I have 476,000 kms or 295,000 miles on my truck (in sig). I have a coolant leak to the outside on the engine near the right front corner of the block.
I picked up a kit from Cummins which includes all of the gaskets required when pulling the head. I asked if head bolts are usually replaced at this time and the parts man said no.
Should I replace them and play it safe which is the advice of the mechanic doing the repair or is that money wasted? I have the waste gate on HX35 blocked and can see up to 35 psi. but seldom run it that high.
Thanks
Stan

 

From my experience it's like any job, do it right once and it won't come back to haunt you.

 

I have, and have always been told to replace em. They stretch a little when they get torqued down

 

The head bolts are considered TTY bolts. That said, there is a measurement you can use to see if they are re-usable or not.

Some kits come with a gauge, some don't. If you doubt them at all, replace them. I have done a bunch by re-using the stock bolts, and never had a failure. That doesn't mean you'll have the same luck.

 

My 12v top end gasket kit came with a stretch gauge for the bolts, but my 24v didn't. A simple measurement should suffice, given that the 24v bolts are all the same length.

 

Thanks for the responses.
I will get some new head bolts when I pick up the head in Saskatoon.
This is the second time I have had to replace the head gasket. The leak is in the same place as the first time, right front corner. The gasket is the narrowest in that location. The first time was in 2003 with around 180,000 kms.
Thanks again.
Stan

 

When I did r&r the cyl head I checked the bolts and reused them. If you have another leak I would be checking the cyl head for levelness. Yes the right front is a common leak spot with the older gasket, in 01 or 02 an updated gasket came out and it should not leak.

 

cummins head bolts are NOT TTY. they are torque ANGLE bolts. you set them at a minimum torque then an additional number of degrees rotation. this will stretch them an exact amount ( without reguard to torque reading) without reaching their yield point, and can be reused if within the stretch limits given. TTY, or torque to yield bolts will ALWAYS stretch a bolt beyond its yield point and CANNOT ever be reused.

 

Copenhagen, your comment about checking the block for levelness is something I was wondering about when this leak occurred again. I have not read about a coolant leak being a common one on the 5.9's.
Would you put a level along the top of the block to see if there is a gap? Or is there a better way to do this?
It was probably time to pull the head any way because there was evidence of the seals on the valves needing some attention.
Mileage wise the engine has not had excessive use. The engine has a lot of idle hours on it though. I hauled RV's for one year and it idled every evening that I spent on the road. I was very careful though to keep the engine temp up on cold nights.
I did not look at the cylinders to check the condition but I will have a chance next week to look at it.
Thanks for all the comments and keep them coming. I read a lot on DTR but just don't have the time and knowledge to do these things myself. This is how I learn when those of you who know share of your experience and knowledge when I ask and contribute opinions on things I don't ask.
Thanks again!
Stan

 

i had the exact leak plus one in the left rear ....we reused all the head bolts,
so far there is no problemsps i see 40 psi boost a lot

 

Get a stretch gauge from a cummins dealer and check them. If they do not touch the end of the gauge they are good to reuse as long as they pass visual inspection. If there are any rust pits or physical damage replace them.

They are not Torque To Yield and can be used multiple times as long as they are within spec.

 

What you're checking is if the deck/head is FLAT. Level depends on how you park the truck. IIRC, spec for warpage is .003" across the width of the block, and .006" across the length. You need a precision straight edge to do this, using a level is as good as fisher price tools.

 

Tate thanks for the clarification of what to use and the specs. I used the reference of a level only because that is the first thing that came to mind that would be straight. That is why I asked if a level would be sufficient.
Once again learning from those of you who know so much more then me.
Thanks
Stan