N-14 noise

[rzucker]

Now for my next headache, Got an N-14 Redtop making a strange noise, at times it sounds like a valve lash noise, at other times it sounds like an exhaust gasket leak. Customer has changed out all the exhaust gaskets and ran the overhead and had a cylinder cut out test done, all 6 cylinders are pulling their share of the load. To me it sounds like a head gasket huffing and the blowby is a bit more than I would like to see, but it hasn't gotten worse in 2 months. Any chance I could be right and it's blowing off to the pushrod chamber? I've soaped all around the outside of it with no bubbles and cant hear the telltale chirp. It sounds like it's the number one head.
It's odd because it runs fine under a hard pull with no missing or rough running.

 

[Truck Shop]

N14's don't tend to have head gasket problems,but that doesn't mean it can't have that problem. How many miles and hours? Had a B Cat that had broke rings that made an odd noise though.
And that engine ran fairly smooth but it had blow by. I think I would pull the rocker covers and run it.

Truck Shop

 

[rzucker]

It's got around 100K on an inframe. I'm kind of leaning toward the rings too.

I have seen head gasket problems on N-14s twice, both times some moron sanded the liner seal ridge too far.