IDI Shop in Tennessee for Head Gasket Job?

lakesurfer

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IDI Shop in Tennessee for Head Gasket Job?

I am in middle Tennessee, just south of Nashville, with a '93 IDIT. Pretty sure the passenger side head gasket is leaking coolant. I could do this myself, but don't have the garage or concrete, so it would be more challenge than I want at my age. Can anyone recommend a good diesel shop skilled and willing to take on this work?

I read the "Hall of Fame" tech sticky, and did not find a shop suitable for this project. Also made several calls, and found shops closed, or generally unwilling to work on something "so old".

I can drive 3-4 hours for the right shop. Prefer to not attempt a huge road trip though.
 

hacked89

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It's a tough to find a shop to work on these that you can trust like you said. Good luck in your search. If you were near me I would help you.
 

FrozenMerc

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If you were a bit closer to Springfield, I would say bring it over, and we would knock it out over a weekend, but 7 hrs is probably a bit further than you want to go with it.

Be prepared for incidentals. Head gaskets are rarely a root cause, and most often are just a symptom of a larger problem.
 

flatwoods

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I have a buddy that owns a shop in central Kentucky (south of Lexington) that works on a lot of old ford diesels.
 

lakesurfer

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Thanks for the offers to help. There may come a time I make the drive, get a hotel room, and take someone up on that offer. Hanging out for a day or two with some of the senior members of this forum would be pretty cool all by itself.

I made several calls, and so far, I haven't found anyone willing to work on this truck. Good news is that the coolant leak stopped. I ran is for a couple hours, both with the rad cap on and off and no leaks. Also did a combustion gas test while the rad cap was off, and that passed too. Maybe my redoing of the thermostat gasket *did* fix it after all. I'll take the "W" on that, and continue to look for mechanics just in case.

But also, maybe I'll pour a concrete pad so I CAN do this work myself if needed! #graveldrivewaylife
 

ROCK HARVEY

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I’m glad it’s not leaking, but it’s frustrating that no shops want to touch it. Maybe look for a shop that works on heavy machinery and agricultural equipment. There are plenty of old mechanical diesels still operating on farms and job sites, and they have to get maintained somewhere. If you were near the coast I’d say look for a place that works on boat engines. Those places wouldn’t be scared of old diesels either.
 

riphip

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Get a 7lb radiator cap. You don't really need the 13lb cap & will lessen your engine coolant pressure. I personally use the #328 Stant Lever cap so i can release pressure a little safer than having to unscrew the non-lever caps.
 

captain720

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Get a 7lb radiator cap. You don't really need the 13lb cap & will lessen your engine coolant pressure. I personally use the #328 Stant Lever cap so i can release pressure a little safer than having to unscrew the non-lever caps.
This hides problems rather than fixing problems, which is fine but you need to be aware that your basically putting a band aid on and your not gonna be ok forever.
 

riphip

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This hides problems rather than fixing problems, which is fine but you need to be aware that your basically putting a band aid on and your not gonna be ok forever.
Been aware of it for past 20 years. Works for me after original head gasket blown. None after that!!
 

Olds64

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FWIW, you can get the diesel compression gauge from Horrible Freight and do a compression check if it gives you peace of mind. I tried to get a Lang compression gauge from Amazon and it broke after using it to test 2 or 3 cylinders. The one from HF is a champ and the price is right too.
 
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