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At Choate Engineering Performance, we understand the critical role your diesel engine plays in your daily operations, whether you're driving a Powerstroke, Caterpillar, Duramax, or Cummins platform. Diesel Engine failures, especially involving the cylinder heads, can be devastating and, if not addressed promptly, lead to serious damage and downtime. That's why we’ve designed our Diesel Cylinder Head Program to combat these common diesel issues and ensure your engine stays reliable. From blown head gaskets ( 6.0 blown head gasket here) and overheating to coolant leaks and more, our precision-engineered cylinder heads are built to endure the demands of high-performance diesel engines.

Let’s dive into the key signs of cylinder head failure and how our expertise can help keep your diesel engine running at peak performance.

1. Overheating: A Leading Cause of Cracked Cylinder Heads

What to Look For:

• Engine running hotter than usual
• Visible cracks in the cylinder head
• Loss of engine power

Low Coolant Level: If your coolant levels are dropping without an obvious leak, the cause might be internal, often signaling a cracked cylinder head or blown gasket. Coolant can leak into the combustion chamber, lowering the engine’s ability to cool itself, which eventually leads to overheating.

Overheating is one of the primary culprits when it comes to cracked heads in diesel engines. Whether you own a Powerstroke, Duramax 6.6 engine, Caterpillar, or Cummins, excessive engine heat can warp the cylinder head, causing it to crack. This often leads to further damage like coolant mixing with oil or combustion gases entering the cooling system, both of which severely impact performance.

Our Solution: Our diesel cylinder heads are precision-machined to handle the stress of high temperatures and prevent warping or cracking, ensuring long-lasting performance under pressure for your diesel engine. The Duramax Platfrom is mostly commonly known for the issues of warped heads. Particularly the Lb7 diesel engine and the lly diesel crate engine.

2. Blown Head Gaskets from Coolant Leaks and Overheating

What to Look For:

• Coolant puddles under the truck
• Sweet-smelling exhaust (from burning coolant)
• White smoke from the exhaust

Coolant-Oil Intermix: If you notice a milky appearance in your oil, it means coolant is mixing with the oil, a clear sign of a blown head gasket or cracked head. This can cause severe damage to the internal components of your Cummins, Duramax, or Powerstroke engine if not addressed immediately.

Combustion Gases in the Cooling System: If combustion gasses are entering the cooling system, it indicates a breach in the cylinder head or gasket, which reduces cooling efficiency and accelerates overheating.

A blown head gasket is a common issue in Powerstroke diesel engines, and it's often the result of overheating or coolant leaks. As the gasket fails, coolant leaks into the combustion chamber, which manifests as white smoke and a significant loss of engine power. Think 6.0 Powerstroke diesel engine in particular. 6.0 Cylinder heads seem to be the number one replacement

Our Solution: We manufacture our diesel cylinder heads with high-strength sealing surfaces to ensure a perfect fit when paired with your head gaskets. This helps prevent future leaks and withstands the high-pressure conditions your diesel engine operates under. Keep In mind we do sell those head gaskets as well.

3. White Smoke (Steam) from Exhaust: Low Compression and Coolant Leaks

What to Look For:

• Thick white smoke during startup or acceleration
• Engine misfires
• Poor fuel economy

Rough Running and Misfiring: A misfiring engine, often accompanied by white smoke, points to low compression, which occurs when the cylinder head fails to properly seal the combustion chamber. This can lead to erratic performance and increased fuel consumption, especially in Duramax diesel engine, Powerstroke, and Cummins engines.

White smoke is often one of the first and most obvious signs of a cylinder head failure. This occurs when coolant leaks into the combustion chamber, often due to a cracked head or blown gasket. As the coolant burns off, it turns into white steam, which is visible from the exhaust pipe. In addition, if your engine is misfiring or running roughly, it's a clear indication of low compression, typically caused by valve issues or poor sealing in the cylinder head.

Diesel Coolant leaks are very common with the 5.9 diesel engine and the 6.7 Cummins diesel engine. This isues often stems from problems with the diesel head gasket, water pump or the freeze plugs.

Our Solution: Our cylinder heads ensure a perfect seal between the head and block, preventing coolant from leaking into the combustion chamber. We use high-strength materials capable of withstanding the high temperatures and pressures of diesel engines. Resurfacing those cylinder heads is a major player here.

4. Popping from the Intake: Valve Guide Wear and Improper Valve Seating

What to Look For:

• Popping or thumping noise from the intake
• Engine misfires
• Poor overall performance

If you notice a popping or thumping noise from the intake, it could be a sign of worn valve guides or improper valve seating. As the guides wear down, the valves fail to seat properly, leading to air leaks, a loss of compression, and abnormal noises. This issue is particularly common in high-mileage diesel engines or those that have been pushed beyond their limits due to improper tuning or poor maintenance.

Our Solution: We use precision machining to ensure proper valve seating, minimizing the risk of valve guide wear and poor performance. Our diesel cylinder heads offer durability and improved reliability, reducing the chance of future wear in Cummins, Duramax and Powerstroke engines.

5. Injection Timing or Wrong Tune Leading to Cylinder Head Damage

What to Look For:

• Increased engine knocking or pinging
• Rough idle or misfires
• Drop in engine performance

Incorrect injection timing or an improper tune can cause excessive stress on the cylinder head, leading to cracks or damage over time. This can also affect the valve guides and seats, causing poor engine performance and low compression. If you're noticing misfires, rough idle, or reduced power, improper timing may be to blame.

Our Solution: Our cylinder heads are built to handle increased pressure from performance tuning, ensuring your diesel engine maintains peak performance. Proper tuning and regular maintenance are essential to prevent premature cylinder head wear. Be sure to know the injection timing before installing cylinder heads for lasting results.

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6. Leaking Injection Cups (Rare but Damaging)

What to Look For:

• Coolant in the oil
• White smoke from the exhaust
• Poor engine performance

Though rare, leaking injection cups can occur and cause significant damage to your engine by allowing coolant to mix with fuel, leading to cylinder head damage. White smoke from the exhaust and coolant loss are common symptoms of this issue, and immediate attention is needed to avoid further damage.

Our Solution: Our precision-engineered cylinder heads provide a strong seal that prevents leaks and ensures your diesel engine runs smoothly.

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