ISX Cummins Head Gasket Fault at 550,000 Miles.

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by 4320Diesel, Jan 19, 2011.

  1. 4320Diesel

    4320Diesel Bobtail Member

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    Jan 19, 2011
    Grenfell, Saskatchewan
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    how many of you guys with ISX engines are just rounding that 550,000 miles (910,000 KM's)? i work at a truck repair shop and it seems that all ISX engines have oil slobbering issues at this milage mark because of the headgasket O ring leaking at the back of the block. just a heads up for anyone getting to this milage. we had a 2004 peterbilt 378 in the shop with a 450 horse ISX in it with 910,000 KM's on the clock and it was leaking oil at the back of the head on the driver side where it meets the block, and at the front timing cover. we pulled the head (book quotes 28 hours to pull the head and reinstall it). while tearing the engine down we noticed alot of STUPID designs in it. the cams have no timing marks or keys to hold the drive gears in time, theyre a wedge fit idea with no marks, you put the engine at TDC and put a timing pin in a crank throw, and then use timing wedges in the cams to properly time it(quite the idea i know) along with alot of backlash settings. also noticed the oil leaking at the front cover was because the O rings on the cam retaining plates were hard, and when i removed the orings from the plates it come out in little pieces of brittle rubber. so the leak at the back of the head is from the O ring in the headgasket getting hard. this O ring is around the main oil drain from the head (theres one at the front and one at the back). another thing i noticed on this engine is the head retains about 4 litres (1 gallon) of oil at all times! theres deep wells in it around headbolts on the driverside under the injector camshaft and they hold oil. not a great idea in my books. anyone have any trucks getting to this milage mark, or have worked on these "super" engines and wanting to add to this go right on ahead.

    also this head we removed was junked. 2 valves and seats were totally wrecked, cam bearings were hootched, 2 valves were on their way out along with 2 seats, and the fuel tubes in the head were leaking fuel into the oil fairly bad. and thats at half a million miles? WTF is cummins trying to pull with these engines?
     
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  3. kenw007

    kenw007 Bobtail Member

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    Dec 12, 2009
    mb canada
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    So what did it cost the guy to get an "oil" leak fixed?
     
  4. 4320Diesel

    4320Diesel Bobtail Member

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    Jan 19, 2011
    Grenfell, Saskatchewan
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    no idea but its gotta be getting a little north of 8 or 9 grand with the head cost. i dont know how much the head cost but i cant imagine its cheap either.
     
  5. Flying Finn

    Flying Finn Heavy Load Member

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    Jun 22, 2010
    Ontario, Canada
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    Wasn't '04 one of the first ISX years? Sounds like some bad o-ring specs. Most likely upgraded in later years. As for the masses of oil held in the head. That is a brain scratcher. Maybe some odd thought on cooling? The rear seal doesn't sound too hard to change (as long it isn't a Volvo) but having to remove everything to get the front sounds like a major pain.

    To think, we all figure that CAT engines if they aren't leaking oil then they aren't running. Have an ISX leak and it is the end of the world. LOL :biggrin_25523:
     
  6. 4320Diesel

    4320Diesel Bobtail Member

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    Jan 19, 2011
    Grenfell, Saskatchewan
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    yea i think that was one of the first years. one guy with an 05 pete had his ISX head totally redone at 550,000 miles because it was being a huge oil leak too. and remember that HG was leaking oil into the coolant fairly bad. theres an 07 international 9400i that is coming in because of the same crap (leaking oil at the back and at the front timing covers). yea its a royal pain to get the head off because you gotta pull the rad and ATA off to get the cams out. we did an inframe on an N-14 and the rads stayed in, and it took i think 4 hours to get the heads off and a couple more to get them back on.
     
  7. Dankenworth

    Dankenworth Bobtail Member

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    Sep 16, 2011
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    I have a 2003 Kenworth W900L with 475 hp ISX cummins 1.2m km that has a leaking head gasket on drivers side at rear, started around 1.1m km, Sounds like this is fairly common with that model of engine, Recond head is $3500 Canadian plus shop rate approx 24 hrs @ $100/hr.
     
  8. Heavyd

    Heavyd Road Train Member

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    Feb 4, 2009
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    Steam clean your engine once a week and hammer down!
     
    68Goat Thanks this.
  9. AUSSIE DAVE

    AUSSIE DAVE Road Train Member

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    Feb 21, 2010
    OZ - Brisbane
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    for that cost of 6k plus to fix a oil leak, i would put some of that "O"ring refurbisher stuff in the engine oil and just keep driving, hopefully the stuff will soften and replenish the rubber and stop the oil leaks.
     
  10. CondoCruiser

    CondoCruiser The Legend

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    Tennessee
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    You have oil passages, coolant passages, the cylinder are all part of the head gasket. You just don't ignore a head gasket leak. Your probably thinking about the valve cover gasket?
     
  11. poppy

    poppy "I Love that Cushaw Pie"

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    Jul 31, 2007
    ky
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    well foot.:biggrin_25513: i was wondering about the leak in the back, drivers side on the cornbinder i drive, has isx 475. 500k mi. well at least in the shop it will be in it's comfort zone.:biggrin_25521:
     
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