BigJohnston

Where can I get a good head gasket for my 2006 dodge 2500? Are there better gaskets capable of handling more boost? How hard is it to replace the head gasket or what should I expect a shop to charge. I am also looking at buying and installing studs at the same time but I don't know if i can afford to do both. Thanks, Tom J.

soulezoo

For the most part, the stock MLS gasket is as good as it gets for your current power level. To provide more boost protection, you need to go to studs. For the really heavy duty stuff, ARP 625 studs, o-ringed head and 12v marine gasket is the hot ticket...

If your current gasket is ok, do not remove the head, just install the new studs. For some reason, the gaskets from the factory seal generally hold up to more abuse than the replaced ones.

FWIW... I see 90lbs of boost using the stock gasket and ARP 2000 studs at 130 ft/lbs with no issues... But I am kind of unique there.

BigJohnston

Here is my situation, I have always had a problem with not being able to make more than 38-42psi of boost. I have a lot of fueling mods, 90hp inj, fuel boss lp fuel system (50psi), stage III cp3, Silver 62 plus the Quad box and Smarty. There is no way unless something is wrong with my truck that I shouldn't be making 55-60 psi. Add that to white smoke on start up and sometimes trouble starting and now I am losing coolant at an alarming rate with no signs of a leak, so I think I may have a headgasket leak.

I have been assuming for the last year that the problem was with the injectors. I didn't notice that I was losing coolant because when I would get my free oil changes they would fill up the coolant level and not mention it. I just happened to watch them pour a whole bottle of it in today while they where doing the oil.

I would think that a headgasket leak would get worse as time goes by but my truck has run this way for quite a while, the consumption of coolant is probably getting worse though.

It is possible that I have 2 different problems and still need injectors.

So Soulezoo I really need your help since you are probably the most experienced and knowledgeable person on these forums. How do I troubleshoot this to being certain that i have a bad head gasket and if I do what is the best way to fix it. What are the costs of a good head gasket? would a marine one hold more boost so i wouldn't have to get studs? Doing the o-ring or fire ring is probably out of the question because I have recently been medically discharged(= kicked to the curb) from the military after 22yrs and I have very little income until I can find a job. If this is the right time to do studs then I need to figure out the least expensive way to do it.

Also is this something I can do myself at home? I have a large amount of tools and am very mechanically capable but i don't know if I have large enough tools to break the bolts and nuts loose and properly torque them. However I can probably buy the right stuff and still save a lot of money as opposed to paying the 85.00 standard shop rate around here. Thanks Soulezoo, Tom J.

Hot Rod 4

I would first buy/rent a tool to pressure check your cooling system. While you might not notice the leaks, it maybe that it evaporates before it can hit the ground. When you put pressure on the system it should hold it with no problems. If the gauge reading keeps falling but you cannot find an external leak, then I would pull the injectors and bar the engine to find out what cylinder is collecting coolant.

I have used this method many times and almost always works out for me. I have had to let a vehicle sit overnight with pressure on but the leak will show its self eventually. Anytime there is a complaint of coolant loss this is the procedure I follow. Hope it helps

BigJohnston

thanks, sound like a good way to check. Tom J.

soulezoo

Wow Tom, you give me waaaaayyyy too much credit. Really you do, but thanks for the confidence. In reality there are a bunch of folks here that have forgotten more than I'll ever know and I wish they'd pipe in here.

The advice above is a really good start. Dealing with just the coolant issue, these things can sometimes be real buggers and hard to track down. Especially when you've decided ultimately that you have to change the headgasket, pull the head only to find that wasn't it. If it is just coolant loss, try the advice above first; if you find you have a leak and it is not external, it just might be worth it (only because you are using just enough that you are not noticing otherwise) to try a bottle of the bars stop leak. Use the good quality stuff that is like pellets in the jar, not the cheap stuff. Normally I would not recommend this, but would rather recommend finding the real problem and deal with it legitimately. But since the financials are a concern, this is worth a try. The last time I did this for my daughter's truck with the exact same problem, it was supposed to just be a stop gap until she could afford to fix it... two years later the stop leak is still working. So while I don't normally like it, it might be worth a try for you here before pulling a head and get you by until you can afford a more proper fix.

For the head, 85.00 is not a bad shop rate. A shop that knows what they are doing can R&R a head in 4-5 hours. I know that is cutting it, but I've seen it done. The head gasket install is critical. You'll want to check the head for trueness as well while off. Can you do it? heck, I have no idea what you can do or not do, I would suppose you could given the right tools and following the service manual meticulously... do you want to is the question. A head gasket off the top of my head is about $85. Not positive, maybe ratlratl will see this and chime in. If you are not o-ringing, the stock MLS is best. The marine gaskets are used not so much because they are "better" but because the cylinder cutouts are concentric and will fit o-rings/firerings correctly. The MLS gaskets are not perfectly round by design and therefore cannot accept the rings. Also, marine gaskets can come in different thicknesses which sometimes is advantageous like when a head is milled and you have to make up the difference in deck height.

On the boost question, you are correct that you have enough fueling to see 55-60 lbs boost... problem is you don't have the turbo to do it. That turbo is good to about 45. Over that is out of its efficiency range. Yes, you can push it higher, but it is hot air and not good to you anyway. The silver bullet (66mm inducer) is only good to 48... And that is straight from Brady's mouth. (He owns Industrial Injection) Now there are those, like Kevin Morken who comes to mind, that have pushed the bullet to insane levels, but that doesn't mean that is best for you. In any case, with everything turned up on your truck you should be seeing more than 38-42. How is this measured on your truck? Is it electronic from your commander? If that is so, put a mechanical gauge on to see what you are really doing. The commander reads from the MAP sensor and it is limited, you may even be defueling at that point. I am willing to bet that if you put on a quad boost fooler, and a mechanical gauge, you'll see closer to 50. But I don't recommend to try to get 50 or you may have head gasket problems for real.

So here is my recommendation for you in your situation (don't apply it to others here in similar situations, I'd probably give a different opinion; this one is more driven by $$ and practicality for you than what is the right thing to do), it's free so that is all it is worth. Do the pressure check on coolant system. If you find a leak, and pressure bleeds off slowly indicating a small leak, and it is internal and one you can't locate and fix otherwise, try the Bars stop leak. Use the good stuff with the pellets. (There is stuff that is specifically for head gaskets that might be better too) If that doesn't fix it then pull the head (presuming it is a head gasket problem). Whether you do it or a shop does it, use the stock MLS gasket. Keep your boost at or below 45 psi until you can afford studs. There is no replacement or "getting around" for that item. More boost = more pressure and you need the extra clamping force that studs provide to preserve the head gasket integrity. You can do a search on Comp D for the "Garmon technique" on torquing stock head bolts and that will provide a little more security for now until you can afford studs.

Hope that helps, at least a start, and maybe some others here have better ideas too...

mwdean

you don't want to mill a cummins head, you definitly don't want to remove head in your driveway. it's a serious job,and you'll be hating life if you try it

12valve

x2 on the mechanical boost gauge!

One guy i know used a pda with a banks 6gun to show gauges, and it never went past 45 psi even with twins, till we put in a mechanical boost gauge and it was closer to 60

JFlory

While everyone that has posted is spot on in their suggestions, something isn't right.

Exactly how much smoke are you seeing at start up? I would have someone else start the truck, while you sit in front of the exhaust. Smell. If you have coolant sitting in the cylinders and it is the cause of the white smoke, you should be able to smell it threw the exhaust.

It makes sense that after you shut the truck off, there is still pressure in your coolant system, then it bleeds into one or more cylinders. When you start it up, it causes white smoke.

Just throwing out another suggestion.

BigJohnston

Another good idea and I do have both mechanical and digital boost guages. I could have 2 different problems but if I have to go to the trouble of changing a head gasket it would be nice if the white smoke and starting problems went away. I would also be very happy if that solves my boost problem too. Thanks, Tom J.

Texasimport

Not to highjack but I am confused. . . . how do all these fuel mods equal more boost? In my mind more air means more boost and the fuel mods follow to support the added air. To just add lots of fuel with out supporting air you get smoke.

If I understand things then opening up the air way and a bigger turbo are key to more boost . . . .or??

BigJohnston

Simple more fuel drives the turbine harder/faster and the turbine which is connected to the compressor will spin it faster and make more boost.