Changing a head gasket in the brown truck.

[nelstomlinson]

About a year ago the '89 crew cab started spewing coolant out the front, right, upper corner of the engine. I finally got it into the shop this winter and have pulled the engine. I'm middlin' sure the problem is the head gasket - the leak was kinda visible below the exhaust manifold. I started out to remove the engine and leave the transmission in place. That might have worked if I'd pulled the starter and the oil filter first. I didn't. So, we wound up dropping the transmission and transfer case as a unit, then the engine lifted right out.

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Anyway, the engine is out and I plan to replace the starboard head gasket and the rear main seal. Unless I find really big issues, I don't plan to do anything else.

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[nelstomlinson]

This engine has been leaking like a sieve and I think some of it was coming from the valve covers.
Here's the port side, aft:

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And here's the starboard side, aft:

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[nelstomlinson]

So I will change the valve cover gaskets while I'm in there. I'm going to try to do a bare minimum of those "while I'm in there" things, because that's how these projects stretch out until they never finish. One thing I've already done, though, is I took off the nasty old sound proofing from the firewall.

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It was saggy and in the way, and I've been fighting that garbage since I bought the truck.
It looks a lot better now.

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[Kdo58]

You have it out and your not going to reseal the whole motor?

 

[nelstomlinson]

Another thing I just had to do was fix the connector for the engine wiring harness. It had been replaced with not one, but TWO wads of but splices. I labeled the wires 1 through 8, then A&B for the two I found later, and got an 8 pin Deutsch connector pair. My son put the Deutsch connectors on, and I used some 15A powerpole connectors for the A&B. I used 50A powerpoles for the two glowplug wires. I didn't get a before picture, but here's an after pic of the engine side.

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[nelstomlinson]

I'm going to do the minimum to get it back on the road quickly. I need it running, and the leaks don't bother me. That rear main is already more than I really should do, but it won't take long.

Edited to add:
As soon as this is out of the shop it goes back to being my daily driver. Then I can finish up the new engine, drop it in the red truck, and get that on the road. Once that's solid and reliable, it can become the daily driver and I can redo the front end on the green plow truck - the front tires are wearing funny, so I'm trying to limit the miles I put on it.

A new motor for the brown truck is several projects down the list.

 

[ROCK HARVEY]

How often can you just replace a head gasket on these trucks, and not find things like a cracked head or loose valve guides? I don’t have enough experience with these engines yet to know, but I know on some other engines you have to plan on re-manned heads if you’re doing a head gasket

 

[nelstomlinson]

It was running great until it started spewing, and it seems likely it'll run great when it goes back together. I figure if I get another six months to a year out of it I'll be golden, and it may last longer than that, who knows.

 

[Jesus Freak]

I'm going to do the minimum to get it back on the road quickly. I need it running, and the leaks don't bother me. That rear main is already more than I really should do, but it won't take long.

Edited to add:
As soon as this is out of the shop it goes back to being my daily driver. Then I can finish up the new engine, drop it in the red truck, and get that on the road. Once that's solid and reliable, it can become the daily driver and I can redo the front end on the green plow truck - the front tires are wearing funny, so I'm trying to limit the miles I put on it.

A new motor for the brown truck is several projects down the list.

I play musical chairs with my vehicles too.

 

[nelstomlinson]

I have way too many projects and I'm not good at finishing any of them. I need to get some completed, and that means not letting them grow and grow.

I did complete a couple of projects this summer. I cut down an axle and put it under a light plant, and cut down another trailer axle and built a trailer to put my welder on. They're both still yard art, but now they're mobile yard art. Here's the welder, another project a little way down the list. I want to go through it before I put any hours on it.

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[Jesus Freak]

I have way too many projects and I'm not good at finishing any of them. I need to get some completed, and that means not letting them grow and grow.

I did complete a couple of projects this summer. I cut down an axle and put it under a light plant, and cut down another trailer axle and built a trailer to put my welder on. They're both still yard art, but now they're mobile yard art. Here's the welder, another project a little way down the list. I want to go through it before I put any hours on it.

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Ooooooo....... and a JOHN DEERE TRACK LOADER!!!! OOOOOOOO..... AAHHHHHHHH......

 

[nelstomlinson]

That's the track loader that runs, but needs work. The other one doesn't run...yet. Probably just needs a new injector pump, someday. I have way too many projects.

 

[Jesus Freak]

That's the track loader that runs, but needs work. The other one doesn't run...yet. Probably just needs a new injector pump, someday. I have way too many projects.

I used to have a 59 caterpillar D6 cable dozer. Alas, I needed money.......I miss my dozer.

 

[Lumberjackchuck]

I'm going to do the minimum to get it back on the road quickly. I need it running, and the leaks don't bother me. That rear main is already more than I really should do, but it won't take long.

Would definitely recommend resealing the oil cooler while the engine is out, if it hasn’t been done.

 

[Diesilee]

Nice welder....what are the specs. on it?