i just blew the head gasket on my 1999 dodge 3500 didnt want to start would start to turn over then just lockup i noticed white smoke coming out of the tail pipe cranked a little more then i got out and say collant running out the back of head where the head and block meet is there a way to take the head off with out removing the rocker arms and valves just want to remove head check and see if its warped change head gasket and reinstall i plan on installing fire rings and head studs

 

you will have to remove the rockers and pushrods to get the head off then the machine shop will have to remove the valves to do their machine work before you reinstall the head

fire rings or orings? head only? daily driver?

 

well it is a daily driver but i do tow a 20 foot enclosed trailer with 3 four wheelers in it i have installed a lot of goodies ats aurora 3000 turbo,ats air intake,bd exhaust brake,snow water/methonal injection,edge with attitude,fass ddrp fuel pump and plan on more so i think ats fire rings and head studs is the way to go can you recommend a good head gasket if i change my mind on the ats fire rings

 

a genuine cummins gasket and arp studs would be plenty, problem with fire rings on a daily driver is that when doing the head only like your talking about the rings tend to break after about 30,000 miles of heat cycles and your right back in the same spot again

 

Like was already said, studs and a new gasket should be fine for you. If you're set on doing some sort of rings, do the o-rings. They're a lot more forgivable on the street trucks.

 

who makes a good set of o rings im new at this on a diesel engine never had to do it rebuilding a gas engine i do plan later maybe next year on compounding turbos

 

For o-rings, the machine shop will machine a groove into your head. Then they will press in wire to make an "o-ring." You'd use a standard headgasket, so there's nothing you'd really have to buy for it.

 

i have been hearing about a marine head gasket anyone used one just trying to put the best head gasket i can on the truck im ordering my arp head studs should have done the last year when i put all my mods on but forgot to order them

 

X2

 

well thank you all im just going to put a new head gasket amd arp head studs