Head Gasket Failure: 6.7L Cummins
Fire-Rings, Head Studs, and Valve Train Upgrades for the 6.7L Cummins
No matter the power plant, the natural design of the internal combustion engine—where the cylinder head(s) bolts to the block—lends itself to eventual head gasket failure. While not quite as frequent as the failures you see on other engines (the 6.0L Power Stroke or LLY Duramax, to name a few), blown head gasket scenarios are surprisingly common on the 6.7L Cummins. Some believe head gasket failure occurs more often with the 6.7L due to it building more cylinder pressure (i.e. torque) than the 5.9L mills did. Others contend that the 6.7L’s larger bore lessens the available sealing area between cylinders and water jackets when directly compared to the 5.9L.
Head Gasket Bullet Proofing
No matter the cause, a head gasket job always warrants a look at “upgrading” things so the failure doesn’t occur again. When this ‘09 Dodge Ram 3500 came into Flynn’s Shop in Alexander, Illinois, with a pressurized cooling system, the owner knew he wanted to fix the problem permanently. For that, the head would take a trip over to Scheid Diesel to be resurfaced, fire-ringed, fitted with threaded freeze plugs, and equipped with performance valve springs. A set of Scheid’s Stage 1 pushrods and ARP Custom Age 625+ head studs would finish off the parts list. Follow along for the ultimate tutorial on how to bulletproof the top-end of a 6.7L Cummins. DW
Sources:
ARP Studs
800.826.3045
ARPDiesel.com
BD Diesel
800.887.5030
BDieselPerformance.com
Flynn’s Shop
217.478.3811
Scheid Diesel
800.669.1934
ScheidDiesel.com