Coolant leak head gasket

[4Fingers]

I had a 5.9 Cummins with a head gasket leak. I torqued the head to spec and it stopped leaking. You can also get a long reach bottoming tap and remove the head bolts one at a time and clean the threads, blow them out, apply some lube to the threads and torque them back to spec. I know several people who have done this with success. Just a thought, it's a job to pull the head.

Don

[MO Fred]

Originally Posted by tom chelbana

External leaks are easier to fix with HD high quality additives for cooling system. I would suggest because it is a external to try a good additive. Do need to watch coolant level and engine temp. till you know it's a problem any more. Head gasket could be up to 2 or 3 grand.

Yep, I paid $2000 to have my 8.3 Cummins head gasket replaced about 6 months ago because it was leaking lots of coolant.

[ladagobago]

Originally Posted by 4Fingers

I had a 5.9 Cummins with a head gasket leak. I torqued the head to spec and it stopped leaking. You can also get a long reach bottoming tap and remove the head bolts one at a time and clean the threads, blow them out, apply some lube to the threads and torque them back to spec. I know several people who have done this with success. Just a thought, it's a job to pull the head.

Don

Are you suggesting to remove and re-torque only the bolts in the area of the leak to cure the leak or all the bolts?
there are only three or four bolts that would affect the area of the leak. This a very long hole to tape and wonder if I should use a special thread chaser tool or a bottom tape. I read that cummins for some reason did the tap the hole to the bottom and left room for 6 landing of thread at the bottom.
I was planning to use nickel neverseeze for the lub.

[WILDEBILL308]

Originally Posted by ladagobago

Are you suggesting to remove and re-torque only the bolts in the area of the leak to cure the leak or all the bolts?
there are only three or four bolts that would affect the area of the leak. This a very long hole to tape and wonder if I should use a special thread chaser tool or a bottom tape. I read that cummins for some reason did the tap the hole to the bottom and left room for 6 landing of thread at the bottom.
I was planning to use nickel neverseeze for the lub.

If I was doing this I would use a bottom tap to make shure the holes are tapped deep enough. I wouldn't go over 2 turns deeper (if possible). Don't bottom out the tap and over stress it. Breaking off a tap would be no fun.
I would see what Cummins says about the threads/lube/anti seize/sealant.
I would do 2 on each side of the leak.
This just might fix the leak, but if it doesn't you haven't lost much but time.
Bill

[sjholt]

Some thing I done when my 5.9B was leaking in the same spot while I was on the road and stopped it.
Clean the area really well and take a small thin flat screwdriver and scrape the gasket in that area back some and get some of wally world's gas tank epoxy the comes in a small cylindrical tube and clean that area again and mix up a small glob of epoxy and take a heaver flat blade screwdriver and drive that epoxy into that crack where the leak is. After you feel that some is in there mix up another blob and press it into that area and let it cure over night.

Don't laugh - it's been holding for 120,000 miles.
Oh ya- I did re-torque the bolts individually to 125 ft lbs before the epoxy.
Pull bolt one at a time - clean threads- lube threads with engine oil- lube under bolt head too - torque to 125 ft lbs.

Skip H.

[ladagobago]

Well, I ordered two taps to work on the head.
First I ordered a thread chaser
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/arp-912-0008

and also ordered the following tap but now I have reservation about using it.
Balax - M12x1.75 Metric Coarse D12 Bright Finish High Speed Steel Thread Forming Extension Tap Bottoming Chamfer, 6" OAL, 1" Thread Length, 6H Class of Fit
The reason for the reservation is it appears it can not cut metal. It was expensive and I hope I can return it. 100 bucks delivered.
Bottoming chamfers are used for threading blind holes to the bottom. They have 1 to 2 threads.Thread forming taps do not cut threads; rather, they form threads by displacing material. They generate threads without producing chips. They are used on mild steels, carbon steels and low to medium alloysBright provides a smooth, polished finish on the tool. It increases chip flow in softer materials such as aluminum, wood and plastic.

In any case, I am hoping that cleaning and resetting the head bolts in the area of the leak will solve the problem.

The condition was caused by overheating. Recalling that last summer I had to replace the radiator after the engine got real hot when the drive belt broke. I feel that the expansion of the metal stretched the bolts enough to allow enough slop to let the coolant passed the gasket to the exterior.

[DonDee]

Originally Posted by kustom

i have not used it but was told its the best its blue devel saw it at o rillys
auto parts very pricey about $ 60 but comes with a money back
if it does not fix it. parts guy said they sell a lot and has not anyone
complain check it out on you tube if you do try it report back

Sodium silicate, used in Blue Devil and Steel Seal etc. I used SS in a GAS engine and it held for over a year. You can get sodium silicate at a drug store, you just need to figure out how much to use.

YMMV...Greatly

[Mr_D]

Remember that if you use lube on anything threaded and the torque spec is for a dry thread you have to reduce the torque applied by something like 20% and that even varies with the lube used.

[WILDEBILL308]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Remember that if you use lube on anything threaded and the torque spec is for a dry thread you have to reduce the torque applied by something like 20% and that even varies with the lube used.

Hence my comment on checking on what Cummins recommended.
Bill

[4Fingers]

I tried the epoxy thing, it worked for a while but started leaking within a month. Internal pressure was too much.

Good Luck

[Bazzer]

Any additives to your cooling system is likely to further compromise your cooling system, best find a shop who can replace the gasket and check the head is not warped or cracked.
In saying all that the years old trick to fix rad and coolant leaks was to put some egg whites in the radiator! Not that I’m suggesting you do it except in a case of dire emergency!

[ladagobago]

Originally Posted by WILDEBILL308

Hence my comment on checking on what Cummins recommended.
Bill

I checked with cummins and they said to clean the hole, motor oil for lube on thread and antiseeze on flat of the cap screw. the spec for torque is 59 then 77 then 90*. The spec for stretch is 133 MM. After I took out the bolt and cleaned the head of it- it is stamped with the length and spec of torque.
129 T+90 which is 129 length, torque to spec then turn 90 degrees. The cummins bolt are TTY bolts and as long as they are not stretched out of spec can be used over. The bolt I removed measured 129.3MM, well is spec.

I did clean the bolt on a wire wheel. Also got the tread chaser from Summit Racing. Cheaper there than most places.

Not planning on looking for a mechanic as I do all my own work. Mostly not considering egg whites. Science as moved on to nano technology. This is only to be a temporary fix until winter project _ but if it works I'll me happy.

I did return the bottoming tap as cummins suggest not to tap any deeper























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[WILDEBILL308]

Great, let us know how it works out.
Bill

[ladagobago]

Originally Posted by WILDEBILL308

Great, let us know how it works out.
Bill

After all the cleaning tool purchased was only 3" long, not long enough to reach the threads. Will save it however since I may still need to do the gasket at a later date. so all I did was to clean the bolts (wire wheel, brake cleaner and wash), brake cleaner in hole, 80lbs air pressure to blow out the hole. Lube the bolt thread lightly with 0-10 synthetic, nickle neverseese on head washer face. ran torque to 78 lbs then 90 degrees. Needed more than the 18" breaker bar to turn the 90 so went to the 24" and even that was hard.

place several layers of JB red and black on the leaky area. ran the MH down the road (after we replace the lift pump "on separate thread") and check for leak. No leaks. Seems like all is ok at this point so thanks for the help to fix this issue.