Time for my first Cummins Headgasket

[rburks]

Could anyone tell me...

 

Is it appreciably easier to do the Injection pump or the front seal when doing the headgasket.  I'm not that excited to add more to the pile, but if it's a lot easier I might try to do more stuff at once.

 

Injection Pump - Not cared for by previous owner, who allowed the factory lift pump to wear out to the point that when I changed the fuel filter, it wasn't strong enough to even pull prime (didn't have FP gauge at that time).  I've since put on a Fuel Boss, which is doing great, but still managed to throw a P0216 a few weeks back pulling up a pretty good grade.  The lift pump history or the code on their own wouldn't scare me so much, but both.... well I'm thinking it's probably time. 

 

Front seal - Not actually sure which seal it is, but I'm definitely leaking a little oil out the front of the motor, which leaks down with regularity.  Probably crank or timing case.

 

Thanks

INJECTION PUMP? YES'''A little cause you've already removed most of the lines..

 

AS for the crank / front seal.. Removing the head would have to be much easier while doing this cause most of the front end  ("Radiator, Air intercooler, bumper, etc...) has to come off to install seal on crank and or fnt cover gasket

check my Write up over in TRUCK ARTICLES

 

http://s1209.photobucket.com/user/rburks1/Crank%20seal%20install/story

 

 

http://s1209.photobucket.com/user/rburks1/slideshow/Crank%20seal%20install/?albumview=slideshow

Edited June 20, 2015 by rburks

[rburks]

I mean if you For sure have a front seal leaking, it would definitely be a good time to do it and the VP Pump as well as you can see in the write up the front cover is removed and thats the real PITA of installing VP injection pump is MAKING SURE YOU DONT DROP KEY into timing gear cover and insuring that you have KEY inserted in keyway properly, " doing all this while looking at it thru a Make up Mirror upside down

[rburks]

When was the last time your torque wrench was calibrated? Never ever trust a torque wrench unless it is calibrated at least once a year at minimum even a brand new one should be sent in to be checked and tuned before use, especially the cheap ones. I have seen many stripped out head bolt holes in blocks and twisted off fasteners due to torque wrench calibration being off or the wrench just plain being bad period.

People miss this stuff a lot, we send in every torque wrench in the shop every year and pretty much every shop I have worked at have done the same thing, components are too expensive to take chances on due to mismanaged tooling.

W/F ..Thats a good point.  where can you get this done or can you do it yourself???  I have several Torque wrenches and of course there not expensive ones like "MAC, PROTO, SNAP ON, ETC...

[Nates1999]

I bit the bullet and ordered an injector puller and crossover tube puller. They should be here today.

Scratch that.... UPS lost the package.  Guess I get to do it old school.

[CUMMINSDIESELPWR]

use the valve cover bolts to pull injectors.

 

a small flathead crewdriver pulls the crossover tubes out easily with no damage.

 

ive dont it many times.

[Nates1999]

Is 3 gallons enough coolant to drop to take off the head?  I don't want to waste any, as my coolant is only 5 months old, and was expensive.  I drained 3 gallons into a covered bucket to reuse.

 

Stupid #3 injector nut wont come off at the head...  Not going to mess with the open end wrench I have.  Off to get a line wrench.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Nates1999

[rburks]

i don't think so, id drop at least 5 gal. 

 

IVE never not been able to get the injector lines off with a 19mm wrench. maybe rounded off at the corners of the nut

[Nates1999]

i don't think so, id drop at least 5 gal. 

 

IVE never not been able to get the injector lines off with a 19mm wrench. maybe rounded off at the corners of the nut

 

No... It's on there tight.  No rounded corners.  I just want to keep it that way.  Cranked pretty hard with open ended wrench, will pick up a flare nut wrench tomorrow. 

[TFaoro]

The entire cooling system is right about 5 gallons. I would thing 3-4 should be plenty to pull the head. Make sure you pull a heater core line to ensure the fluid drains from the head.

[AH64ID]

Should be a total of 6.1 gallons.

Little trivia... The 5.9's have bigger cooling systems than the 6.7's, even the newest 385/865 motor. The 3rd gen 5.9's have a 7.4 gallon system.

[rburks]

The entire cooling system is right about 5 gallons. I would thing 3-4 should be plenty to pull the head. Make sure you pull a heater core line to ensure the fluid drains from the head.

You might be right for 5spd, But if His Auto is like mine an has the big factory trans Aux.cooler on bottom pass. side of engine block then no, it won't. This was a factory option for towing

[rburks]

IT takes 2-5gal buckets to drain/flush my sys complete.  1-bucket will be full pretty much to top and the other will be a little better than half

CHECK OUT THE PICTURE;...Look at the buckets in the left background, can't really see orange one that good but it is FULL-=and as you can see the blue one is about half full

 

http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc389/rburks1/Crank%20seal%20install/document031.jpg

Edited June 21, 2015 by rburks

[AH64ID]

The volume should be the same auto or manual.

The volume for the heat exchanger is minimal and both are listed with the same total capacity which is just under 6.1 gallons.

I always thought that style bucket held 4 gallons?? That does makes 6 so?

I don't know about the 2nd gen blocks but the 3rd gen blocks don't drain well and about 2.5-3 gallons stays in the block.

[rburks]

Well IDK, Not an expert on bucket volume,     but i Know that when I've Had Radiator drained and or removed hoses off and left to drain couple days that i will have to put 7-Gal of coolant back in to put it back full, sometimes over 7, but maybe some of that gets pass to the overflow jug on side IDK..

 

Trans listed at 10-12 qt. also but i put 9-in last nite after pan and valve body have been dropped for a day and a half ...thats with a triple disk T/C

[Nates1999]

Honestly that's the size of bucket I used, and I'm pretty sure they are only 3 gallons. 

[rburks]

Well I Guess you all are right about the buckets, That blue one(little taller} holds just little over 4gal and the orange about 3gal

Guess I'm not accounting for spilling more than i thought when i take hose lose from block..    but I'm still putting in 7gal thats going somewhere.

[Nates1999]

Alright...

 

Got the last fuel nut off, and had a couple of lines with some corrosion on them where they go into the tubes.  What should I do to clean this off?  Scotchbrite?  Nothing?  Is there anything I should do to clean them out?

 

 

[rburks]

Alright...

 

Got the last fuel nut off, and had a couple of lines with some corrosion on them where they go into the tubes.  What should I do to clean this off?  Scotchbrite?  Nothing?  Is there anything I should do to clean them out?

I would let them soak in something like Coleman fuel, sea foam "Deep Creep" overnite, then take a brass wire brush, this is a very precise machine finish on this end of the tube that mates to the injector lines, if it still doesn't look right replace as needed, "TRUST me, the cost for a few crossover tubes will not compare to the nitemare of trying to solve leaking lines when you put everything back together,  be sure to replace the o-rings at the very least and if you remove injectors replace the copper washers

[Nates1999]

Not sure what you mean about the crossover tube reference. Tubes were fine. These are the end of the lines. I think I might try a tiny brass wire wheel on my Dremel.

[rburks]

Not sure what you mean about the crossover tube reference. Tubes were fine. These are the end of the lines. I think I might try a tiny brass wire wheel on my Dremel.

Sorry, i see it now i mis-read the post..., your still dealing with a precise machined fit and suggest even as much caution in cleaning cause the lines, ''wouldn't use anything real abrasive .. they make a brass wire brush thats maybe a little bigger than toothbrush..you can find them at northern, harbor freight, i found them at an outlet store that sells cheep tools kinda like a flee market...the soft wire wheels for dermal should be fine just go slow and after you get the corrosion off check for pitting, this could also cause problems..

 

rburks