Caterpillartim

I just about have my 2nd engine bilt up the only thing i can decied is weather or not i should have the head cut or not. I lot if people are saying that if you add fire rings you have to run a single layer gasket and its better to use the stock mls gasket and studs. Id like to get the engine done in the next few weeks but a cant decide

cbrahs

compete your signature so we know what you have and all what has been done.

Snoxracer

For what it is worth, I have an 05 that I had Scheid put in fire rings and with less than 8k miles on the complete rebuild, it blew a head gasket and dropped all the water. And that was with 14mm head studs and running 55psi boost with my twins.

So its back together now, and nothing has really been changed, they did surface the head, so hopefully this trip will last longer!

Caterpillartim

Bottom end is comply balanced, studed mains, arp rod bolts coated pistons, zz fab intake ported head, f1 cam and springs ats manifold wicked 180 sticks. i know im forgeting alot! but il still be runing my silver bullet but ill be adding a second stage to my nx system

tristan21

Ouch, head work used to be on my list of things I wanted done. Now its just my wife who wants it done.

I havnt ever had a good impression of sheids 3rd gen work. Seen some first hand in effingham, wasnt impressed, my 12 year old can tig better than the adult who miged there showroom twins together.

Nice guys though. Even though the counter guy couldnt understand why I wanted a rail preassure gauge. I shouldve let him talk me out of it. Who cares what that silly 29,000 psi is doing.

Jetpilot

The OEM MLS gasket is a superior design to what we have available or the 2nd gen engines. Many guys are holding together at over 1200 RWHP with just the OEM gasket and standard 12mm studs. But as always there are some that have not been able to keep thing buttoned up at 700 RWHP.

Going with o-rings (I like them much better for a daily driver over fire-rings) pretty much eliminates HG issues. So if I was doing a complete engine buildup I would go ahead and o-ring the block and be done with it.

Doug

Caterpillartim

any one else

John_P

Unlike Snoxracer, I have Scheid's 14mm studs and firerings on my 1996 Dodge CTD 12 valve and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever. Last year, I put over 35,000 miles on my truck driving it to ALL of the diesel drag races and events I attended going as far as Denver, Colorado to the "ATS Truckfest" a 5,000 mile roundtrip from eastern N.C. The truck puts down over 800 H.P. on #2 and almost 900 H.P. with a small shot of nitrous. I see between 75-80lbs of boost with my truck at WOT and on all 1/4 mile runs and I am also spraying alot of water into the engine to keep it cool (5 nozzles directly into the cylinder head). IMHO, I think this set-up works well. But maybe the CR trucks are different.

I think Jetpilot's post sums up the headgasket issue on the CR Trucks pretty well.

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John_P

John_P

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In looking at your post there, the engine in my 1996 Dodge CTD 12 valve is set-up very similar to what you have listed there in your mods, however, I do not have a "ZZ fab intake", but my head is ported and polished.

Caterpillartim

ithe main reason i asked is because i never had the mls gaskets and studs its been o-rings or nothing

82NDSNPR

well i dont know if it matters but i have spoken to a few big major shops in the biz who all told me if the truck is a daily drive they do not recomend the fire rings they have had to many come back with problems. i had planned on ringing my head but now that i have talked to a few shops who have all said the same thing im staying without

John_P

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82NDSNPR:

Gee, I have not ever heard of that!

I have had the 14mm studs and firerings in my 1996 Dodge CTD for a little over three (3) years total now and have had no issues or problems at all.
But in saying that, I also started with new cylinder head etc., as my original Cummins 5.9 head was bad. My good friend Bobby Downes, who goes by "dperf" here on DTR, has the same exact set-up on his 2006 Dodge CTD CR and and so does Mike D. on a 1999 Dodge CTD 24 valve, and they have had them for almost one year now, also with no problems either. I would really like to know what kinds of problems those shops have had and how they machined for the 14mm studs and firerings as it is my understanding that can make a big difference, especially if the machine work is not done properly. I also know that Scheid Diesel does ALOT of the 14mm studs and firerings with almost no problems.

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John_P

82NDSNPR

john pm sent i dont want to put out names in the open just made some calls told them what i wanted and what the truck was used for and they recom not doing it

Snoxracer

John_P, who did the motor work and how were the rings cut in your block? Were they square cut grooves or half moon cut?

When mine popped the gasket after I had all the work done, we pulled the head off and it looked like you could see all the rings had leaked a little. Dan Scheid had the head resurfaced and we thru it back together. So I hope that all is good now, it only had about 5-6k miles on it when it let go. But Dan took care of me so I was very pleased with that.

John_P

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Snoxracer:

Scheid Diesel did all of my engine work on my 1996 Dodge CTD 12 valve. The block was machined out of the truck by their machine shop and I am 99.99% sure they are square-cut grooves, not the half-moon cuts. I also forgot to tell you guys that when the initial machine work was done, I had installed a brand new cylinder head too.

I am glad to hear that Dan got your's all taken care of for you! Dan is a great guy and I have been doing business with him for over ten (10) years now. I really doubt you will have anymore problems.

Thanks for the reply and all.

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John_P