POWERSTROKE or CUMMINS

Q: Is there any truth to the rumors we're hearing about aluminum cylinder head and head gasket failures?

A: The aluminum cylinder heads are the primary contributing factor in why the Duramax 6600 has become so successful and has developed an excellent reliability record. The Duramax has had far fewer head gasket problems than the Ford 6.0L Powerstroke and is on par with the Dodge Cummins. The LB7 (2001-2004 models) have experienced a few problems with head gaskets or injector cup seal leaks in recent years. Symptoms can include either a slow loss of coolant or allow the cooling system to build excessive pressure. Overall, these sorts of problems are few and far between, but do appear more often in engines that are running performance enhancing products. The latest LLY, LBZ and LMM engines are much less affected.