Does anyone know how much a reconditioned head might cost for my '96 12V? I have a small coolant leak at the rear passenger side after a head gasket change. It's still in the same place! Thinking I may have to replace the head...

 

call ur local machine shop and see if they can retrue it, local machine shops usually only charge couple hundred

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as long as the head aint cracked

 

but what of it's cracked? I'll need a replacement and I'm just trying to figure for the worst possible case...

 

a new head bout 6-700 pure diesel power sells them

 

Anytime we pull a head it goes to the machine shop.
They do a few things for us -

Pressure test. They will actually seal the surface of the head against a piece of plexyglass and plug the ports, and run around the head with soapy water solution looking for cracks and leaks.

Vacuum test. This is the most efficient way of testing how well the valves are sealing. If it fails, then the valves will be getting lapped.

Surface. kinda self explanatory.

If you didn't have it surfaced then there could be your issue. A newly reconditioned head from Cummins is expensive. There are a few other companies out there casting heads in china, I don't know how good they are, but know they are not nearly as expensive. We get all of our replacement heads from Cummins.

 

Cummins 6B 5.9L 12 Valve Diesel Loaded Cylinder Head Dodge Ram

This is the head that is on my truck.

 

Alabama Cylinder Head has them new for $450.