Man Down! Drivers side headgasket..

V-Ref · Dec 1, 2013

Arisley said:
You should always take your wrench back to it's lowest setting after using it. Just saying.

Did you do those hot retorques with the engine actually hot? I heat the motor up and let it cool down. You torque a hot bolt and you would be amazed how much it will stretch.

Were those new studs when you put them in. If they were used, no hot retorque is needed, they have already been stretched.

Arisley....looks like you've been around the 7.3 a lot longer than I...but the used/new studs comment....I disagree with, and am afraid it might lead someone astray.

The way I understand it....fasteners all have an elastic property to them...whatever the material is...from factory bolts to ARP 626 space age to A1 H11s....and the manufacturer tq rating that is specified for that fastener puts the fastener somewhere south of the Proof Yield on the graphic below. The reason you do hot retorques, is due to dissimilar thermal expansion characteristics of the fastener, the block/head, and the gasket itself in the case of head gasket. Without doing the hot retorques....you can't be certain the fastener is applying the same minimum clamping force at all temperature ranges.

If you've "stretched" the fastener...this is indicitive of going past the point on the chart below labeled as "yield"....

In the 7.3 world...it seems to be common knowledge that ARPs can't be reused, but A1 H11s can...This is :bs: either can be reused, as long as they haven't been taken past the point labled as "yield" on the graph below...you'd need to measure the length of the stud to ensure it's unstressed length on a used stud was the same length of an out of the box brand new stud. Or the mfg will have a specification on the length of "stretch" that is permissible, to ensure the fastener wasn't ever placed in condition that put in the "plastic" range on the graph below, and has always been in the "elastic" range.

I hope this doesn't sound like Mr. Smarty Azz....just read your post above about stretched studs....and it conflicted with what I understood about fastener strength properties. I'm ready to learn if you've got knowledge/experience that states otherwise. :toast:

http://www.smartbolts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/fastenal.tensile_stress-strain.jpg

V-Ref · Dec 9, 2013

backwoodsboy said:
What makes you think it's a head gasket?

I'd like to know why a A1 Tech H11 headstud breaks? Cleaning tap used, 4 hot retorques over 2 months to 135 ft lbs. Strict compliance with WOPs install procedure.

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smoker00 · Dec 9, 2013

04stroker said:
I've had a H-11 break before but it was while torquing it not driving down the road. Wow

Same here I am not sure what happened broke two the last time I put my motor together..

V-Ref · Dec 9, 2013

V-Ref said:
I'd like to know why a A1 Tech H11 headstud breaks? Cleaning tap used, 4 hot retorques over 2 months to 135 ft lbs. Strict compliance with WOPs install procedure.

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Please tell more. What cylinders? Did they break on install or after use?

smoker00 said:
Same here I am not sure what happened broke two the last time I put my motor together..

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Arisley · Dec 9, 2013

Sounds like some torque wrenches need calibration.

02BigD · Dec 9, 2013

Impurities in the stud?

PSDEng · Dec 9, 2013

I'm not trying to be a dbag here, but why were you doing so many hot re-torques?

V-Ref · Dec 9, 2013

Just called and left a vm with the Snapon truck about a re-calibration.

After I did the first retorques...some took up to a 1/2 a turn...kinda made me worried...so I called around and the consensus I got was it can take a couple 3 hot retorques for everything to settle in. They definitely settled down and took less turns as the retorques progressed.

Thanks for the opinions. A1 is going out of business....who else makes studs for our trucks besides ARP?

CSIPSD · Dec 9, 2013

I'm on my third motor for these ARP's... I wont reuse them again but no issues. "New" motor has 25k on it now.

V-Ref · Dec 11, 2013

Drivers side injs, front cyl to back, left to right.

Why is the offending cylinder nozzle a different color than the others...is there something else I should look at?

The head is getting dipped, magnafluxed, and then a 10x mag glass inspection....just asking why the color difference?

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smoker00 · Dec 12, 2013

V-Ref said:
Please tell more. What cylinders? Did they break on install or after use?

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Cant remember witch cylinder or where..

I do lots and lots of stud jobs.. have my snap-on recalabrated every three months
I looked at one of the two and it looks like it had some pitting from rust..

Maybe a pour cailabrashon.

And that set of h11 hand been in there for quite a few years..
60Psi on black head gaskets.

No hot Retorque here..

Powerstroke Cowboy · Dec 12, 2013

V-Ref said:
Drivers side injs, front cyl to back, left to right.

Why is the offending cylinder nozzle a different color than the others...is there something else I should look at?

The head is getting dipped, magnafluxed, and then a 10x mag glass inspection....just asking why the color difference?

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How long did you run it after the gasket pooped?? Looks like it got steam cleaned to me.

V-Ref · Dec 12, 2013

About 30 seconds. That's what I thought too...but wanted to solicit the experience/knowledge on this forum and ensure I wasn't missing something.

Powerstroke Cowboy · Dec 12, 2013

30 seconds is not long. But with the heat that the coolant would see in the cylinder, That would be all it should take. after all it is just soot and carbon build up.

I hope other chime in to.

CSIPSD · Dec 12, 2013

My thought before even clicking on page 4 was it got a bath with the coolant.

Not a concern IMHO.

Tom S · Dec 13, 2013

Coolant seems to be a decent combustion chamber cleaner from what I have seen on other motors that puke a head gasket.

V-Ref · Dec 17, 2013

I've decided I will now define my life into two distinct eras....The Time Pre Head Gasket Replacement In Da Truck....And The Time After.....lol...actually removal wasn't that bad pulling it...but I just can't wait to put it back in though

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backwoodsboy · Dec 18, 2013

V-Ref said:
I've decided I will now define my life into two distinct eras....The Time Pre Head Gasket Replacement In Da Truck....And The Time After.....lol...actually removal wasn't that bad pulling it...but I just can't wait to put it back in though

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LOL Been there, done that!

Could be worse, you could have had to do the passenger side head. There is absolutely no room to work over on that side.
Make sure you have a couple extra sets of hands with you when you're setting it back down. I'd also pick up an extra H.G. in case you crunch that one setting it back down. Can always return it if you don't end up needing it.

V-Ref · Dec 18, 2013

Any opinions on the piston?

The "blobs" feel just like they appear....

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Powerstroke Cowboy · Dec 18, 2013

Is the piston melted or is it other metal that is melted onto them?

I can't see by the picture but is there any cracks there? How is the "lip" where the one blob goes right to it? What does the glow plug look like that came out of that piston hole? But looks like it could be the metal from the gasket ring.

For me if the piston still looks good and is not cracked or look like it is heat stressed. I would just clean those parts up and keep going.