheid is working with you. I can't get them to give me the time of day... and for no reason ???? I've since given up though.

I'm wondering... they did bore the stud holes right ? I don't know how much machine work you had done. I suppose for them to even fit, it would have to have been.
What about the head... was it shaved and did they cut it or the block for the fire ring ?

When I picked my truck up... it had never been started. We got it started, idled it to operating temp , shut it down and retorqued. That's only one retorque. A couple months later when I was pulling my injectors, I thought I'd check them. They wouldn't move a hair and they're set at 155lbs. I've been up to 58psi and many runs down the track and yet to have a problem. I did have them block off both rear freeze plugs too before the engine went back in to avoid this type of problem.

I hope you can finally have a truck that you're happy with. I know exactly what you went through. I'm lucky I suppose cause my truck runs fanatstic. It I could just get rid of this rattle though.

abc4yew

I'm not convinced that the headgasket is blown (warped or cut) in this case. If the truck is running fine and maintaining compression then I don't think the firerings are breached. If the head has 55psi of pneumatic pressure at 1300degrees from combustion and 75psi of hydraulic pressure at 250 degrees from block coolant flow through the head....I'd think the hydraulic pressure would have the ability to breach the non mls headgasket. If you aren't getting coolant to cylinder or cylinder to coolant breach than the headgasket is not blown but there is something wrong.

I'd check the studs torque and there is a chance that the gasket is coolant pressure breached versus combustion plasma warped (cut) and breached. If this is the case the non MLS gasket might hold coolant pressure once reclamped equally on all studs....if they are not all tight and equal.

I would assume that the head and deck were planed and leveled when the fire rings were done. With 14mm studs you'd think that 3 or 4 times retorquing would have them set...I think it is more likely that the gasket thickness does not exactly match with the firering inset.

If the firerings are gapping the head to gasket to deck seal than nothing will fix it other than a thicker gasket or better inset of the firerings. I heard of firerings that weren't properly matched to the gasket before....am I the only one?

I thought enterprise engine had some ceramic firerings with a waterjet cut MLS gasket for our trucks....maybe I'm just optomistically dreaming.

Kerry

Snoxracer

Well Scheid did all the motor work, so I am guessing that it would be right? And Brad did send me some pictures of the block and studs when they were getting installed and from what I know it looked good.

Ty, yeah and the mess continues? Somedays I just want to drive it off a cliff!!!!