BugJEB34

I replaced my head gasket about 2 months ago, and there really isn't that much to it, just really time consuming. I spread it out over 2 weekends, one Saturday took it all apart and the next weekend put it all back together. Which I'd suggest so you can have it machined and checked while you have it out. No use in doing it unless you plan to have it machined and at least put new head bolts, buy studs if you can afford to do it. Just take your time, take everything off, and be sure to have a cherry picker handy to get the head off. You can get it off picking it up, which I did but learned my lesson, and used a picker to put it back. If you have any questions just ask, but its fairly simple to do. Nice time to adjust your valves, and if you check Mopar's site you can find all the information about valve adjustment as well as many other things that are useful to know. But if you have any other questions either post on here or google it and you can probably find it out, but I'm glad to answer anything I would know. Noticed after my post you even had a 12 valve, so this will be even more helpful to you, but I used it to kind of have a reference when doing mine, although I only looked at it once or twice.http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/showthread.php?t=236843

Just got finished up a couple weeks ago with my HG and had the exact amount milled you are looking at. I went back stock cummins HG with new head bolts and I spent from the Saturday I took it off till the Saturday I took it back cleaning everything up. I cleaned the deck off till it was like new looking then cleaned everything up with the shop vac. Also spent a long while on each stud hole in the block with a tap cleaning them out until it spun freely all the way to the bottom in each hole. Knock on wood all mine is back together and running like a champ with my compression leak all taken care of. Wish you the best of luck on this one and hopefully it takes care of it for you.

Is there any trick to re-torquing the bolts between the two rockers besides taking them all off? Of do I just have to bite the bullet and take them off again and reset valve lash after each re-torque? I have yet to figure out a way to get a socket on there.

Same thing happened to me about leaving it in gear. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why I couldn't get it to turn, and I even had the head off, so there was for sure no compression. After I really cranked down on it I noticed the truck was trying to run me over and the e-brake was holding it back. After I put my stupid hat on and took it out of gear it was back to work.

One more question you guys may know, I broke 2 of the little plastic pieces that sit above the valve bridge on the rocker that looks like a piece to hold the metal part in place. Have any of you ever broken one, and if so do you have any idea what this part is called so I can pick that up when I head to Cummins to pick up the head gasket etc? Below is also a link that someone else had posted with an arrow that points to the part in question. http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/broken-rocker-arm-piece-t268247.html Thanks in advance, Jason

I would love to have o-rings cut in while I have it off, but I have a baby girl due in December, just bought a house, and the wife is between jobs. So needless to say we are trying to save as much as possible.My truck has 215,000 miles on it and I had compression getting into the coolant system. Never had any issues with fluids mixing at this point, but it just recently started pushing out lots of coolant, so I decided it was time to break down and get in knocked out. New house has a nice shop that came along with it, so seemed like it was a sign that I needed to just do it.

Thanks for the reply, that is what I thought, but I wanted to be sure. I am taking it to a shop that Charlotte Cummins uses for all their head work, so hopefully they know their stuff.

I have torn down my truck and the head is removed and getting it all ready to take the the machine shop tomorrow to have it checked and shaved flat. Do I have to remove the valve springs before I take it to them or can those stay in? Everything is completely removed except those and I wasn't sure about them.

Welcome, not on here as much anymore, but always glad to see new folks from my area. Grew up in the Denver area, work in Charlotte, and now live in Kings Mountain. So still not too far away.

during our yearly snow storm my truck did something very similar. My ABS light came on after I pulled someone up a hill in the snow but soon went back off. Worried me enough that I will be taking everything apart and cleaning it up really well, but it hasn't been back on since. Could it be possible that the e-brake isn't fully releasing even after its unfrozen and causing problems with the ABS sensor?

Welcome, I'm pretty new here myself, but tons of good information on here. Good luck with the wife and convincing her, my wife likes to give mine the evil eye all the time like she has its days numbered.

I work for Colonial Materials. Sale drywall. What company are you with? I actually used to live and still rent my townhouse very near Lowesville.

Thanks everyone. Been on cummins forum for a long time now, but just got around to joining this one. Seems to be a lot more useful information on here that isn't as cluttered. Glad to see someone as close as hickory, I actually grew up in Denver and am in hickory quite often for work.

Just wanted to check in and say hello from NC. Enjoying all the new info on here.