That is the question...

Head studs aren't in the budget at the moment. I plan on bottom tapping the holes while the head is off just in case I want to "get serious" and put head studs in it, replacing the factory head bolts one at a time.

Is anyone running a marine gasket, with an o-ringed head on stock head bolts?

My truck is 100% stock, with the exception of a ground fuel plate to #100 and screwing around with the starwheel. I want to go ahead and o-ring the head while it's off, just because, well, it's off and I want the added security.

The current head gasket has an external leak at #1 cylinder, but has no oil / water mixing. I've been driving it like that for a month, and it's progressively getting much worse. I have no big time plans for the truck with the exception of some small injectors (MAYBE 370s), 181 DVs and a timing bump to 16° or so and a VB and TC in the trans. I depend on the truck too much to BOMB it like i want to.

Am I safe going with this stock head bolt route with the marine HG and o-rings?

Thanks for the help.

Conn

 

Are you gonna buy new stock bolts, or re-use the old ones??

Chris

 

i may buy new ones. supposedly the HG kit comes with some kind of plastigage to measure the old ones. if they're stretched a bit, i may HAVE to replace the bolts. and depending on price, it wouldn't make any sense to me to spend $200 on new head BOLTS, when i can get studs for $460.

the plan right now is to "hopefully" be able to re-use the stock bolts.

 

I wouldn't reuse the old head bolts. I think that is asking for trouble, especially since you've sprung one leak already. You could reuse them if you planned on keeping everything stock, but you aren't, so plan ahead.

Have the head flattened, skip the O-ring if you aren't going to BOMB it that much, use the marine gasket and put the $300 bucks for the O-ring towards the studs.

If it blows up again, then O-ring it. Look around at the number of guys running pretty big HP and pressures on stock gaskets and studs alone.

Just my 2CW.

Paul

 

I agree with Paul. It wouldn't be necessary to O ring at that level of power. Studs and a stock gasket are good for around 50 PSI from what I've gathered on here. With the potential mods you listed you won't be seeing that much. I would put a marine gasket, or eve a regular back in, and throw studs at it. You'll be happy for a long time. The external leak out the #1 cylinder is a common one, Haulin in Dixie on here says it's a defect in in the gaskets and all new ones have been updated. Mine went in the same spot and MANY more users on the sight have had them go there as well. I would just check the head for flatness, throw another gasket in and throw some studs in. You can check around the net for the lowest prices on studs, then call Summit. They have the low price gaurantee so I got mine for $400 to my door.

 

I vented my head gasket a couple years back. Combination of advanced timing and high boost pushed oil into coolant.
I had a local diesel shop do the repair which saved me a bunch of time and money.
Head didn't have any cracks, but 3 of 6 exhaust guides were worn and head needed planing.
We talked about o-rings, porting, and studs.
They broke a NEW bolt the day prior and strongly recommended studs. They talked me out of o-rings and porting for now.

My father taught me diesel mechanics many years ago. One of the items he really stressed was chase tapping ALL holes in the block that anchored a gasket. At the head gasket area a lot of carbon blows into threads that needs to get removed.

Here's a photo of the broken head bolt.

 

sweet info guys, thanks. I'll dig around on the 'net for a low price on the ARPs and probably go ahead and order them (price match through Summit) I own an offroad performance shop and tried to get them wholesale, but my wholesale price was more expensive than most retail.

I ordered the Marine +.020 HG yesterday (should be at my local Cummins dealer this morning), and I ordered two taps from McMaster-Carr.

I just need to find another set of wheels while my truck is down. It's hard to hoof it 48 miles to work.