KATOOM

I agree.....

leathermaneod

Hey guys,
Got the truck back. I think the issue with the tappet cover gasket was just improper installation. I now have a new problem though. I was working on fixing the fuel leaks I have where the fuel lines meet the head (the shop, once again, didn't get it together correctly). Anyway I had to take off the intake horn to get the #1 delivery tube out. When I took of the horn I discovered that one of the holes (cast in the head) that the four studs screw into is broken off and there was just a nut on the end of the stud. I immediately thought what if this nut comes off in the engine?? I called the PO who is a friend and he said the piece had broken off and caused a valve to stick open. He pulled the head removed the piece, then fixed it with jb weld. The shop put the nut on. I have to call them tomorrow and see if they used loctite or jb weld to keep the nut on. Do you guys have any input on how to fix this? My main concern is that the nut doesn't come off in the engine. Do you think jb weld is enough or should I get it spot welded? I'll post pics in my gallery so you can see what I'm talking about(I don't know how to post them here)

KATOOM

I'd have to see a picture of what you're describing to better answer that.....if I even can.

leathermaneod

Can you look in my pictures here on the site? I posted them there. I think you can get to them.

KATOOM

I see them.....

So a corner piece of the intake manifold broke and found its way into one of the cylinders? Hope all was OK besides the random debris stuck in the valve.

Then it looks like someone JB welded something back in place and put a spacer plate on the manifold.....right? Do you have the grid heaters still?

leathermaneod

You are correct. The piece that broke off was part of the hole that that stud is supposed to thread into. From what the PO told me the broken piece wedged itself in one of the valves and held it open. This all happened in the past and the truck has been running great since so i don't think any damage was done. The PO used JB weld to hold that corner stud in place and put it all back together. Its worked great all this time. When I took it apart today to work on the fuel line leaks i found the nut so I asked the PO if he put it on and what was keeping it from coming off inside the manifold. He said he didn't put the nut on, he just JB welded the stud to hold it in position. So the shop I've had the truck at must have added the nut. My question now is what is the best/safest way to put this back together. I could get rid of the nut and JB weld like the PO, but the old JB weld seems to be chipping off so i don't know how i feel about that. I could clean off the old JB weld and get that nut tac welded to the stud so it can't come off, but then i can never get it out...It seems to me like my only other option is replacing the head, and i just can't afford to do that. Plus i think it would be a waste, there has to be a way to do this that will work. The nuts that hold the intake horn on only get torqued to 13 ft lbs so this doesn't have to hold much. It just can't come apart inside the manifold.

I do have the grid heater and will be putting it back on. I am not sure what you mean by a spacer plate, I havent seen many of these to compare mine to.

KATOOM

Not much about that sounds good..... I think I'd rather replace the manifold plate, since thats what you're after. The head isnt what holds the intake horn in place. And the bolts that hold the horn down are 18 lbs.

leathermaneod

Wait a minute! That manifold is a separate piece from the head? I thought it was all one casting???

KATOOM

Go take a look. Its a metal plate with a hole in.

leathermaneod

I think you may be thinking of a different piece. I just looked on the cummins website and the part that is broken is part of the head casting. The bolts for the intake horn do go through the plate you are taking about, but they thread into the head casting. Unless I'm really missing something....

KATOOM

I see what you're saying. Yes, you're correct that the bolt reaches past the intake manifold plate and threads into the head. I'm not sure what else you could do then. You certainly dont want any loosening debris sucking into the cylinders and you most certainly dont want that nut to fall loose and drop into a cylinder either. To bad your friend didn't have it welded up when he had the head off.

leathermaneod

Yes that definatly would have been preferable. I'm thinking if I can get that nut tac welded to the stud I should be ok. Hopefully I can find someone with a mig who can come to me and just stick the nozzle of the mig gun into the intake to tac that nut.

leathermaneod

Do you think that will be ok?

KATOOM

I apologize leathermaneod but I dont think I can answer that without seeing it in person. And for tacking it, well that would be up to the welder and whether or not they thought they could do any good in there. It may last forever or maybe not. I think what got me thinking is when you said the stuff is flaking apart.

leathermaneod

Ok no problem...I'm not sure if the old stuff is really flaking apart or just broken caused by the shop pulling it apart....I'm thinking at this point I'm going to get out any loose jb weld and then just put new hi temp jb weld over the whole thing...(getting someone to come to me and weld it is just way to expensive and I don't have a welder) after all it doesn't have to hold much, just don't want it to come apart and get sucked in. Then next spring I'll pull it apart and check on it.

Thanks for all the help!