Wheres a good place to get a reman or new head?thanks for any input mine has cracks in the exhaust seats but was told it was running fine and had 130000 miles on it.Tops of the pistions and cylinder walls feel fine.I just want to replace the head gasket & valve seals before I put it in,had the head vatted and found the cracks.
Thanks

 

An engine builder/machine shop should be able to put inserts in for far less than buying a head. I think $3000 is what your looking at for a new one.

 

like ryan said a good machine shop can replace the seats but you can get a reman head from clearwater cylinder head or you can get one from cummins for around 1600

 

dont put seats in it. you run the risk of not getting the crack out (which the seat probably wont) and it will open up and drop the seat. almost all vp heads with intagrated seats have cracks on the exhaust side and dont leak. we have done lots of them at my shop and so have many others with out issues. for extra insurance you can have a shop pressure test the head to verify it doesnt leak.

 

what??

if the cracks are only in the seats please tell me how replacing the seat will not get the crack out?

there is no more "risk" in the seat falling out as long as the proper machine work is done. so if your talking about a machine shop replacing the seat when the head is cracked behind it then yes there would be a risk but that isn't called for and imo is very shotty practice.

every cylinder head should be fluxed and pressure tested as well as checked for flatness before being reinstalled as standard practice or at least thats how its done at my shop.

 

I was implying if thecrack went above or below the seat. If thats the case then there is a risk. Not all shops pressure test which us why I suggested. I've also heard people mix up pressure check and vac check. We have people that call my shop all the time and don't know the difference which is why I suggested that.

 

fair enough.....still tho why do you say not to put seats in? or did you mean only if the crack went beyond the seat into the head?

 

I meant only if its an extended crack. Also its usually not needed as the cracks typically don't leak anyway. U could do it now if its save able as to prevent anything but like I said they usually don't leak anyway