1986 6.9 Crew Cab

[smokedacid]

I'm kind of in a pinch with my project, have had it apart for a while procrastinating and finally pushing is coming to shoving and I need to pickup my toys and get it moving to somewhere ASAP, so I apologize to everyone who doesn't like to see corners getting cut.

As parked the day I bought it...

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Heads showing probable failure point in gasket:

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Maybe it failed on both sides? this one seems to be leaking from cylinder second from left?:

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Head cleaned, detail photo 1:

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Weird wear above piston travel / Piston damage from glowplugs? :

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As she sits right now, engine in garage:

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So my questions are as follows,
Question 1: Obviously the groove in the head in "head detail 1" photo isnt ideal but is it possible I can slap a fresh head gasket on this, bolt it down with the existing head bolts and have it work for 20,000km ? I do not have the funds or time to get this thousand pound anchor to a machine shop.

Question 2: The wear above the travel of the piston is probably from a glowplug tip bouncing around in there right? Obviously I have read about the autolite glowplugs not working and have purchased proper motorcrafts ... but is this wear a death knell for this particular block?

Now I know nobody is going to like someone doing a half assed job but I need this to move, and be able to move itself somewhat healthily for at least 20,000km, when I will have another diesel motor to drop in and hopefully some breathing room on my living and working situation.

I probably have a thousand more questions but lets start with this, hopefully can get some experienced eyes and ears on this and I can get it moving ASAP.

thanks boys and girls
Matt

 

[miles1400]

for "head detail 1" you should check the head with a flat bar and feeler gauge set to see how deep that groove is, if it is too deep i dont think a new head gasket will fix it. im not sure what the measurement spec is for it but im sure someone here will know

 

[smokedacid]

I'm working on bothering my millwright friend to come by and throw some shade and shady expertise my way with his proper tools but he's pretty busy picking up the pieces of his Gondola thats been cut down twice in the last few years