Well the ol' girl just blew a head gasket. I started to hear a ticking sound so turned the radio's down and rolled down the window, then I heard the compressed air releasing sound. stopped at the fuel stop, flipped the hood to check it out, at first I thought it was the exhaust manifold gasket but reality set in between #2 and #3 (1st & 2nd head) you can hear that terrible sound of money blowing away!! Anyone tell me how hard it is to change a head gasket? or a estimate of what a shop would charge? I really don't want to work out in the cold the week b-4 Christmas. Thanks in advance.

 

If you have never done one then I would recommend taking it in to a reputable shop. Doing it out side in the cold is bad enough, but doing it out in the cold while never have done one before is asking for trouble.

If its just a head gasket then you are looking at around a grand on the low side.

 

they;'re very easy to change. I don't know what a shop would charge but i wouldn't really want to do 1 out side in the snow either. I can do a K19 head gasket in less than a working day. n14 is just slightly different but not that much.

 

Thank's Guy's, Tim, I helped a friend years back do all 6 holes on a big cam 1 outside, but it was warm and it wasn't my truck so I wasn't so nervous about diving into it lol. Now it will be just me and I know the cold will make it miserable. also the big cam was mechanical and I know the injector wires get brittle and cost a fortune if the connectors break. I guess I'm trying to build my confidence up a little!!

 

Its not that much different than what you already did. The #1 head is the hardest one to do because of the accessory items bolted to the front of the motor. You will need to pull the fan hub adjustment bracket along with coolants lines etc. just to get to the head bolts. Make sure you check the head really well when you pull it, they do crack and since your truck is a 95 it could be an issue.

Good luck, post up what ever question you have, there are enough good guys here that we can guide you through it.

 

Thank you Tim, I will let you all know how it goes.

 

For 1/2 a case of beer and a shiny new Halligan tool, Tim just might go down to PA and help ya with it! <truckies are strange people sometimes. Smart, but strange>

 

If its not too late, contact Bruce at Pittsburgh Power in Saxonburg, Pa. They specialize in Cummins engines.

 

Hey nwroten, Thats where the gasket set came from! Shawn ordered it in for me. While I was there Bruce showed me around the new place. What a great shop they have!! Bruce's brother & I ran for the same company. Super people to deal with, helped with anything they could.