its probably becasue your using the same bolts over and over again, i wouldnt use the same headbolts twice, i figured for $200 from dodge or cummins $450 aint so bad for a set of studs

 

I check my bolts and if they are with in tolerance I'm not replacing them. When I rebuilt the motor I put new bolts in. I ran the motor maybe 500 miles blew a gasket, checked the bolts they spec'd good as new, put a new gasket on put maybe 3k on it blew again, now here I am in the same boat.

So... these bolts have maybe 3.5k on them. I will check them and if they are with in Cummins specs I will reuse them, if not I guess I'll buy new ones.

The bolts are right at $100 ($107 to be exact IIRC) for all of them at Cummins. $450 is that bad when you don't have the money.

 

thats wierd i was doing fine on a stock headgasket at 45psi and all my upgrades untill i put the exhasut break on

 

I'm gonna bet it's the 18* of timing causing it.

 

add the 45 psi in and yes id go with timing.

 

45 psi of boost, no orings in block and no studs = probably should detune if you cant afford the rings and studs will make problem go away, unless ofcouse your head bolts are bad, even if they are guaged and fall into spec range they are probably stretching with that much boost and been used 3 or 4 times.

 

thats wiered i ran 45psi of boost with 18.5* of timing for a year with no issues

 

are you sure your block and head are flat?

 

Good call on that, time for a steel flat edge and feeler gauge...

 

They both just came from a machine shop! They had better be flat!


From the looks of the gasket, I'm guessing boost and timing.
I'm gonna pull the plate back, put the afc back together, adjust it, hook up the gate again, and take the timing down to about 15.

That "should" do it! Well at least I'm hoping it does!