Well the truck was doing fine on a long hall and I was very happy with it till I stoped to fill up and when I got back on the road I noticed that the temp guage was past 230* but started to fall so I drove a few miles to the next town with it around 190* It had been 160* all day and now it was dark and getting cold. when I pulled in at a truck stop it started getting hot again so i cut it off and saw that it was blowing water out from the side of the HG but that the upper rad hose was cool so I knew that the termostat was stuck so me and DennyT pulled it out and filled it back with water and it ran at 140* all the way home and for the next 5 days till I had down time to get it fixed ( love how stout the "B" is) the leeking almost stoped now that the water could flow. The gasket around the water jacket had let go to the out side and everything else was fine (oil, water, and tail pipe had no smoke or sweet smell). Now that I an replacing the HG I wanted to know if you guys now if you should take the cab mount bolts and lift the body to get the push rods out? I pulled them up into the head and then taped them were they cant fall and almost didnt get it out with jacks under the body to take out any sag. Thanks for the help,

Here are some pics with the head off. It has 299,965 miles on it when this pick was taken, not bad. It is far from stock and has done fine the marks on the pistons are just soot and they are fine. Wish I had some extra $$$ for the studs and O-ring while its off but I will just have to settle for 60lbs springs and 4k gsk for now.

 

There are two rubber plugs above the rear of the head in the firewall. I bent four push rods getting mine apart because I didnt know about the plugs either.

 

Sorry, the plugs are on 2nd gens. I dont know about the 1st gens. Maybe I should read more before I post.

 

its on my 96 2nd gen. I couldn't see them with the insulation. Thanks I will go look right now.

 

yeah I just found them. wish I would've know that they were there earlier. thanks!!!

 

Kinda makes you feel stupid doesnt it? I know I did. Live and learn. The only good thing about it is that the push rods are cheap.

I am surprised that you got the head out. I tried everything, tape, rubber bands and even zip ties to hold the push rods up and just bent the the back four. I never did the head off until I posted it and got the same answer.

 

nice crosshatch still visible in there at 300k. These motors are great!

 

Makes you feel realy dumb. I had jacks under the front cab mounts and was lifting the truck up and was about to unbolt the cab. I knew there had to be a better way. It dose look realy good for 300K, my 1st gen had almost 400K when the gasket started leeking to the out side in the back and it looked just as good and it has had lots of mods and was a hot shot rig for 250K of that.

Thanks for the help!

 

x 40billion. I just pulled the head off my 96 yesterday and those last 4 pushrods had me scratchin' my head for a while. I had resorted to diggin' around for clothes pins to hold the suckers up while I snatched the head off! (that is..until I noticed the holes in the cowl.)

 

Looking at those pictures, while the head is off it would be a really good time to inspect the fuel feed and return lines. Trust me, they aren't nearly that easy to check or replace when the head is back on.

 

Im doing a lot of PM work while the head is off. also doing a 4Kgsk and all new HD valve springs, seal between the vac pump and ps pump that is leaking bad, and lots of other little things. would like to stud and o-ring but $$$ is not here right now. When I have time I dont have $$$ when I have $$$ I dont have time.

 

My gasket gave way sunday... So this weekend is HG time for me. Can anyone please explain or pics of the "two rubber plugs"? What do they do and how do they do it.

 

The two rubber plugs are above the head in the firewall and allow you to remove and install the rear four pushrods. There is not enough room between the head and the overhang to get them out with out the plugs. Just pull them out and do the deed and put them back.

 

Wish I could have found this out befor I removed mine, Did a search and found 0 about how to get them out. Hope this helps a lot of people out.

 

Take a good look at the lifter gallery cover gasket while the head is off as well, real good time to replace that if it needs it.