Well for the last couple of days I have had a wierd tick, almost sounded like a exhaust leak, but it wasn't very loud and it was intermitent. I checked all the obvious, exhaust manifold, seals around turbo housing the intake horn, anything I had drilled on the pressure side of things. Well today the tick was pretty much non-existent and I decided I would thromp on the Skinny pedal a little bit... What a Bad Idea! As soon as it locked the torque converter in 2nd gear and grabbed hold, Kaboom ! The engine just started this God aweful noise.

Well I stopped right away and shut off the truck. Took a look around and didn't see anything, no exhaust leaks everything still looked good from what I could see. Well I start it back up, crawl under the truck to listen to hear where the noise might come from and to my shock.... You could see fire shooting out of the back of the head everytime #6 fired. So I shut it off and got it towed home.

I am guessing at this point that I will be replacing the Head Gasket. I found a Head Gasket here local at Dodge that I am picking up tomorrow and I am going to start the dismantling. Now when everything goes back together is there a specific order in which I need to tighten the Head bolts? Does anyone know the specs on the head studs? Are there any tricks to make this any easier or is it just all about time and labor? Dodge wants $1100 to replace it so, I will just take a Saturday to do it... Hopefully!

Any Hints, Tips, and Tricks are greatly appreciated.

Jason

 

id firering that thing with all the mods you have while you have it off. Or, ATS said that i could run a head gasket for an older 24 valve and studs and not have any problem, but i went the firering route just to be safe. I feel your pain my friend, i was once in your shoes. dont wish it on anyone! Goodluck!!

 

I wish I had the funds right now to do that but right now unfortunately I am strapped. This would be the perfect time to send everything out for port and polishing and getting the valves all done and everything, but $$$$ is hurting right now.

 

let me get this straight, your running nitrous, propane AND water/meth?

 

Be sure and check the block deck, and head surface good with a straightedge to make sure it didn't etch the surface and create a low spot when the gasket blew. The new gasket wont hold for long if it did. The bolts/studs tighten from the center of the head and work outwards towards the ends equally and in several steps. I dont know the torque spec. for the studs off hand, but Im sure someone will chime in that does.

 

I never ran all three at any given time. They are all there, but I have only run n20 on the dyno drag strip, propane for road trips and extra power every now and then, and water/meth when towing and/or egt was a problem.

I have run Propane and N20 at the same time, but only for real short durations...


The more I research and the more I read it seems like when I pull my head I am probably going to find that I cut a groove out of the back of the head and block. It has been "clicking" for a while under load for a while, whenever I would see above about 38+psi... So I will know tomorrow how far up the creek I really am.

Unfortunately I am supposed to be leaving CA to head to ID to put together a truck and then onto FL with the other truck in tow to the PRI show... Hopefully it is just a gasket and nothing more.

 

Crash, Where at in ID??? Sorry to hear about your truck...

 

I am supposed to be in Pocatello/Chubbuck. I am "supposed" to be putting the Van Aaken Mega Cab together for the PRI show.

 

Sounds like you scrapped a motor to me...possibly.

Repeat after me.....drugs are BAD!!

 

That sounds like an HBO after school special... I refuse to say it....
I never really run them so they are there if I want, but that was not the problem here. I have only used the Nitrous or Meth both at seprate times but only about 30 lbs of N20 and only maybe 10 canisters full of water/meth...

I believe this is cummulitave damage over the last 70k miles... I should have O-ringed it along time ago.

 

So let me get this strait. You can ruin the block if you blow a gasket? What are the signs if any that things are about to go?

 

hopfully its just a head gasket. but ive never been able to see the cylinder firing when one was blew. sound like somthing cracked. did you check your freeze plugs. could be them also

 

I just finished pulling the mine apart for a blown head gasket and found a small grove cut out in the block between cylinder 4 and 5. The head is groved almost down to the valve seats

 

The best way to keep from damaging to the block or head surface is to o-ring/fire ring, and install studs BEFORE you blow a head gasket. The studs by themselves are better than nothing, and will add additional protection over stock if time or cost is an issue. Any signs of fluid leakage between the head and the block, ticking sounds, coolant contamination, unbalanced cylinders, magically disappearing coolant, are all signs that a head gasket could be failing. Although I have seen them let go with no warning when the factory head bolts break, for no apparent reason, on stock engines. ( I've seen that twice ) However, the real damage normally only occurs if you keep driving and ******* one after the gasket starts leaking to begin with.

 

Well, I will be pull,ing the head here in the next few hours and I will keep you all posted.

I realy believe that it probably cut a groove in the back of the head. I do not have any fluids anywhere other than where they are supposed to be.