Cracked Head? (Sick to my stomach...)

[SparkandFire]

Bad head gaskets or cracked heads... You CAN NOT tell the difference between those without pulling the heads. Any mechanic who says "cracked heads" without having the heads off the engine, sitting on the bench in front of him, is NOT a mechanic, but a parts swapper...

Do not trust the previous mechanic put the head gaskets on correctly.

Do not condemn this truck until you verify the heads are CRACKED, not just "allegedly cracked" Even then, heads can be found.

If you are not comfortable pulling the heads, find a shop that will do it for a reasonable price. Find a mechanic that recommends pulling the heads to look for bad gaskets/bad heads, or compression tests...

There is no living human who can simply look at a truck, see it smoking, and automatically know the engine is condemned...

 

[lilredtdi]

Here are a few places on CL I found when searching "DIESEL" I of course not vouch for any of the posted links you will have to gauge the people on your own. Perhaps it will help. I would think in Montana there are alot of freelance people with diesel skills.

http://kalispell.craigslist.org/aos/3568936447.html

http://kalispell.craigslist.org/sks/3532862623.html

http://kalispell.craigslist.org/aos/3452970013.html

Bet this guy know a repetuable mechanic. Got some nice trucks too!!

http://kalispell.craigslist.org/cto/3579876749.html

 

[tanman_2006]

If you cant fix it dont junk a slick truck like that! Put it for sale on here and I would drag a trailer to get and bring it home! I've driven further for worse chunks of iron!

People on forums like this one actually LOVE these trucks and wont give you some BS over the top $$$ diagnosis. We want you to keep driving the old truck!

 

[nitroguy]

People on forums like this one actually LOVE these trucks and wont give you some BS over the top $$$ diagnosis. We want you to keep driving the old truck!

Love it! Thanks for the inspiration.

Here are a few places on CL I found when searching "DIESEL" I of course not vouch for any of the posted links you will have to gauge the people on your own. Perhaps it will help. I would think in Montana there are alot of freelance people with diesel skills.

http://kalispell.craigslist.org/aos/3568936447.html

http://kalispell.craigslist.org/sks/3532862623.html

http://kalispell.craigslist.org/aos/3452970013.html

Bet this guy know a repetuable mechanic. Got some nice trucks too!!

http://kalispell.craigslist.org/cto/3579876749.html

Thanks for those!! I'll give that last guy a call tomorrow!


Thanks again everyone for all your help. I hope I didn't sound like a whiner, that really wasn't my intention. I was simply trying to do all the thinking I could before I started spending time and money chasing something I could have ruled out by logic. "Measure twice, Cut once" as my grandpa always said. Again, I apologize if you thought I was whining.

I'm picking up the truck tonight to bring it home. I think I'm going to try to schedule a Saturday to spend under the hood in my driveway with some wrenches and get myself used to this big truck of mine. Plan is to pull heads, rebuild (or replace) oil cooler, and have heads inspected from a local guy here.

Thanks again! I'll be sure to report back with any work reports (or more likely, "uhh, where does this go" type posts) ;-)

-nitroguy

 

[79jasper]

Have someone take pictures during disassembly, makes reassembly easier.

 

[junk]

Cool for digging into it yourself! Keep a bottle of gojo handy cause you will need it!

 

[icanfixall]

This forum will be a great help when and if you try removing the heads. It has been done many times by the members here. Just ask how its done the best way. Removing the injection pump is a test. Done wrong and your going to hate yourself. Please ask the correct way of working on this engine before you open anything...

 

[idiabuse]

just take your time working on the truck, SHTF just close it all up and go inside, work another day.

I learned how to fit 6.9 heads on my 7.3 before spending time on a forum asking questions.

Back then it cost me like $600 to fix a blown head gasket from lousy previous mechanics.

I found the heads in the back of a dead Ford truck just out in the open. I checked the guides

and was amazed how good they were. cut too much off the deck but didn't matter, they lasted me 120,000 miles

Heads I sold to a member here some time back.

Worked for me!


Javier

 

[hesutton]

My two cents...........

Do the work yourself. Get a Haynes manual. It's good enough that you can rebuilt it yourself in your garage. You'll get a ton of knowledge by doing so, and will know what you have.

I wouldn't trust someone else to the task. Pull the engine, pull the heads and have a look at the gaskets. Have the heads tested and go from there.

Heath

 

[riotwarrior]

Way to go....

Stepping up to the Plate!

Now it's a matter of RE n RE to get to the bottom of this...

Pull heads, if you do find an issue on the first head you pull, that is no reason NOT to pull the other! Your in for a penny...may as well be in for a Pound! DO IT RIGHT...DO IT ONCE! BE done with it!

Don't half ass this and you will be money ahead in the long run!

Once you have the heads off, the oil cooler is much simpler to remove and repair then replace. This will allow you the room needed.

Once the heads are off, lower the two rear pistons in each of the two rear cyl and watch if coolant weeps into cyl from the block...this would be an indication of caviation....you would have to have some coolant in the system to do this...or water..but I recomend coolant...don't want a block to crack...THIS MAY OR MAY NOT WORK...it's just a suggestion...the best method would be off block and pressure test..but clearly that's not an option....

So now you have heads off...parts all over....now to get those heads checked...have them check valves for guide wear or you can...and so forth...may as well deal with this TOP end properly...yes, it's a tad more cash...but worth it...don't forget to check for flatness too, of both BLOCK and heads...

JM2CW

Al

Oh ya...pics pics pics...LOTS n lots of pics for us here!

Good luck...yer not a whiner...

Ask lots of questions...just don't ask if you can ask questions...cause U can!

 

[Rot Box]

Good to hear you're going to do it yourself

To add to what others have said here are some things that might help you along the way and later on:

-Remove the hood completely.
-Find an old life preserver or something soft to kneel or sit on.
-Thread bolts back into the parts you remove so you don't get them mixed up or lost.
-Buy a box of latex gloves. I hate having greasy hands lol.
-Remove, clean and re-install (or better yet replace) all the glow plugs while the heads are off just to make sure they come out good and there aren't any frozen/seized in place.
-Replace all the turbo grommets and o-rings while its apart.
-Riot is right on the money. Rebuild the oil cooler while it is much easier to get to.
-Above all stock up on your favorite beer

 

[SparkandFire]

Nothing in the world is quite as good as that first post-engine-pull beer...



Almost worth pulling the engine just for that experience...

 

[riotwarrior]

Nothing in the world is quite as good as that first post-engine-pull beer...



Almost worth pulling the engine just for that experience...

I see your beer and raise you one
Post bedroom olympics Beer

Trumps your hand...IMHO

 

[SyicoIDI]

Glad to see you taking this on yourself. My truck started smoking real bad right before i bent a rod and it was from a bad head gasket. It might be as simple as that. Make sure you torque those bad boys down in sequence and in stages. In a 6.9 the correct torque should be applied as follows: stage one 40lbs, stage two 65lbs, stage three 75lbs. I think the 7.3 has different torque values but you get the idea.

 

[SyicoIDI]

Ohh Btw. Nice looking truck.