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06-06-2013, 11:11 PM | #1 | |
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'99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
I've had overheating problems for a long time now. Changed all the easy stuff (thermostat, rad cap, hoses, radiator, fan clutch, belt, belt tensioner) but it still overheats especially under heavy load. Someone said do a leak down test, so I bought a tester and finally did that. I expected a bad head gasket but saw no bubbles in the radiator. But found cyls 5 and 7 low. Likely burned valves since I heard hissing in the exhaust pipe while applying pressure to the cylinders. So I need to remove the cylinder heads. This does not look easy since I noticed that the exhaust manifolds need to be separated from the heads in order to get at all the head bolts. Since its 13 years old, there is plenty of rust on the exhaust manifold bolts. In fact one is already broken off. There is bound to be problems loosening the rest plus not much working space. Has anyone out there actually removed the heads without removing the engine from the van? Is there any advice on this subject?
Also, I cant seem to find a good repair manual specifically for this van. Most I've seen are just generic without any procedural details. Any help is appreciated. |
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06-07-2013, 09:05 AM | #2 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
For a manual nothing beats a factory service manual. You can sometimes find them used on eBay dirt cheap.
As to the manifolds, you might be stuck having to buy a new pair and just cutting the old ones off with a sawzall. Last edited by alloro; 06-07-2013 at 10:53 AM. |
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bignoisey (06-07-2013)
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06-07-2013, 10:07 AM | #3 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
Actually, I found a service manual on ebay. Now I'm waiting for it to arrive before tearing into it any further. I'm thinking it will say just pull the whole engine out, and if it does, I may get a rebuilt one to put back in. Thanks for the advice.
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06-08-2013, 01:03 PM | #4 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
Speaking of service manuals, there was a post in the past containing a link to online Chilton manuals at
https://elibrary.mel.org/validate?ur...ch%3Fdb%3DCHLL I've used it several times in the past, but now it doesn't work for me. Has anyone used this successfully lately? |
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06-09-2013, 03:28 PM | #5 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
In the past I've removed the heads from an older van without removing the engine. It's a little tight sometimes but it can be done. I cut through the exhaust at the y and later had a muffler shop reweld where I cut. Anyway my block had a lot of sediment in the water passages I had to flush out.
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06-21-2013, 10:29 PM | #6 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
To continue the saga.. I acquired a factory service manual very reasonably on ebay which is quite helpful. Removing the exhaust heat shields and the front wheels provides just enough clearance to remove the heads after removing the exhaust manifolds. Some bolts had to be accessed through the wheel wells. Several exhaust manifold bolts broke off due to being rusted in place. What a job this has become! The heads are being worked on at a local machine shop who say they can remove the broken off bolts as well as doing a valve grind and check for cracks. They say cracks are not uncommon in Dodge magnum heads. Cross my fingers.
I have a couple of questions if any one knows: 1. Can I reuse the head bolts which seem to be fine and free of rust? Can't find any recommendation on this in the service manual. 2. Where can I find a new set of exhaust manifold bolts? I looked on many auto parts web sites including RockAuto and find nothing. The OEM bolts use some thick washers that can't be removed from the bolt shaft. Can I use standard grade 8 bolts and washers? Any suggestions are welcome. |
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06-22-2013, 01:58 AM | #7 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
Head bolts can be reused up to 5 times. Did you try the dealer for the exhaust bolt set? If they don't have them you can use hardware store bolts, nuts and studs. Don't use grade 8, because if something goes wrong the heads will be damaged before the bolt is. I recommend using stainless steel hardware.
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06-25-2013, 07:00 PM | #8 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
Well, I got the bad news from the machine shop today. Both heads are cracked. The machinist showed me the cracks - all are between the exhaust and intake valve seats. Bummer! I'm told this is common for these heads. He says he can get brand new heads and install my valve gear in them for less than rebuilt heads cost from O'reilly's, Rock Auto, or Auto Zone and they would probably reject my cores anyway so it would actually be a lot cheaper and they are new instead of reconditioned. I was also advised that most junk yard heads he's seen lately are likely to be cracked as well. So I decided to get the new ones.
My friendly Dodge dealer supplied me with new exhaust manifold bolts, for $$$ of course. This is starting to get expensive. |
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06-25-2013, 08:20 PM | #9 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
Did you check eBay? You can get a pair of new heads for $470 or reconditioned heads for a bit less.
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06-27-2013, 11:01 PM | #10 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
Thanks for the ebay tip. I thought about that but decided to buy local and have the heads in a day versus waiting a week for delivery and dealing with an unknown supplier. The price was only about $50 more.
The machinist also advised changing the water pump even though it looked perfect. So I did that today since it is much easier now than later. I hope to begin the main reassembly tomorrow if I can get a helper to help me position them on to the block. The dang things are heavy and I don't want to damage the new head gaskets. |
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06-29-2013, 11:39 AM | #11 |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
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07-01-2013, 11:03 PM | #12 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
Okay, your recommendation is noted. But the van only has just over 80K miles on it even though its a '99. And everything I could see with it apart looked really clean. So I finally got it all back together - no extra bolts, all wires back in place and it started right up. Glad I labeled everything. I let it idle and warm up while I put the front wheels back on. No leaks, temp looks normal while idling. So off I went on a test ride. As I drove a little way, I noticed the temp seemed a little higher than it used to be. It kept going up, then down a little, but it stayed higher than before all this work. I thought maybe the coolant is low, but when I checked it after it cooled down it was full. I wasn't driving hard or fast, just around town. I would have expected it to stay at a constant temp even if it were higher than before. I tried shifting down to low for a while and the temp went back down a little. It was a warmer than usual day, but not that high. I'm wondering if changing the water pump made this happen. The fan clutch is practically new, and I could hear it run. If I can't discover the cause, I may try changing the thermostat, possibly its sticking. I saw some 180 and 160 alternative thermostats on Rock Auto instead of the standard 192 one that's considered standard. They also have a high flow rate one.
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07-02-2013, 12:16 PM | #13 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
Bignoisey, feels good to have it running doesn't it? Think you might have an air pocket in the cooling system?
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07-02-2013, 05:18 PM | #14 |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
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07-04-2013, 04:59 PM | #15 | |
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Re: '99 B3500 5.9L - Removing Heads
I drove it around for at least 30 minutes. After that the radiator was still full once it cooled down. If there is an air pocket, how do I get it out?
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