2001 Chevy Express 3500 6.5L Diesel Head Gasket?
 

hey guys,

anyone here ever complete a head gasket job on one of these express/savana diesel vans?? I'm facing the inevitable of replacing mine, but mechanics i've spoken with say it's a massive job, almost to the point where they don't even want to do it.

they are charging anywhere from 3500-4000 just for the gasket job. I don't have that kind of money! so i'm tackling this myself.

just wanted to know if anyone here has done one, successfully :)

thanks!

Im sure many here have successfully replaced headgaskets, on there trucks or SUVs. Vans however are very different animals, 20 pounds of pooh stuffed into a 5 pound cashole.

Helped a friend R&R a SB350 out of his chevy van years ago. With all the stuff mentioned below out of the way, it wasnt to difficult but doing an in-frame on a 6.5TD in a van. No matter what, s'its gonna be hell on the lower back.

I suspect removing the entire front end, grill, coolers, AC, radiator support, radiator, seats, doghouse, and all else those task entails ought to lend itself to a successful head gasket job on a van easy 'nough.

Given several days to commit to the project so that you can take your time, double check everything as you go, dont rush s'it, its a doable DIYr project provided the proper instruction, guidance, tools, equipment and some helpful preparations beforehand...
Take lots of pictures before you start disassembling anything and bag and tag everything so nothing is forgotten or misplaced...

Reused valve train components should be reassembled in the same position in which they were removed eg hydraulic lifters, pushrods, rocker arms and/or rocker assemblies. Never reuse the oem TTY headbolts, replace them with new bolts if not head studs.
Avoid using gaskets when ever possible, especially on the rocker arm covers, suggest you use RTV sealant only.

Aside from R&Ring the injection hard lines from the back of the IP, do not loosen unbolt, move, remove or adjust the IP itself, otherwise you'll need to to do TDCO or KOKO procedure too.. Just complicates matters is all..


Cant help you with specific 'van manuals, might check e-bay. Good Luck..

wow thank you so much for all the advice!

do the ARP bolts I keep reading about really make a difference? also, does the turbo have to come off and if so, is there anything special I should know about it before removing it?

is there anything else that should be checked or replaced while ripping this motor apart? any typical parts that should be replaced or recommended to replace? i heard something of injection cups and how they should be tested, any tips on that?

thanks again, that's a lot of help! and by the way, i'm giving myself a month (or longer), the part that scares me the most I guess is the re-assembly and making sure i don't forget where things go back. but that's something I always worry about, but seem to remember when it comes time to put things back together.

i've done work on other vehicles before, typical troubleshooting and repairs, but nothing to this level! i'm excited to get started on it. good idea about the pictures, and labeling.


cheers!

for what its worth the manual says pull battery, drain coolant, remove doghouse, remove air cleaner and intake duct, remove accesory brackets, remove heater hoses, remove thermostat cross over, remove turbo charger, remove lower intake, remove valve cover and rocker arms, remove exhaust manifolds, remove head bolts and heads. reassembly is where it gets complicated.

some notes, head studs is a no-go in vans not enough clearance to assemble properly.

pushrods have a hardened end that is marked with paint that must be at the top.

Gm says the valves and pistons are too close together and you cannot surface the heads.

pull the lower headbolts first to aid in draining coolant from block before pulling uppers.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE REUSE HEAD BOLTS

Be careful tightening rocker assembly down, valve damage is possiable if the crank is not in the proper position

Also black rtv has its place in engine assembly but it is not a gasket replacement. use the right gaskets.

Hey Josh thanks for the info-

I had a 1997 express diesel beforengine and purchased a service manual (2 massive manuals about 10000 pages. Do you know if the 2001 6.5l is the same ? I know they changed motors in 2001 built diesels to the 6.6.

Thanks!

6.5 is 6.5. thermostat cross over changed in 96 with the water pump. they added a turbo back in 90 (?), went from mechanical pump controls in 94 to electronic pump controls for 95. little things changed over the years but if you have a 6.5 manual from any year it should be helpful but maybe out of date. So if you have an older one i would use it for refrence but double check torque specs and stuff with more modern information.

If you resurface the heads they make thicker head gaskets to accommodate that to some degree.

ARP makes a TTY bolt that is better than OEM.

Leroy Diesel and Unique Diesel can get those parts.

Leroy sells p400 and optimizer heads and whole engines too BTW. Very helpful guy, Google his site

i'm looking at the ARP head bolts and they are $255 plus shipping USD :humm:
is there really that much of a difference in the head bolts? the fel-pro bolts are about $50 for both sides.

I know the saying "you get what you pay for"... but how much more do you really get with ARP parts ?

cheers

I actually saw the ARP stud kit for like almost $600 USD on ebay, wow!!! what's the difference guys? is there really that much advantage using the studs over the bolts?

I told you 2 of the best places to shop. Call either of them for info on prices and parts. Both will shoot you straight, both have been in the game a very long time.

http:// http://leroydiesel.com/produ...-2-6-5-diesel/

http:// http://www.uniquediesel.com/repair.html

holy hell so ol' Leroy Diesel sells ARP head STUDS (complete for both heads) for $180.... and I've seen them for over $550, on ebay.... ?? wow.

thanks for the links

sell sell sell but wait if you order today, you'll get a second PMD for free. same as it ever was..

IF the best means the cheapest price then Central Plains Diesel cant help you. If highest quality parts is what your after, they can certainly hook you up but dont expect walmart pricing.
Expertly trained staff and quality parts arent cheap and due to supplying half the nation with factory authorized parts and service, they cant undercut those whom they often supply!! hint hint


FWIW.. ARP headbolts or studs arent mandatory, but good insurance if your planning on cranking up the boost. Otherwise, OEM replacements will suffice..

What gaskets are you referring to?

Aside from head gaskets, and misc gaskets used for dissimular metals (aluminum intake, coolant cross-over, etc that bolt to cast iron cylinder heads, etc), there are literally no gaskets used during assembly.. Even the exhaust manifolds are assembled w/o gasket. All the tins, timing chain cover, coolant pump plate are assembled with RTV sealant, thats why they are such apita to remove often damaging the rocker covers in the process of prying them off...


Excerpt copied from my own factory authorized 'GM Light Duty Truck Unit Repair Manual' used for all 6.5L Diesel Engines (P,S, F, Y).
Rocker Arm Cover Installation
Clean the sealing surfaces on the cylinder head and rocker arm cover with carburetor cleaner or equivalent. Apply 3/16" bead of RTV sealant GM P/N 12345739) to the valve covers, inboard of the bolt holes. Refer to figure 66 (see attached). The sealer must be wet to the touch when the bolts are tightened.
Tighten valve cover bolts to 16 ft lbs...

Notice: Do not allow RTV sealant into the valve cover bolt holes. This may cause a "hydraulic lock" condition when the bolts are tightened, damaging the cylinder head casting.
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/att...pplication.jpg

you said "Avoid using gaskets when ever possible" I said to use the right gaskets where they belong. The valve covers do call for silicone, use silicone. But by that simple statement people could take it as use silicone everywhere and thats just not a good idea. Was going for clarity, you dont need to get all hoped up and defensive.

Leroy doesn't sell knock offs, they hold 30 psi just fine. No sense in over paying for the same parts when you can buy from an honest salesman that practices what he preaches

Not hyped or getting defensive. just dont want OP to go buy a complete engine overhault gasket set and then try to use them all. :tu:

yea they sell valve cover gaskets and stuff but if he is using a factory - close to factory manual it will set him straight.

so basically guys, don't bother buying the gasket set for the top half of the motor? just use RTV on everything except head gasket right?

I thought that rtv was used in conjunction with gaskets to offer the best sealing.

only time you use them together is at corners like oil pan, intake manifolds, front covers, etc. dont coat gaskets in rtv that ends up causing leaks. You will need gaskets for intake, turbo, and heads so whatever works best for you. I'd recommend pulling it apart and saving ALL gaskets then going into a gm dealer and finding OE replacements for whatever you removed and ordering a set of head bolts and exhaust bolts from ARP. but thats just what i would do if i was you.

Yeah ARP exhaust bolts would be good. ARP head bolts should be cheaper than the studs and is what I use in my higher mile engines.

If I build/rebuild an engine I do studs but bolts make more sense when the motor could come apart any day.