What to do when your doing a head gasket on you 12 valve Cummins

In the video I show you guys what to check for if you have coolant in your oil. How to check you head and block for flatness. Couple spots they like to crack and the difference in a fire ring and oring.
Thanks for watching!
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[@scottmccoy4129]

Great Stuff man- thanks for all the info. Keep up the great video content!

[@CUTTERUPROB]

Appreciate it! thanks for watching

[@lanceturley9301]

Just did complete oem Cummins rebuild on 12v with the exception of studs. Went with track tech studs and I’m already having to redo a head gasket after 50 miles!! Head was surfaced and block was checked. Max boost spike was 37psi during those miles. Head is leaking at feont and back pouring coolant. From what it looks like the studs stretched!! I’ll be going back to ARP.

[@6bt_str864]

Good bit of info Sir. Thanks from "Freezing" FL 👍

[@CUTTERUPROB]

Glad to help

[@shanesink8073]

awesome, informative video budI am using the xotic stud as well with 5x.013 injectors, that same head you have in the video thats been ported though. hxsuper 9, 18* advance, delivery valves. the usual other parts thats est 550-600 hp. been using them four months with 1500 miles of abuse and towing and they work awesome!

[@CUTTERUPROB]

right on

[@JLA1911A1]

Ive been running power driven cap head bolts on my ‘99 for about 100K miles now. They’ve been great holding 400 whp and 40+ psi at full send. I wouldn’t trust them much over 500 whp tho.

[@jimmiller4951]

Another great video that is so important to a new to diesel old man. Am I able to ship my head to you for surfacing ?. I just don’t trust any place around me to do that here is Northern Indiana .

[@Thedave2224]

Hey rob i have the cheap xotic head studs in my 98 12 valve. So far so good had them in there for about 6 months. I have a s366 turbo .025 dv's and 5x14 injectors unsure of the exact power its makeing that truck gets run hard and put away wet on the drag strip and streets and the studs are holding like a champ

[@CUTTERUPROB]

that's good to know. what kind of timinig you running

[@Thedave2224]

@@CUTTERUPROB when i go to the strip im at 28 degrees street driving i set it at 25 degrees. 215 pump incase you were wondering

[@TheToyotaAbuser]

When re torqueing head studs do you back them off or are you just verifying the torque

[@Thedave2224]

@@TheToyotaAbuser i always just retorque them back to the desired torque . some people back them off a quarter turn i dont and ive installed 20 or 30 diffrent sets of studs in mine and buddies trucks and only ever had a couple that actually needed retorqued but most of them were still tight

[@shanesink8073]

i run the same, making great power on 60 lbs of boost and timing advanced to 18*. love them!!

[@twinturbo327]

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, hope you had a good Christmas and were able your shop organized. The machinist working on my 12 valve head said it needed to be milled .025 to true it up, how do you measure the deck thickness on this head, what are the specs and would you run a head on the low side of the spec? Also, I bought a set of slightly oversized stainless valves and the shop said the seats were rough and the slightly larger valves would be good for cleaning up the seats. I asked to have the valve recess close to .060, but how much can you take off a stem to correct stem height? Thanks for all you do helping us out, I gather you are one busy guy and I appreciate you taking the time.

[@CUTTERUPROB]

spec on the head thickness is 3.700 ( by cummins spec ) but i wouldn't worry about the thickness unless your below 3.650" , doing the bigger valves you shouldn't have to cut the stem done much in specs if at all . just make sure installed springs height is close ( 1.940") . I am a busy guy 12-14 hours a day with more then one business and now doing the you tube thing. I like to be on the move you could say .

[@twinturbo327]

Thank you for the information, good luck with everything! Cant wait for you to get some nice black 2x hoodies with your logo I could purchase to say thanks.

[@CUTTERUPROB]

@@twinturbo327 no problem. there in the works. having a few designs made. i will have some made make sure there up to par and i will post a video. i need some new clothes so i am excited for them lol

[@HaselwoodCattleCompany]

Very informative! Do you have any experience with the ProMaxx 12v Heads?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

i have fixed a few for guys other then that no

[@Turbokrankenwagon]

Good video

[@CUTTERUPROB]

Thanks

[@nathanrobison3160]

Have you ran into doing a HG and head stud on one, that was not blown or anything like that, no mixing of any sort, truck ran perfect no smoke or anything but when the head was pulled cylinder walls were messed up?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

what do you mean by messed up

[@nathanrobison3160]

Crosshatching gone and slight grooving

[@JO-fk1bg]

Have you ever done a hamilton head stage 1, 2, or 3 replacement on a 6bt 12v? Trying to find some insight on whether these 2k+ heads are worth it over a factory head.

[@CUTTERUPROB]

i have neever used one on a stock year , i have a stg 2 on my race truck

[@zjeepgozweeln]

I have a stage 2 hamilton head on my 12v with twins at probably 650hp or so. if you have a good factory head and you're not trying to make a LOT of power I'd just keep your factory head. My old head cracked one of the ears where the exhaust manifold mounts and leaked. I went with the hamilton because the cost wasn't much more than a "new casting" from china by the time it's all reworked and o-ringed, etc. The hamilton head came in perfect, VERY flat, and I had them o-ring it before they shipped it. The guys at Hamilton are great and I'm glad I've got their head and cam. FYI the beehive springs on the hamilton head are even higher tension than +60lb springs. If you're just doing a head swap, pour a ton of oil down to the cam tunnel for the first start and I'd recommend using zinc/zddp oil additive all the time (if you aren't already). Our high power flat tappet engines don't always like the modern oil formulas that lack it. The zinc gives a little extra insurance.

[@47927411D]

Question: If you have 4 thousandths taken off the head to get it all flat, what size gasket are you using then when reinstalling the head? Standard ?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

depends on the specs , but in most cases for a 12v cummins the same gasket that was in there before

[@dirkrowe1614]

Hey Rob, if I had a head gasket blow 100 miles after rebuild (head and block were surfaced, oring, and new 625 arp studs), would I need to get both resurfaced? The head gasket was standard, and should've been 20 over, and studs needed bottom tapped, didn't do a retorque after initial startup. Oil looked fine, lost coolant in overflow, and had a minor spike in temps with mild exhaust increase. I have my pump geared at C for 10 degree advance. s362sxe wastegate maxed at 45

[@CUTTERUPROB]

Really depends on the surface. Check them with a good Straight edge and see what you can find. Why do you say it needs a .020 gasket ?

[@dirkrowe1614]

@@CUTTERUPROBlate to respond, but Cummins specification with amount removed when it was machined. I went with a 20 over. Cylinder 4 is scored, minor scoring 2,3, and 5 cylinders. Then good ole microcracks in head on 1 and 2. Put 9mm bodies with 145 nozzles into it recently. Running decent enough now. Keep having coolant blowing out of cap, but likely the head, gotta do a coolant exhaust test here. The new 625 studs are holding 1k miles in so far, lash held too!

[@dante04srt]

Deciding whether or not I need to pull my head. I did my Cummins swap over this past year and freshened up my donor 94 engine. I had the head checked and resurfaced and made sure the deck was flat. I installed a Mahle head gasket and used the ARP 2000 studs. I seem to be building excessive pressure in my cooling system, so much that it keeps blowing the lower radiator hose off. I've tried 3 different radiator caps and used the block test kit and it does not appear I have combustion gases in the cooling system. My temps stay nice and low, always under 170 while cruising and I've never seen above 192 while towing up a steep grade so I don't suspect a thermostat problem, either. Can you offer any suggestion as to what might be going on? I would assume that even if I did have a HG problem that my radiator cap would vent the pressure at 15-16psi but for some reason it just seems to build pressure to the point where I'm blowing that lower hose. My swap uses the Dodge rad and hoses.

[@CUTTERUPROB]

i would do a combustion gas test on the coolant system. so what that says. i can do a video on how to do one and the stuff you will need to do it if you would like

[@dante04srt]

@@CUTTERUPROB is there any better method other than using the block testing kit I use the blue liquid the changes colors when it detects combustion gases? I have that and have tried it numerous times on this setup no positive result. The color doesn't change even slightly.

[@JO-fk1bg]

@@dante04srt i have a 94 and wondering if you figured it out incase mine gives me this problem?

[@dante04srt]

@@JO-fk1bg yeah. The gasket was blown between the #6 cylinder and the water jacket. I had the head resurfaced and oringed, installed a new head gasket and did 2 hot retorque cycles on my ARP studs. All seems good now

[@JO-fk1bg]

@@dante04srt i just ordered some arp 2000 studs. Heard studs need the pedestals milled down or the webs in the valve covers need milled. Wondering which method works best

[@burkey426]

Have you had any problems with the dowel pin holes being too small? I can not get my new head to sit flat, the pins measure .630 and the holes on the head are .616 Is this normal. The holes on the old head are .621

[@CUTTERUPROB]

I can’t say I have. Sometime the gaskets are tight but can alway push them on with my hand

[@burkey426]

@@CUTTERUPROB I had a 5/8 grinding stone on a die grinder that fit perfectly in the hole. I gently ran it in and out of the head a few times and then the head sat flat after that.

[@willsteen2981]

I can see factory milling patterns on that head surface in the video...is that ok to install with a MLS gasket?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

I personally wouldn’t. But I am but basics. The surface finish for a mls has to be a lot better then a old style gasket

[@willsteen2981]

@@CUTTERUPROB Thanks...dropped mine off to be machined....

[@davewhipple4815]

Will head studs stop the head gasket problem by the thermostat?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

Not if the surfaces aren’t flat

[@davewhipple4815]

Just bought this 8912 valve and there seems to be water leaking from the thermostat housing hopefully and not the head gasket?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

I add a small amount a of case sealant to the the flange faces. As I find the gaskets like to leak. But it could be the headgasket

[@watermalanblew]

What about pressure in coolant ? Head gasket or rings ?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

Head gasket

[@joshualucas4057]

If I have my head surfaced do I need a thicker head gasket?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

it depends in the recessions of the valve are in specs and the pistons protrusion is. check this video out """"" kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHaQqKCHat6Vfdk

[@vendetta1306]

Do you think a head gasket or valve seats would cause oil in the exhaust as well?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

Valve seals will a bit. Head on a Cummins only ever seen it once. How much oil

[@vendetta1306]

@@CUTTERUPROB Be a lot easier if I could send videos on here. A fair amount, the tip has a darker tone now and is moist inside and out. A very small puddle is forming at the outlet

[@CUTTERUPROB]

On the exhaust pipe ?

[@vendetta1306]

@@CUTTERUPROB yes, coolant is also bubbling a little

[@burkey426]

What brand head is that?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

i think it was dcec

[@davewhipple4815]

What is the best head gasket?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

I use a Cummins or mahle

[@konnerobe3112]

What about oil in your coolant system ?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

Can be a bunch of stuff. But most of the time headgasket or oil cooler

[@algorithmscollide8489]

How can you do a leak down test?

[@CUTTERUPROB]

same way you would do the compression test from the injector hole