New guy, blown head gaskets

[Newguy1998]

Hi there, first time posting, fairly familiar with 6.5's, had one for quite a while

I could use some help verifying my blown head gaskets, and a few questions about replacing them

I was going to pull the coolant crossover and start the engine let it run without the belt on. I understand this is a way to see bubbles coming from one side of the heads or the other. Will this work? If not, any suggestions?

Also once I strip the engine down to the heads and pull the heads off, is it just as simple as replacing the gaskets and putting the heads and Rockers back on? With new bolts of course. I downloaded a service manual. And in it it says you need to have the crank at a certain position so the valves don't touch the Pistons. Does this still need to be done while replacing the gaskets? Seeing that the valves are already timed.

Thanks in advance for anything you can add.

 

[Will L.]

Yes your on the right track with the crossover test. Make sure the pushrods are correct- they only go one way. Putting the rocker arms back on is no biggie. If you leave the timing alone, it will be fine when you go back together.

Dont buy any parts until the head is off. Destroyed block may have you not needing little parts, but a different engine to start with.

When you do go back together, felpro or victor rienze head gaskets only.

Let us know what you find with the crossover test.

 

[Newguy1998]

Yes your on the right track with the crossover test. Make sure the pushrods are correct- they only go one way. Putting the rocker arms back on is no biggie. If you leave the timing alone, it will be fine when you go back together.

Dont buy any parts until the head is off. Destroyed block may have you not needing little parts, but a different engine to start with.

When you do go back together, felpro or victor rienze head gaskets only.

Let us know what you find with the crossover test.

Your awesome, thanks
I will keep you posted

 

[Will L.]

Wait till some of the talent around here helps- those guys (and 1 gal) are awesome.

Hey -anyone heard from Missy?

 

[Newguy1998]

Would I be able to use just standard gaskets if the heads are clean and straight? Or should I use 1/10 over?

 

[WarWagon]

Would I be able to use just standard gaskets if the heads are clean and straight? Or should I use 1/10 over?

The thicker head gaskets are for a decked block. Some use it to take the compression down. Standard gaskets should be fine assuming your block wasn't decked. If you have a decked block and a blown head gasket you should consider another block as some have not had luck getting that to hold.

Verifying blown head gaskets is more like making sure the heads have not cracked and none of the cylinders have cracked. Very careful removal and inspection of the head gaskets may not be conclusive. Feel for any loose head bolts (loose meant the bolt failed) when taking it apart. Very common to crack a head that looks like a blown gasket.

Has the engine been hot at all before the failure as in over 210 on the gauge?

 

[Newguy1998]

pretty self explanatory

 

[Newguy1998]

The thicker head gaskets are for a decked block. Some use it to take the compression down. Standard gaskets should be fine assuming your block wasn't decked. If you have a decked block and a blown head gasket you should consider another block as some have not had luck getting that to hold.

Verifying blown head gaskets is more like making sure the heads have not cracked and none of the cylinders have cracked. Very careful removal and inspection of the head gaskets may not be conclusive. Feel for any loose head bolts (loose meant the bolt failed) when taking it apart. Very common to crack a head that looks like a blown gasket.

Has the engine been hot at all before the failure as in over 210 on the gauge?

ive never had heating issues, if anything it might run cold. around 170 degrees maybe, usually. might go up to 190 on a warm day.

im trying to stay open minded. are there any obvious signs for inspecting the heads and cylinders? or is it quite obvious?
can you explain this "decked" block? never heard that term...

 

[Will L.]

Crap! That sux. Better to know right away though.

Pull that head. Look at cylinder walls ($1 on #8 black) Cracked wall will be very obvious. Head cracks noticeable when looking at the face usually. If you cant see any damage obvious, post pics of everything. Might need to take head into machine shop for inspection.

Grab a beam style torque wrench (unless you have a friend with an electronic one that reads removed torque) if you have one to see how tight the head bolts are as you remove them.

Decking the block or heads means having a machinist cut the warped surface back to flat. For these engines 0.010" is the fattest gasket we can get, so that limits how much metal can be cut away.

 

[Newguy1998]

Crap! That sux. Better to know right away though.

Pull that head. Look at cylinder walls ($1 on #8 black) Cracked wall will be very obvious. Head cracks noticeable when looking at the face usually. If you cant see any damage obvious, post pics of everything. Might need to take head into machine shop for inspection.

Grab a beam style torque wrench (unless you have a friend with an electronic one that reads removed torque) if you have one to see how tight the head bolts are as you remove them.

Decking the block or heads means having a machinist cut the warped surface back to flat. For these engines 0.010" is the fattest gasket we can get, so that limits how much metal can be cut away.

awesome, that makes perfect sense. thank you.
i hope to have that head off within a day or two

 

[n8in8or]

pretty self explanatory

That's a cool vid. I've heard of that test, but have never seen it in action. Thanks for sharing that! Oh, and sorry about your bad luck. Careful.....repair and maintenance can quickly turn into improvements and modifications, and your bank account will never be the same........

Keep us posted!

 

[WarWagon]

Wow, just Wow!
That's the worst I have seen from that test. My bet is this is indeed a blown gasket.

Now on the other side that wasn't puking: was there any bubbles coming up? This is to verify you don't have to pull both heads. One puking and the other side cracked is the worst case. Last time I actually did this test was on a 6.2 with a cracked driver side head that had got hot from the damned heater falling out of the block while going down the freeway in the middle of nowhere Kansas. It just had a steady stream of bubbles without puking. After the passenger side repair I would redo the test to make sure the driver side is good (and verify the repair.)

@bobbiemartin found seeing a crack in the #8 is not easy. Photos of the heads before cleaning and the cylinders can help us identify a cylinder seeing coolant.

 

[Will L.]

Do a compression check before disassembly on all cylinders.

Many auto parts stores have a loaner program for tools like compression tester if you dont have one.

 

[Newguy1998]

Wow, just Wow!
That's the worst I have seen from that test. My bet is this is indeed a blown gasket.

Now on the other side that wasn't puking: was there any bubbles coming up? This is to verify you don't have to pull both heads. One puking and the other side cracked is the worst case. Last time I actually did this test was on a 6.2 with a cracked driver side head that had got hot from the damned heater falling out of the block while going down the freeway in the middle of nowhere Kansas. It just had a steady stream of bubbles without puking. After the passenger side repair I would redo the test to make sure the driver side is good (and verify the repair.)

@bobbiemartin found seeing a crack in the #8 is not easy. Photos of the heads before cleaning and the cylinders can help us identify a cylinder seeing coolant.

I was actually thinking of doing the test again once the right side of done. Just to verify the repair.

I'll be pulling the head tomorrow. Just need to unbolt the exhaust crossover and the manifold and turbo will come right out.

Do you guys have any tips for physically pulling the head off? I think I read somewhere that the bolts have to come off in reverse.

 

[ak diesel driver]

Loosen the bolts about a 1/4 turn at a time using the same pattern as torquing down. Once loose spin them out.

 

[Newguy1998]

Seems the gasket dissolved on the outside edge of #2. that might explain the puking out of the coolant port.

 

[Newguy1998]

#4 has some light brown burning, not sure what that could mean

 

[ak diesel driver]

Precup in #4 looks like a big crack in the picture.

 

[Will L.]

Do some good clean up for better inspection. You might get away cheap with it, hopefully.

Were you able to get compression numbers? That would prove your washed gasket theory (which looks right to me), and tell you if you should get into the lower and right now or not.

Have you cleaned and inspected cylinder walls yet?

 

[n8in8or]

#4 has some light brown burning, not sure what that could mean

I think the brown in #4 is because that is the cylinder that is tied to the EGR system.