I've been loosing coolant for a couple weeks but hadn't found any drips or leaks, until last Sunday when I was finishing up a transmission service. Looks like it's coming from between the head and block at number 6 cylinder. I doubt torquing the head is going to help at this point. To add insult to this injury, today the PS gearbox started leaking from the input end and the large "nut" on the end is so corroded I doubt I can just put a new seal in. I'm driving the "brick" 130 miles a day for work and don't have a backup! Yeah I know I'm whining, but this sucks.
So the minimum I'm looking at is a head gasket and maybe resurface the head? I've dealt with PS problems too many times so I know what I'm in for with that.
Then there's the transmission heat expansion tank. Are those still available? What about the hard line at the back of it? I don't know how badly rusted the tank is until I can pull it but the hardline is severely corroded.

 

Sound's to me like it's time to fix the crewcab up ?
or send it my way I'll finish it for you

 

I wouldn't say "maybe" to resurfacing the head. It's going to need it. The exhaust side especially. Make sure the valves are re-ground as well to maintain the proper valve recession.

 

This may prove helpful if you decide to replace your head-gasket yourself.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=236843

NOTE: If you decide to have someone else do the headwork, print a copy of the section from the Cummins Factory Service Manual (included in the above link) so they can do the work correctly.

 

what is the proper valve recession jimbo? I need new seats in my head and the machinist asked me. I looked in my one cummins book and its not in there, gotta try the other one yet.

 

ok according to cummins quick serve, min valve depth is 0.038 max is 0.060 not sure about seat depth yet. sorry didn't mean to rob your thred here bigredbrick but that may help you here in the near furture.

 

No chance the head isn't warped? what's the right head gasket. Napa sells FelPro and there's different thicknesses available. Probably the right time to reseal the tappet covers. Replace the head bolts? How many bolts and studs should I expect to break? May be time to replace the injectors, mine are the never serviced originals.

 

That's the exact same place mine let loose at. I had the head milled, got a thicker gasket and a Cummins upper gasket kit.

I put manifold studs in while I had it all apart.

I'm worried that my cooler will be the next to go too. I'd have swapped it while I was doing the head but the fittings were pretty rusty and I didn't want to tear up any more stuff.

 

Well, when it rains it keeps on coming! The rear diff has been acting up, kind of grumbly grabby on turns. Had it totally rebuilt end of August '13 about 16,000 miles ago. Turns out the oil was contaminated with water. I don't 4 wheel the truck and we haven't had much snow or rain this year - hey east coast, send snow we can use it! It must be condensation or somehow the breather is sucking it up.
The head gasket hasn't let loose yet and I'm trying to find another vehicle to share the commuting so the Brick can be down a few days for repairs and improvements.
That's all.

 

Check the air / vent tube on the diff. Remove the hose, remove the fitting from the top of the tube. 99% chance it's clogged. Very common problem with these trucks for some odd reason. It's actually in the sticky it's such a problem

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=115036

 

I drove mine weeping like that for a while.