Head Gasket GONE!!!
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98.5 or anyone whom considers ARP studs,
Do yourself a favor, and search this site for Don M's article on his research and testing of those studs and torqueing values. Great article. 95 is way to low. Is it too low for 34 lbs of boost? Not in my opinion, but many variables play into that equation: Warmed up engine at normal operating temperature prior to max boosting, surging, etc....You may have done absolutely nothing wrong on the installation, just an initial failure of the HG. It happens. Relook each of your steps (bottom tapping not necessary, but I do recommend ensuring all the cutting fluid and shaving are sucked out of the holes; shop vac and a hose duct taped to the vac), and redo.
Do yourself a favor, and search this site for Don M's article on his research and testing of those studs and torqueing values. Great article. 95 is way to low. Is it too low for 34 lbs of boost? Not in my opinion, but many variables play into that equation: Warmed up engine at normal operating temperature prior to max boosting, surging, etc....You may have done absolutely nothing wrong on the installation, just an initial failure of the HG. It happens. Relook each of your steps (bottom tapping not necessary, but I do recommend ensuring all the cutting fluid and shaving are sucked out of the holes; shop vac and a hose duct taped to the vac), and redo.
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From: Southern Utah
If you read this site then you would see that studs and retorque are used in the same sentence at almost every mention. I've learned not to listen to what the manufacturer says but rather what the general public says cause the general public knows how to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the product. Also, gaskets have a tendency to compress a little after they heat and cool a couple of times and that compression could definately cause the studs to lose their torque. Not trying to be a smart behind just trying to share my .02.
DH
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From: Plano, TX
NOW do you know that the head was perfectly plained? Could have been a machining defect as well. That would be one thing i would check when you take it off.
ALSO....i hear that the 3rd Gen (Multi Layer Steel?) head gaskets and ARP studs are a hard combo to beat. This will be the way that i go i think. You have to mod the gasket a little...but i hear its not hard. I dont like the idea of cutting rings into my head.
ALSO....i hear that the 3rd Gen (Multi Layer Steel?) head gaskets and ARP studs are a hard combo to beat. This will be the way that i go i think. You have to mod the gasket a little...but i hear its not hard. I dont like the idea of cutting rings into my head.
Thread Starter
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From: Southern Utah
NOW do you know that the head was perfectly plained? Could have been a machining defect as well. That would be one thing i would check when you take it off.
ALSO....i hear that the 3rd Gen (Multi Layer Steel?) head gaskets and ARP studs are a hard combo to beat. This will be the way that i go i think. You have to mod the gasket a little...but i hear its not hard. I dont like the idea of cutting rings into my head.
ALSO....i hear that the 3rd Gen (Multi Layer Steel?) head gaskets and ARP studs are a hard combo to beat. This will be the way that i go i think. You have to mod the gasket a little...but i hear its not hard. I dont like the idea of cutting rings into my head.
Could this be true about the 3rd Gen head gasket? If so I'm going this route. I wonder if PDW has done this yet? Thanks
DH
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From: Baltimore, MD
3rd gens are a bit different, but PDW does already have the modified 12v marine gasket (all metal, no paper) and that thing is super heavy duty. that gasket with studs and the proper retorques will hold your 34psi all day. i went with the .020" over but you can get the .010" gasket and be fine. just holding a stock and maine gasket in your hand shows the difference because the marine gasket weighs twice as much as a stocker.
Thread Starter
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From: Southern Utah
3rd gens are a bit different, but PDW does already have the modified 12v marine gasket (all metal, no paper) and that thing is super heavy duty. that gasket with studs and the proper retorques will hold your 34psi all day. i went with the .020" over but you can get the .010" gasket and be fine. just holding a stock and maine gasket in your hand shows the difference because the marine gasket weighs twice as much as a stocker.
DH
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From: Baltimore, MD
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From: Iowa
So, there I was, setting up on a job, and a guy walks over and says "is that your truck leaking oil?", and I reply "No way, it couldn't be, my truck has a bullet proof Cummins in it" and the guy says "Should of got a Chevy!". After this brief encounter with a Chevy lover (which I used to be), I walked around to the front of my truck and sure enough there was a 4' trail of oil leading to my truck, ending in a large pool under my truck. OK, I say, no big deal, maybe an oil filter gasket or something little. NOT! I cleaned everthing off, started the truck and observed oil coming out from the front of the engine where the head and block meet! NO FREAKIN' WAY!!
2,000 miles ago I put on a reman head from Cummins, headgasket, and ARP studs. I called my diesel mechanic buddy who helped me do the job to come look at it, he says it's the head gasket, but also said it could be a cracked block!!
My question: Is there a better head gasket out there other than the Cummins replacement? I'm only running 34 pounds of boost, and if that is what blew this gasket then I say what a POS! Help please!
DH
2,000 miles ago I put on a reman head from Cummins, headgasket, and ARP studs. I called my diesel mechanic buddy who helped me do the job to come look at it, he says it's the head gasket, but also said it could be a cracked block!!
My question: Is there a better head gasket out there other than the Cummins replacement? I'm only running 34 pounds of boost, and if that is what blew this gasket then I say what a POS! Help please!
DH
I had the exact same thing happen to my truck. Pulled the head, made sure it was true, put it back together with a stock gasket and studs. Fired it up to warm up and do the retorque, same issue. So we started doing some measuring and found that from the mid section of the number 2 cylinder to the front of the engine there was up to a .006" difference in the height of the deck on top of the engine. Couldn't be! We laid the head on top of the block with no gasket and loosely torqued down and measured again (using the head as a straight edge) and sure enough we saw a progressive gap from the middle of #2 hole that maxed at .006" at the front of the engine. Now by no means is this the best way to measure but there is a noticable gap between the head and block with the head or a straight edge. I called Cummins who has yet to respond and I also found a few other people with the same issues on their 5.9's. My mechanic and the machine shop are thinking we need to true up the block.
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From: Saint Ignatius, MT
Makes me wonder about my reman cummins head I put on a yr ago. I think I am close to 6-7k miles since I did it. I used a stock gasket and I haven't retorqued yet, should I? Am I setting myself up for problems? I am seeing about 30-32# boost when I really get after it, which isn't all that often. But will likely be more since I woke my sleeping beauty up with the apps recalibration last week
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Might just retorque today!
.Might just retorque today
!
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From: Bucks county PA
I guess going the easyer and cheaper route of buying a new cummins head thats ported O ringed and has all the goods on it and selling your old one is no longer a good idea. Seems like you need to keep the head that came with the block so there all warped the same.
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From: Saint Ignatius, MT