head gasket failure cause?

[Timmer5]

Ok little help from the experts here. What is the exact cause of the head gasket failure when chipping? Is it heat, too much fuel and can't compress, Too much turbo boost? Or is it a little bit of both?

[toobadq]

Headgasket problems on 6.0l are due to many things. Cly pressure to high, de-torque of headbolts, warpped heads, warpped block, poor machineing of faces. Are you sure you headgaskets are blown? I have had many EGR coolers act like blown headgaskets. A new problem that I have seen lately is oil coolers plugging up on the coolant side. The EGR cooler is down stream from the oil cooler. When the oil cooler plugs up it will not let the EGR cooler have coolant to do it job. To check for this you watch ECT ( engine coolant temp) and EOT ( engine oil temp) run the stuffings out of it for 10 to 15 min. Then do 6 to 10 DHRA type launches 0 to 60+. The temps should stay about the same. If they are 20 degres differant you have a plugged oil cooler.

[Jon]

I would suspect the EGR cooler. I replace about three a week when a lot of people suspect head gaskets. I was discussing this yesterday and I haven't seen a head gasket failure yet, all coolers. The town next to me does three or more head gaskets a week. I have run across one oil cooler that was bad and I will say I don't ever want to do that again. It wouldn't have been bad on a superduty but it was on an Econoline!

[mschn99]

The head gasket in the 6.0 actually isnt the failure point. the problem is that if the cylender pressures OR the charge of air from the turbo exceed the hold down strenghth of the head bold......the bolt stretches ever so slightly. If it is a head gasket/bolt failure, it will not blow coolant all the time, only under heavy throttle and maybe even only with the chip/tuner in a certain program. eventually it will get worse to the point it overheats and such......but most of the time if it is a headgasket failure it will have intermittant overheating along with coolant purge. an EGR cooler is much more consistant with the coolant purging........Marc

[Timmer5]

Ok to set the record straight I do not have a blown head gasket. I just bought a new 06 f350 PSD and I did a 4" exhaust cat back system and I Triple Bully Dogged it. I just want to try to get as much info about how some of these head gasket failures that I have read about are happening. Now I know that you are not supposed to tow at all in the extreme position but I'm sure that some of these people might be doing that. Also if it was pressure from the turbo or overspinning the turbo if that happens and I'm not sure how it can.

[mschn99]

Originally Posted by Timmer5

Ok to set the record straight I do not have a blown head gasket. I just bought a new 06 f350 PSD and I did a 4" exhaust cat back system and I Triple Bully Dogged it. I just want to try to get as much info about how some of these head gasket failures that I have read about are happening. Now I know that you are not supposed to tow at all in the extreme position but I'm sure that some of these people might be doing that. Also if it was pressure from the turbo or overspinning the turbo if that happens and I'm not sure how it can.

the turbo is computer controlled. the stock turbo on a 6.0 is capable of pushing, if not over 50PSI.......the computer does not allow it to boost that high. the chip or tuner can override that failsafe. some tuners have a "failsafe" type program where you can set your max's for certain things and cause a defuel if it meets certain criteria.....i think the bully dog has that......

also, like i said before, i have not seen a headgasket failure on anything after mid year 04. im not saying go balls to the walls because i have not seen it....but it seems that the thicker head gasket helped some of the issue and possibly allowed some head bolt stretch without losing the seal on the cumustion chamber........i hope this info helps ya and let us know if you have any other questions.....Marc

[Timmer5]

Thanks for the info. When I brought my truck home it would got to 30 psi. After I did the exhaust it only would go 27-28 never hit that 30 hash mark again. Still had the power just not quite the same boost level. In all 3 levels of the chip from bullydog the boost is the same but way more power and black smoke is more with each level of power, kinda cool make tailgators back off..Was going to do the intake till I read some posts that the intake is not all that good of an idea, plus my seat of the pants feal is way way plenty. I tow alot to the dunes and that is my main reason for the upgrades and also my main concerns with messing something up on my truck.. I don't want to win no races just add some more power.

[99Smokin73Stroker]

Hey Timmer welcome to powerstroke.org! I too haven't heard of too many newer 6.0 head gasket failures. The reason for the drop in boost pressure but the same seat of the pants feeling is due in large part to the free flowing exhaust you mentioned. The air is just getting out faster and not restricted by the stock muffler. That's one of the best mods you can do to a stock truck. As for an intake, from what I have heard the stock intake on 6.0's is a very good one and if you're looking to improve on it take a look at the BHAF (big honkin' air filter) it's a good size filter, flows 680 cfm...it's a paper filter but has HUGE surface area and will keep out all of the nasty crap the k&n, afe, and all these other "high flow!!!" filters let through. Hope you enjoy the big bang for the buck these engines can offer!