2002 Dodge Ram 2500 - Things to do.

[Mopar1973Man]

Ok... 

 

My truck went to down after a hard run here locally. Trying to turn around on the highway and out run a semi-truck. Finally blown the head gasket. Not bad but it weeping oil out the front. Still starts and runs. Yes I know most like the smallish turbo (drive pressure) is my problem and need to upgrade. Right now with all that is going on my 2002 is going to remain down for some time and let me fix it right. I know I got to pull the head and get it inspected for sure then reinstall. I'll leave wire tap off till later when upgrade turbo can be had. Already had a nice chat with @dieselautopowerabout it. 

 

Like I'm just about got the 2006 Dodge up and running and will be installing the new +50 HP injectors in that today and changing the oil. I'll be back in function today for business.

 

Next thing I need to find a full lock set for my truck the driver side door lock is so wore out even my factory orignal key (spare unused) will not open the door. I want to find a door lock set for both doors and the ignition lock as well as a set.

 

After having @Wet Vette car broken into I'm going to be looking for a good alarm for my truck and kill switch to prevent it being stolen. Also gotta look for one for Eileen's car too.

 

Want to pull the interior apart and power power the carpet out and reinstall. Looks awesome when its done because it looks like brand new again. 

 

I've bought new seat covers 3 months ago and never install them. Including new steering wheel cover. 

 

I want to fix all the weird quirky things in my truck that have been over looked. So I'll keep this post going on the stuff I'll be doing. 

[JAG1]

Was her car broken into while on your property? I hope not.

[Dieselfuture]

That sucks, even with ARP starts it's still blue huh, what's leaking oil or antifreeze 

[Mopar1973Man]

Might be high on the drive pressure. I know few mention this well it finally gave up. No biggie being ive done a few its not hard. Just a heavy SOB head to pull careful and place.

[Doubletrouble]

 With the size of the head that would be a beech setting it back on and not gouging the new gasket.

[Mopar1973Man]

Two man job. Just the pure weight of it and aligning on the dowel pins is rather tough. The only thing will take time is getting all the studs out and back in.

[NIsaacs]

22 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Ok... 

 Finally blown the head gasket. 

 

I call that a leaking head gasket, not blown. Blown is a fire ring gone. I doubt your turbo had anything to do with the leak. High rpm/coolant pressure is  more likely. Cummins designs the water pump for a 2500 rpm engine. Then Dodge pumps that up to 3100+, the head gasket fails on the right front corner. Note the area in pink on the picture, 4 cyl. but 6 is the same. That hole is the thermostat bypass port. That little narrow section of silicone bead fails.

 

If the heater core is partially plugged and or the thermostat is closed, this location can get a lot of coolant pressure at high rpm. I lost mine racing a Ford gasser, he was empty, I was towing my empty flatbed gooseneck trailer up a long grade in 5th (6spd truck), wot for several miles. When I got to the top I could smell coolant. I don't do that anymore, Lol.

 

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Mine was caused when I pasted a friends house I pulled over a 1/4 mile past flipped around looked up and there was a semi bearing down I jump into the fuel. I knew I could out run him. When I got to the driveway just before the engine died. After repriming the injection system it started. Drove it home. Then went to Council, ID. When I got home I checked the oil level I was down 3 quarts (about a quart below add). Then noticed the oil weeping out of the front of the head down along the gear case. 

 

It still starts and runs but you can see oil pushing out the front of the head slightly. 

 

As for my tune yes its got high timing in the 3k band at 29.5 degrees. My wire tap is set for minimum at 1200us. Still in all I'm going to say the drive pressure most likely pushed the head up a bit and now weeping oil. 

[Doubletrouble]

and another reason I don't want to go to far with mine as in power mods that is. I want reliable, long life.

 I know mike has a ton more miles than I do and it's been a good truck for him, no argument there. I just don't want to have to do head gaskets and the like when they fail because of mods I have put on to pump it up.

[dripley]

Mine failed where @NIsaacshas the mark. It is common place for a leak. Never thought I was too hard but like wind it up sometimes. Made it around 465K before it started weeping.

[wil440]

17 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Mine was caused when I pasted a friends house I pulled over a 1/4 mile past flipped around looked up and there was a semi bearing down I jump into the fuel. I knew I could out run him. When I got to the driveway just before the engine died. After repriming the injection system it started. Drove it home. Then went to Council, ID. When I got home I checked the oil level I was down 3 quarts (about a quart below add). Then noticed the oil weeping out of the front of the head down along the gear case. 

 

It still starts and runs but you can see oil pushing out the front of the head slightly. 

 

As for my tune yes its got high timing in the 3k band at 29.5 degrees. My wire tap is set for minimum at 1200us. Still in all I'm going to say the drive pressure most likely pushed the head up a bit and now weeping oil. 

Drive pressure on it's own won't push a head up unless you got chocolate bolts/studs, high timing more like, piston on it's way up and then BOOM injection event a little too soon, flame front expanding onto the top of the piston... piston still coming up, only takes fractions of degrees, just like detonation on a gas motor except a diesel does detonation every time it fires

If a little early then forces are huge and it's just unsettled the head in the leaking area is all

[NIsaacs]

Any idea why the engine quit? Maybe more going on than just the head gasket?

[Doubletrouble]

@wil440, that makes sense. I was trying to understand how/why the head would have "lifted" off the gasket. Your explanation makes sense to me. Thanks.

 Hopefully @Mopar1973Man's head is fine, no cracks or the like. I imagine a new head for the 5.9 would not be cheap by any means.

Keep us posted mike! Good luck.

[wil440]

9 minutes ago, Doubletrouble said:

@wil440, that makes sense. I was trying to understand how/why the head would have "lifted" off the gasket. Your explanation makes sense to me. Thanks.

 Hopefully @Mopar1973Man's head is fine, no cracks or the like. I imagine a new head for the 5.9 would not be cheap by any means.

Keep us posted mike! Good luck.

The detonation/injection event does need to be before TDC as max expansion/force onto the piston need to be ATDC so to allow for flame front travel  it needs to be before TDC and every engine no matter what fuel it burns will have an optimum ATDC figure for max force downwards this is the sole reaon for power increases/decreases on timing events, this is infinetly variable but main things are cam specs/duration, injection timing, spark timing for gas, temperature, fuel octane and more.

You could have the biggest jet engine in the world pushing air into a diesel engine and it still won't come close to combustion pressures

[Doubletrouble]

 I'm still adjusting to diesel timing and so on. I've worked on gassers for years. With those it's all ignition timing through spark advance/retard. A diesel is the injection event, no spark needed.

 

[wil440]

As for it stopping I wonder if combustion pressures overcame an injector or injectors, I have seen this before on a Scania mobile crusher, engine started to blue smoke/misfire for no reason, fuel filters were black with soot, change the FF it ran fine for a while then same thing combustion gas was getting into the fuel via a bad injector or injectors, new set solved it, so look at it slightly different, injector pressures ok but combustion pressures too high as a head has lifted it just might have filled injectors with combustion gas, after a restart everything ok

6 minutes ago, Doubletrouble said:

 I'm still adjusting to diesel timing and so on. I've worked on gassers for years. With those it's all ignition timing through spark advance/retard. A diesel is the injection event, no spark needed.

 

No real difference, heat through compression and then inject fuel BOOM same deal really as a spark

[Mopar1973Man]

Very true when I was running with high boost and possibly dropped throttle too sudden and overwhelmed the injectors with compression gases. 

[wil440]

Not high boost... high cylinder pressures, 50 psi, 100 psi no matter it won't make the slightest difference compared to 1000's of PSI cylinder pressures with timing too far advanced

[Mopar1973Man]

Got busy on this and just about got the head pulled off last night. I did a bit of testing before pulling apart. I retorqued the head and made a few runs after power washing the front. It for sure the driver side front of the head is leaking oil out. Being its still push oil out just pull it down completely. I just about the head off last night but I have all my bolts on the cowl then realized I've got to pull the cowl cover off and push out the last 4 push rods. Then start with pulling studs. Everything else is already pulled of. 

 

 

[CAMG3X]

I just ran into similar misfortune. Thought I had a water pump leak, changed it out and took a 4hr road trip. Got home and all was well till 2 days later saw a coolant puddle on the floor. Thought it would be the pump again, but traced it back to the front of the head middle /drivers side. Will be doing a head change as well in a couple weeks when I can snag some time. I'll post a thread on it.