cost for heads machined
 

what have yall paid to have the heads machined and magna fluxed? Just checking around on prices before I decide what I want to do about this thing.:humm:

My buddy just had his done. He paid $480 cash in hand which included, decking, pressure checking/magnafluxing, they painted the heads for him, replaced one valve, lapped all 32 valve seats, replaced the valve seals (included the seal kit which was like $80 or so), and any springs that didn't meet seat pressure requirements.

I've heard of just decking being near $200-$300 for some other shops so this may be high, not sure.

250 for milling, valve job 200, and vacuum sealing magnafluxing (the machine shop blocks off any and all holes and places a vacuum on the intake ports 1 at a time, exhaust ports 1 at a time, coolant ports 1 at a time, and oil galleries 1 at a time, and fuel rails 1 at a time. 700 bucks for the whole thing to be done.

I guess the 480 was a good deal then.

so a man should figure around 1200- 1500 to have the heads done, studs, and gaskets then?

Studs are $400, gaskets are $270 from Ford, I'd say $1200 is probably about right. Didn't you just do your gaskets? Are they leaking already?

no, Ive only done the dummy plugs and standpipe. oil cooler is blown now. I wanted to go on and pull the heads the first time I was that deep in the motor, but needed the truck back up and running, so I put her back together.
I'm running arond on the extreme street tune when driving, aggresivetow when pulling. just planning ahead for when things go boom. I baby it honestly, except when towing, but no hot rodding. I've got a mustang for that.
Really concidering trading in for a gas 10 f250, I love how easy it is working on our excursion, and no issues with it in over 3 years. six months and this thing has taken a dump on me twice. I dont mind working on vehicles, it just seems to lay down on me at the worse possible times.:ouch:

How do you know the oil cooler is "blown"? Are you monitoring ECT and EOT? Are you pushing coolant? You could always just put a new oil cooler in coupled with a coolant filter.

no gauges. I've got a nice thick chocolate milk like substance in the degas bottle. Have noticed a temperature change in the motor, I havent checked the oil in the pan, but its really low on oil. (chaged the oil 3 weeks before I parked it). And I'm making coolant, no smoke, and the coolant system is being pressurized by I guess the oil system, because that oil coolant mix drys real nices on the underside of that yellow hood.
I check the fluids every week. it all happened in a 3 day time period. Proboly 100 miles of driving with no load in that time.
And sad thing is I added a coolant filter when I tore the motor down the first time. Did a full flush of the system, and added the gold coolant back into the motor. I did pull green coolant out, but I flushed the system going by fords directions, iron block cleaner, distilled water, ect.

But I'm going to try and pressure check the old oil cooler once its out. Any other ideas on what might be something to check?

What coolant filter are you using? Some of them come charged and it would produce a sludge like substance in our system.