1990/02/26 Caterpillar


Improved Head Gasket Used; Service Tips {1124,1216,1221,7568}

Usage:


3408, 3408B, 3412 Engines In All Applications

SUPPLEMENT: 04/09/90

SERVICE MAGAZINE; FEBRUARY 26, 1990; PAGE 12; "Improved Head Gasket Used; Service Tips" in 3408, 3408B, 3412 Engines In All Applications. Disregard the last paragraph in the left hand column. Disregard the illustration in the upper right hand column and the NOTE just after it.

On Page 13, disregard the last sentence in the first paragraph under "Retightening Head Bolts." And in the second paragraph in the same section, change 2W9784 to 2W7984.

--------------- END SUPPLEMENT ---------------

Reference: Service Magazines:

November 14, 1988; Page 7; "New Liner Seat Insert Available" for 3400 Family Of Engines equipped with spacer plates.

January 30, 1989; Page 10; "New Head Gasket Available (Used); Head Gasket Replacement Guidelines" for 3406 Family Of Engines.

August 21, 1989; Page 5; "Improved Head Gasket Used; Summary Of Earlier Gaskets And Service Tips" for 3406, 3406B Family of Engines.

Reference: Guidelines For Reusable Parts, SEBF8131, "Spacer Plates For 3406 Family Of Engines."

Description of Change: A new 7E7308 Cylinder Head Gasket is used on 3408/3408B Engines and a new 7E7312 Cylinder Head Gasket is used on 3412 Engines in all applications. The new gasket has the following improvements over the former gaskets.

...A thicker fire ring to compensate for the asbestos-free body material. The thicker fire ring and thinner wrap help to prevent leakage of combustion gases, and give a better "crush" on the liner flange when the head is tightened.

...The overlap of the stainless steel fire ring wrap is reduced to give better gasket body loading and minimize the possibility of fluid leaks. The wrap has a tab-style design. This tab design results in a more flexible gasket that requires extra care in handling and storage.

...The rear and front edges of the gasket body are filled with gasket material between the bolt holes to give more support to the fire rings at both ends of the gasket. See illustration.


Locations of the filled-in ends on the new gasket. 7E6000 Gasket for 3406B Engine shown.

NOTE: The added material shown at both ends also makes it possible to identify (from the outside of the engine) the new 7E7308/7E7312 Gaskets from the former 2W7984/2W7985 Gaskets, respectively.

...This gasket is NOT coated on the cylinder head side. It DOES have a single layer of black Teflon® (PTFE) on the spacer plate side. The PTFE prevents sticking to the aluminum spacer plate.

Adaptable To: The new 7E7308 Gasket is a direct replacement for the former 2W7984 Gasket which has been canceled. The new 7E7308 Gasket is effective with the following engine serial numbers.

3408B Vehicular Engine: 48W29383
3408B Truck Engine: 28V4837
3408 Industrial Engine: 67U13226
3408B Industrial Engine: 6NB741
3408B Generator Set Engine: 78Z3592
3408B Marine Engine: 99U6595

The new 7E7312 Gasket is a direct replacement for the former 2W7985 Gasket which has been canceled. The new 7E7312 Gasket is effective with the following engine serial numbers.

3412 Vehicular Engine: 73W11280
3412 Industrial Engine: 38S14623
3412 Industrial Engine: 7DB498
3412 Marine Engine: 60M4056
3412 Generator Set Engine: 81Z9356

NOTE: Any time the new head gasket is to be installed, refer to the following topics so that maximum life can be obtained from the new gasket, head, block, spacer plate, and engine block.

Liner Projection and Machining the Block and/or Head

Do NOT adjust the liner projection above the block if it measures in the range of 0.03 to 0.15 mm (.001 to .006"). ALSO, make sure that the differences between all four measurements at any one cylinder do not exceed 0.05 mm (.002"). AND, the difference between the average projection of two liners next to each other must not exceed 0.05 mm (.002"). These specifications are in the Service Manuals for these engines.

Wear or erosion under the liner flange will require use of a stainless steel insert. Read the reference article about the new liner seat insert. The head and/or block surfaces may have been damaged if the engine was operated extensively after a head gasket failure.


NOTICE

To prevent entry of debris into the engine when cleaning excess Teflon from the block and head, use a clean Scotchbrite® pad only. Read the second reference article which gives additional guidelines on cleaning, inspection, and repair considerations. Be careful with a rotary pad to be sure the flatness of the block and/or head is not changed.


The maximum amount of material that can be machined from the top deck of the block is controlled by the minimum dimension from the crankshaft centerline to the top deck on the block. This minimum is 425.02 mm (16.733"), and is also in the Service Manuals. Use the 6V7840 Deck Checking Tool Group to measure this dimension. Special Instruction SEHS8187 explains the use of this device.

There is also a minimum allowable thickness for the head. This is 111.51 mm (4.390"), and limits the amount of material that can be taken off the bottom of the head.

Retightening Head Bolts

After installing the new 7E7308/7E7312 Gaskets, retightening the head after a road test or dynamometer test, or at the first scheduled check for valve lash is not necessary. The thicker fire ring and the reduced fire ring wrap increase the combustion seal and gasket body loading, which reduces the need for subsequent retightening. Remember, either of these gaskets can be identified on the engine by the filled-in ends as shown.

Engines using the later 2W9784/2W7985 Gaskets should have the head bolts retightened. These two gaskets have no asbestos, and they use the standard thickness fire ring and wrap.

The cylinder head bolt torque, regardless of whether tightened only once or retightened, is 450 ± 20 N·m (330 ± 15 lb ft). Follow the bolt tightening sequence in the Service Manuals, and tighten in three or four steps to ensure uniform loading.

Caterpillar Information System:

1990/02/26 New Water Temperature Regulator Used {1355,1353}
1990/02/26 Improved 1W2076 Cover Used In Fuel Ratio Control Group {1278}
1990/02/26 Resealing Engine Plugs And Fittings; New 5P3413 Pipe Sealant (with Teflon) Available {0649,1100,1200}
1990/02/26 Cat Natural Gas Engine Oil (NGEO) Available For NACD Only {1318}
1990/02/26 Caterpillar Parts And Service Information Available On Dealer Computer Terminals (NACD Dealers Only) {0331,0336,0374,0375}
1990/02/19 Special Instruction Available With Replacement Information For 7C2662, 7C2664 Or 7C3507 VR3 Voltage Regulators{4467}
1990/02/19 Improvements Made To Water Pumps; New Groups/Parts Available For Certain Applications{1364,1361}
1990/02/12 Identification Of Turbocharger And Fuel System Components{1250,1700,1052}
1990/02/12 New Exhaust Manifold Stud Available{1059}
1990/02/12 New Oil Cooler Gasket Has Bead On Only One Side{1378}
1990/02/05 New Oil Filler Group, Oil Level Guide Group And Contactor Group Used {1316,1326}
1990/01/29 Correct Throttle Linkage Adjustment{1265}
1990/02/26 Welded Crankshafts {1202}
1990/02/26 New Inlet/Exhaust Valve With Improved Valve Seat Angle, New Valve Guide, New Cylinder Head Assemblies With New Inlet Valve Seats {1100,1103,1104,1105}
1990/03/05 4C5623 Smoke Candles Can Help Locate Air Leaks in Cab{7301,7325}
1990/03/05 Do Not Use Lubricant On Sticking Start (Ignition) Switches{1416}
1990/03/05 Changing Mounting Position Of 9F3099 And 302266 Magnetic Switches (Relays) May Extend Service Life{1426}
1990/03/05 New Fuel Inlet Fitting Eliminates Breakage; New Screen Used In Inlet Fitting{1250,1252,1261}
1990/03/05 Preventive Maintenance (PM) Kits Available For 3116 Truck Engines{7258,0645,1261,1318,1352,7542}
1990/03/05 2N4620 Rubber Drive Block Reinstated For Parts Service{3305}
1990/03/05 New Plug Used In Front Housing For Fuel Injection Control Group{1151,1298}
1990/03/05 New Basic Turbocharger Groups And Cartridge Groups With Improved Compressor Seals, Thrust Bearings, And Hollow Shaft For Reduced Heat Soak{1053,1077}
1990/03/05 New Piston Pin Retainer Used In 3600 Family Of Engines{1214}
1990/03/12 New Loupe (Magnifier) Available For Inspecting Failed Or Broken Parts{0777}
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