Blown head gasket

Hello,

I've got an 84 d50 TD with either a blown head gasket or cracked head. I am getting ready to pull the head and had a few questions. First is there anything to look out for? Basically line up the timeing marks and then unbolt the head? Is it worth testing the head or should I just buy a new one since I don't know this ones history? Do I nead to purchase new head bolts before reinstallation?

Also have A rear main seal leak and was thinking of pulling out the motor with the transmission bolted on to it before seperating them to fix the seal. Does anyone recomend doing it this way to avoid being cramed under the truck? Thanks for any advice
Taylor

Not a diesel guy, but will give this a shot...

I'd send the head in to a good shop to for a once-over. Might be a good core, might not. Probably cheap for the look-see.

Now, as to pulling the engine and tranny as a unit, I do know. You'll have to remove the front radiator support/body x-member to get it out easily. Can probably be done without doing so, but you'd have to have the front of the truck on ramps and likely be using a step ladder... You CAN replace the rear main without pulling the engine, but like you said, much time crawling around underneath.

New head bolts are a must for any engine, diesel even more so. Dunno if they make ARP studs for that engine, but if they do and you have the money, I would.

Edit: Dunno what you have down South, but Rick's Cylinder Head up in Milwaukie seems to do good work. He's on River Road technically in Oak Grove.

You know I gotta say it should only take an hour or 2 to pull trans from bottom to fix leak and re-install trans or a half a day pulling motor and trans

Thanks for the info. Head removal is straightforeward though? I have air bubbles in the coolant, any easy way to tell if it is either a cracked head or head gasket?

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Originally Posted by Morrow

Thanks for the info. Head removal is straightforeward though? I have air bubbles in the coolant, any easy way to tell if it is either a cracked head or head gasket?

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Definitely signs of bad head gasket. Do you have a lot of white smoke coming from exhaust? Generally that would say cracked head.

It's probably a bad gasket. Pull the head and have it checked. Diesels don't normally blow the head before the gasket like a gas rig, unless you over heated the crap out of it. That could be real bad then.

Didn't overheat it but it overheats now. No white smoke either

Pull the head. Start there and then we can go forward, but it's gasket at the least.

What do you think about getting new head bolts when I replace the gasket? Are they still available?

I don't know if there out there. But it wouldn't hurt. B&R head and block in West Sacramento can find parts if you need help locating somthing. http://www.brheadblock.com/

I had the head tested and it checked out fine. The head gasket was leaking into one of the cooling ports. Thinking of bolting it back on but noticed that two of the cylinders have some vertical scratches in them that will catch your finder nail. I am wondering if it is worth it to have them fixed or not. How much trouble is it to strip the rest of the block and then put it back together? also what to bottom end gaskets kits run?

Thanks