Blown Headgasket Fresh Overhaul

Redrider2911

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Nov 19, 2015
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Hey guys. I was on my way up Christmas tree hunting today and after a 45 to 60mph zone I rolled into the throttle pretty good while in overdrive. Probably not more than 50psi of boost. About a mile later we started smelling oil. Popped the hood and I got oil down the passenger side of the block and on the exhaust. Had to of leaked about a quart. Didn't notice any leaks at the turbo feed lines during a quick check.

Honestly I've been a little frustrated with the truck lately and just assumed the worst and towed it to work. I'm at home now and thinking about it (of course) and I just remembered; aren't all oil ports on the driver side of the block? What are the chances of a blown head gasket puking oil out the passenger side? Looked like somewhere between #2 and #3?

Vehicle in signature. Recent changes include in frame rebuild with Cummins genuine parts and oring in the block done with Isky groove tool. .010 of protrusion. 135ft/lbs on SHCS. Checked head and block with snap-on straight edge, couldn't fit .005 under it anywhere. Timing is about at 23*.
 
Probably tappet cover gasket or injection pump to timing case seal.
 
I'd look the turbo oil lines over again just to be sure. And check the oil filter base. Possible you could have left a bolt a little loose and it worked its way looser.
 
Yea. Gonna give it a good look over tomorrow morning. Did just see that the Junker Drag Truck pushed oil out the passenger side between 4 and 5 with a blown head gasket... I guess I might not have gotten lucky like I hoped.

Socket Head Cap Screws
 
So Stock head bolts! Get a set of studs if its a blown head gasket! 50psi is way high for stock bolts
 
So Stock head bolts! Get a set of studs if its a blown head gasket! 50psi is way high for stock bolts

I planned on doing it eventually. Just a little frustrating that the original head bolts and 300k head gasket never blew through my 30+ pulls this last race season hitting over 80Psi... freshen the motor up and now it doesn't like the head gasket.
 
That old gasket had seated into the block and head. An old gasket torqued down will almost always hold better than a new gasket will. Read all of Will's junker thread. His original gasket held a long time, then he went through multiple gaskets in a short period of time. Time for upgraded fasteners.

96 3500 5x018 7mm dvs 62fmw
 
That old gasket had seated into the block and head. An old gasket torqued down will almost always hold better than a new gasket will. Read all of Will's junker thread. His original gasket held a long time, then he went through multiple gaskets in a short period of time. Time for upgraded fasteners.

96 3500 5x018 7mm dvs 62fmw

Yea. I'm familiar, that's why I went back and checked on how/where it was blowing still.

That's the plan, was hoping to see some good cyber Monday deals on ARP head studs but haven't found any yet.
 
Several vendors are 10% off today. I don't think you will find much better.

96 3500 5x018 7mm dvs 62fmw
 
Ok.... SO. I believe I have found the problem! Freakin 2-5 all blown out between the cylinder and oil port.

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After seeing this I am definitely 99% sure that this head indeed isn't flat at all. So it's off to the machine shop tomorrow, curious to hear how far out it was.

What I am still confused about is how does a blown gasket on the drivers side lead to pushing oil out the passenger side? Anyone have any insight to this? Also confused on why the gasket is separating and bubbling up in areas that aren't clamped between the block and head. Was this just a bad gasket? I'm pretty confident that it was a genuine cummins gasket after watching a few comparison videos.

I'm pretty sure that at least one of these ports had to of been blown since the first drive. It was burning blue smoke quite a bit and I had ridiculous blow by. I was just telling myself that it was only because this engine didn't even have 100 miles on it and the rings needed time to seat, plus I have read that some blue smoke can be attributed to cold diesel and it has been in the high 20s, low 30s. Apparently I was wrong...
 
Looks like the head lifted. Be curious to see head bolt measurements bet some are stretched!
When you say crazy blow by that's past rings into crank case Or thru the oil ports when did it start having blow by?
 
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Does it maybe have anti freeze in the oil that will cause it to steam out of the blow by tubes
 
No antifreeze in oil or oil in antifreeze. It literally looked like grey exhaust coming out of oil fill tube. I don't have a vent on my tappet cover. I have a 1/2" draw tube in my valve covers. I had to leave the oil fill cap off in order to not blow the tappet cover seal. How would I know if it's from blowing by the rings or pushing compression into the oil galleys?... I honed the cylinders and put on new rings.

I really notIced the blowby after the first drive when I started to investigate why the first tappet gasket blew out.
 
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