• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

Stats? Head Gaskets? Fix it / Dump it?

TMHark

TMHark

Member
Messages
86
Reaction score
1
Location
Hudson, NY
Truck has been running great, then one day it overheated before it went a mile. Turned it off, bled air. Stats opened. No oil in coolant, no coolant in oil. Returned home after adding coolant. Temps never went to red, or even close (they almost never make it to 210 with the stats I have in it)

Now, air in coolant, every time. Temp spikes at warmup and burps and pukes coolant if you don't bleed it out. Obviously not driving it this way.

Engine is a reman with new thicker heads and only 20k on it, so I'm hoping for and easy fix (yeah right) or head gaskets at worst.

Any "Miracle cure" anyone can think of? Or 3 days labor and $500 bucks? Or sell this thing (at a giant loss for sure, look at sig) and move on....

If HG, are there any that are thicker and/or blowout proof? Been meaning to do new injectors also.... Ugh

I've got $10k in new parts over the last few years (reman eng, pump, injectors, A-Team, Kojo tune, GM reman tranny, ps pump, alt, etc, etc) Each piece seemed like a good idea ("can't buy a truck for $X, so lets fix it")

Advice? Offers?
 
Sounds like the head gaskets to me....

Take the belt off the motor, remove the t-stat and crank it and look for bubbles coming up the water crossover, you should be able to see what side of the motor is the trouble...don't run it like this for too long, it will get hot fast...
 
With all those parts I would fix it and install studs, I'm honestly surprised you didn't already have studs with the parts list and recent new heads.
 
I would fix it. Especially with all you have done. Who assembled the reman engine? Wondering if old(stretched) head bolts were used or not torqued correctly?
 
Reman engine was a complete unit from Promar. It came fully assembled with those new heads, so I couldn't tell you anything about the head bolts etc.

Any recommendations on "bullet-broof" HG's?
Anyone try or hear about the "Cometic" high end ones?
Are they really worth $100 per side?
 
According to forum reading most recommend Felpro with new bolts or studs. Any chance they'll warranty it, pro rate it, or anything?

Missy goodwrench had a block that one side was decked more on one side vs the other so be careful with a mass produced rebuilt engine they will do about the minimum.

Read missed things on the cometics. Not worth it unless chasing all out performance IMO.
 
I have a standard cab, and I wish I atleast had an extended cab, so I have benn looking. Used Diesels are expensive in my area. Somthing that has 30-80K miles on it and around 8-10 years old will run you 25-35K. That is crazy. I would fix it, and if you want something different, sell it. If you sell it as is, your gonna take a big loss.

If it were mine, I would get it running, and then sell it......
 
You can do a set of headgaskets and studs in 8-10 hours if you hit it hard.
Definitely worth fixing it, the 6.5 with an ATT is awesome.
 
Headgaskets being bad would be my thought. I'd change them and install with studs. Way cheaper to fix it then to buy another one.
 
FIX IT

ARP studs and felpro +.010 head gaskets. No better combination. Victor Reinz gaskets would be good as well used both. +10 is cheap insurance against a slightly out of flat head or deck. The studs work great use pipe dope made for steam pipe and make sure the threads are dry. Hand tighten then a slight tweak with a little more than hand tight and you are good to go. Over 25000 on mine no leaks yet. knock on wood.
 
Hi Terry long time no see, negative on the Cometic gaskets, according to stuff Bill shared with me on my project engine, great for gassers, but not so well with 6.5s suspect someting to do with higher CR and clamping arrangement of the 6.5s head. But rebuild for sure that truck can't be replaced for cost of a head gasket swap, besides the I know you have a nice place to work in to do it, it's not like you gotta be outside like some of us do to make it happen.
 
Found a 02 Durmax 2500 Ext cab with less than 100k for $16k. Carfax shows 1 owner and only oil changes at local dealers.

Thoughts?

Anyone want to make an offer on my 97 3500 crewcab WT? I've got an easy $10k in new parts (see sig), plus cost of truck, but I do believe it needs head gaskets
 
Somebody save Ole Yeller!!

No time to fix, and wife/daughter had an "invervention" regarding my old truck and me...

They have lost confidence in the vehicle (they tow horses to horseshows and just cannot be stranded)

Listed now in Classifieds. I'll miss her!

If I can't get $2500 for her, then off to the junkyard she goes, or maybe the "tow in your junk trade in" on a different truck

Bye ole girl.....

:sad:
 
Don't forget CL and Ebay. Last resort is parting off the turbo before the junkyard.

If it were my truck well I have already done it - My 20 year old 1993 has towed over 550 miles a day 5 days a week. I would do head gaskets, look for cracks and use ARP studs with locktight on the block side. I have eaten 1/4 worm clamps and destroyed pistons and valves without blowing the head gasket since going ARP's. Little ammo for you with the intervention - and I would make people sleep on the couch or in the doghouse at a suggestion to sell my 6.5.

You will just find "more expensive" parts with another diesel truck. Reliability is dumb luck and then you get hit with a diesel bug in the fuel that will strand any engine...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top