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Head gasket set prices wild low and high

3608 Views 22 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  cliffpoint, 
C
I want a head gasket set and not Chinese junk....
I'm finding them on ebay for $50 for FP diesel and up to over $200
Are there some that are way better than others?
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C
This FP3804896 seems to be quite cheap....
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C
Then there are these that are marked Cummins but straight from China:
www.ebay.com

1 PCS for 4BT engine repair kit 3804896 under repair kit 3802375 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1 PCS for 4BT engine repair kit 3804896 under repair kit 3802375 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
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C
Cummins is a multi national company and sources parts all over the globe. Whether the part is made in the USA or China it gets the same quality control. That gasket with the FP might be Felpro brand. They are a possible US maker. 3804896 is a kit for a 4b/4bt engine. The one gasket in the kit that gets the most attention is the head gasket and yes there has been some junk ones on the market. Like you, I found prices for that kit all over the board and most seem to be aftermarket. Have you checked with an actual Cummins shop to see what their price is? Member CrewCab59 is a Cummins dealer.
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C
I hate to ask a member just to find a price that I don't like and not buy it from them.. One vendor of ours shows it for $199 for a genuine Cummins set on their website.
Here they are for $39.50 It shows 61 sold.... What's that saying?! - you get what you pay for....
www.ebay.com

3804896 HEAD GASKET SET Fits Cummins 4BT 3.9L | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 3804896 HEAD GASKET SET Fits Cummins 4BT 3.9L at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
FP and Interstate Mcbee have them too for good prices.
I was hoping someone had compared some of these brands...
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C
Felpro vs Cummins 12 valve gasket comparison:
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1
Interesting. I'm also shopping around for HG kit..
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C
That very cheap gasket set you're looking at is OZO brand which is owned by AEA Diesel in Hialeah FL.You can be sure that is not a genuine Cummins kit. Whether or not is is equal in quality to an OEM Cummins I can't say. Of course Cummins does not manufacture their gaskets and buys from other companies. I'm sure putting their name on the package causes a huge price markup.
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chevy43 said:
Felpro vs Cummins 12 valve gasket comparison:
Click to expand...
The parts l got for my tractor were FP Diesel , Federal -Mogul motor parts apparently made in India ,. My research said high quality. From <agkits.com>
Also if you have a click torque wrench, they are allowed 4% error, mine was off by average of 10%
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MaxPF
When I replaced the head gasket on my 12V I got a gen-u-ine Cummins gasket from Cummins Rocky Mountain. Don't recall how much I paid, but I get prices at a shop rate so I didn't have to pay full boat. Anyway, I was very disappointed when I saw the label in the package said "Made In China". Had I known that and not needed it immediately I would have gotten a Fel-Pro or Mahle instead. They might still be made in China (hopefully not - My motto is Made in USA first, anywhere but China second), but at least I wouldn't be lining Cummins' pockets with extra money. I will spare everyone my rant on how much Cummins parts are being made in China these days, but let's just say I wouldn't buy anything with a new Cummins engine in it anymore.

I will acknowledge that the gasket was excellent quality and is holding up fine even with the less than flawless deck surface it has to seal to.
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C
Yes Max, when Cummins puts their name on it the QC is very tight. Years back, I bought a 4bt head assembly. It was stamped USA. The rocker arm assemblies were 3 USA and 1 India. I got a harmonic balancer and it is stamped UK. They produce parts all over the globe.
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MaxPF
I don't care if the quality is first rate. I will spare my rant, but the rest of the world shouldn't be sending a dime to China, and if I can find non-Cummins parts that aren't Chinese made, that company will get my money.

Also, don't blindly assume that just because a part or even a whole engine has "Cummins" stamped on it that it is automatically good. The ISF2.8 and 3.8 (aka R2.8 for the former) is an excellent example. Cummins branded, 100% Chinese made, and total garbage. The "53" blocks made by Tupy in Brazil is another example.
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W
So what’s the best site and who’s the best manufacturer to buy the head gasket from? I can’t get a 4BT Cummins gasket at my shop without a serial number and mines rubbed off . Anyone wanna lend me a serial number ?
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SUBRUTUS
Head "O" ringed and studs are just as important, if cranking up the power...blaming gaskets for failure when using Cummins head bolts that commonly stretch, and whatever gasket one is using becomes a moot issue when they stretch...been there done that and sure many others have had the same issue.
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C
Wc203, in looking back your engine appears to be a CPL 0857. There should be another ID plate on the injection pump that might verify this. Injection pump part on that CPL is 3917535. Here's a serial number for one of those engines. 60107842. This particular engine was built in 2000 in a Cummins plant in Mexico. That date would usually mean this engine has the STORM block which looks like this on the turbo side. It has one large freeze plug and one small plug where earlier blocks had 2 large freeze plugs. This really doesn't mean anything as far as head gaskets go. If your engine has the 2 large freeze plugs then it was made in the early 1990's or earlier.
Bumper Motor vehicle Gas Automotive exterior Tool

The head gasket for that CPL 0857 was originally part 3283569 and has changed to part 3283333. Current price I find on Cummins on line is $139.61. That is a standard size gasket. Don't know if your engine has ever been rebuilt. A .010" or .25mm over size gasket is part 3283336. That gasket is a lot more expensive at $187.72. There is also a .020" or .50mm over size which is part 3283338 which is very expensive at $228.59. The aftermarket gaskets are a fraction of these prices. Just for info, all the 4bt standard engines use these same part numbers.
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W
Awesome thank you ! My motor is a Cummins recon. I’m not sure either if it’s been machined before or not , how do I know which gasket to go with? I’m going to take the head to get planed this week , not sure if I should go up a size on the gasket or not ? Also thoroughbred diesel sells a 4bt headgasket kit built by mahle , not sure if those are good to use or not ?
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www.dieselpowerproducts.com

4BT 8v 3.9L Cummins Upper Gasket Set

Check out the deal on 4BT 8v 3.9L Cummins Upper Gasket Set at Diesel Power Products
www.dieselpowerproducts.com

here’s a link from Diesel power products for 105

Here’s one from Thoroughbred

MAHLE HS4961 Head Gasket Set - 3.9L Cummins 4BT | Thoroughbred Diesel

MAHLE HS4961 Head Gasket Set - 3.9L Cummins 4BT
www.thoroughbreddiesel.com

here’s one by Mcbee
puredieselpower.com

3.9L 4BT Cummins Diesel McBee Std Thickness Head Gasket

Fits 3.9L 4BT Cummins McBee part number: M-3283333
puredieselpower.com puredieselpower.com
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C
Mahle is one of the companies who makes parts for Cummins. Not sure if they actually make those gasket kits. They may be made by Felpro. The main thing we see from Mahle are pistons and rings and they own Clevite who makes bearings. If your engine has been rebuilt by Cummins and the block deck was shaved, they mark that with an "X" or "XX" stamped in the surface on the rear corner on the turbo side. The X's mean it's been cut .010" or .020". You can check whether you need the thicker gasket by measuring the piston protrusion above the top of the block. I believe the standard max is .024-.028". .028-.032" would require the .25mm gasket and .032-.036 would need the .50mm. Above that you'd need to shave the pistons to get proper clearance. You might need to check a Cummins service manual to be sure these numbers are correct. Another thing, if your engine is a Recon, the engine serial number may be stamped on the back just below the head. That is a common practice when Cummins rebuilds one and the data plate is often removed.
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cliffpoint
MaxPF said:
When I replaced the head gasket on my 12V I got a gen-u-ine Cummins gasket from Cummins Rocky Mountain. Don't recall how much I paid, but I get prices at a shop rate so I didn't have to pay full boat. Anyway, I was very disappointed when I saw the label in the package said "Made In China". Had I known that and not needed it immediately I would have gotten a Fel-Pro or Mahle instead. They might still be made in China (hopefully not - My motto is Made in USA first, anywhere but China second), but at least I wouldn't be lining Cummins' pockets with extra money. I will spare everyone my rant on how much Cummins parts are being made in China these days, but let's just say I wouldn't buy anything with a new Cummins engine in it anymore.

I will acknowledge that the gasket was excellent quality and is holding up fine even with the less than flawless deck surface it has to seal to.
Click to expand...
You will not go wrong with MAHLE, as they manufacture parts for the Top Tier diesel engine manufacturer,s . The Cummins 5.9 was designed, and some were manufactured in Europe !
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MaxPF
Wc203 said:
Awesome thank you ! My motor is a Cummins recon. I’m not sure either if it’s been machined before or not , how do I know which gasket to go with? I’m going to take the head to get planed this week , not sure if I should go up a size on the gasket or not ? Also thoroughbred diesel sells a 4bt headgasket kit built by mahle , not sure if those are good to use or not ?
Click to expand...
Well, Im too late, but I was going to warn you against having the head surfaced unless its needed. There is a spec for this. All that is needed is a machinists straight edge and a set of feller gauges. Most of the time, heads (and decks) are well within spec. So, surfacing isnt needed. This saves money, time, material, and valve to piston issues on some engines.
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