To pull the pan or not
 

I am in an ongoing saga in repairs on my truck and apperantly ... IT WILL NEVER END!![yuk] [yuk]
Any how, I am having to replace my fire ring head gasket, that I installed so I wouldnt have to do a head gasket again, because of some new installation instructions that I didnt recieve ( or didnt come out) until I had already installed. Now I have a blown head gasket and am loosing a lot of water (dissapearing).
Well I was thinking...(not healthy)... it may be a good idea to drop the pan and check for headgasket material. But then again I know how much of a PAIN it will be to do so... here I am.
Sorry if I sound a little disoriented... I am. I am not happy about having to do another head gasket, especially when its NOT my fault[yuk] [eyecrazy] ,
Any suggestions will be appreciated. Hopefully yall will convince me strongly that I DONT need to pull the pan:rolleyes:
Scott

Pulling the pan is a major hassle. Yank the head and look for missing material first. They generally don't fall apart.
Make sure to use new head bolts.

Personally I would not pull the pan for a blown head gasket. That being said. With the head off, it is not that bad pulling the pan. Loosen the bolts on the mounts and lift the motor up about four inches, the pan slides right out with the oil pickup in place. Just finished doing it. Mine is 4wd.

Thanks for the encouragement;) , I guess it didnt take much to veto the pan pulling[laugh] . I really hope this head gasket hasnt fallen apart for the simple fact that it only has 4000 miles on it[eyecrazy] and since its not really a "Blown" head gasket but rather one that never got seated right.
BTW: I dont think new head bolts are in order being that I have recently installed head studs:cool: .
Thanks again
Scott

just out of curiosity, how would any part of a head gasket make its' way to the pan?

thats what I was wonderin??????????and if you pull the pan.......make sure you look for the little plastic green things and if they are there,, take 2 asperin and call me in the mornin.
been ther done that two!!!!!!!!!!!!

Head gasket material falls apart and enters oil jackets. oil gets pumped. oil sprays into cylinders. owner buys new motor.
This isnt an uncommon thing and a friend of mine is in the process of rebuilding as we speak because of a blown headgasket.
Scott

Please explain the path that the oil would take to get to the bearings through the filter.

Once your oil pressure reaches 50- 60 lbs it actually bypasses the filter and goes directly to the bearings.
Scott

another "just curious" question:

what are the signs that you have a blown head?.................absolutely no power/boost? very little power?

Sorry, wrong answer. The bypass on the pump opens and it dumps oil back into the pan, or the pump inlet if you're overvalved :rolleyes: The bypass on the filter only opens if the filter is clogged and causing more than 10 to 20 psi drop (depending on whose filter you're using).

You are correct about the pump bypassing oil back to the pan on a Cummins.
It's been quite a few years so perhaps I'm mistaken but I once dissected a Fleetguard filter and don't recall there being an internal bypass as most filters have. I think that's why they call it a full flow filter.

The mentioned pressure drop across the filter opening the bypass valve is correct- On some engines there's a filter bypass valve exterior to the filter, on some it's incorporated in the filter.
A full flow filter will be passed by all the oil going to the bearings and that stuff, opposed to a bypass filter that will take a small amount of oil from the pressure part of the system and let it back (filtered) to the sump. A clogged full flow filter without bypass valve would lead to oil starvation, a clogged bypass filter would just not filter the oil.
Just my 2c (€-cents, very high at the moment ;) )

AlpineRAM

I may be incorrect about the bypass, however this is how I understood the bypassing to work after talking to a well respected Cummins mech. but maybe I misunderstood him.
However I appreciate you not being rude about it wanna: ;) .
Scott

[redface] Sorry, that does seem a bit blunt now that you mention it.[tapdshut]