well i knew it was goin to come down to this..the shop called me today and told me i need heads for the truck..well they told me they could get heads from a junk yard..and send them out and service them and make sure there r no crakcs or anything like that....now how reliable is this? and any idea how much that will cost and have them install them? they also told me my head gasktet on the passenger side was leaking so i am waiting for an estimate from them tomorrow...

 

i see a lot of posts on here about cracked heads.
are they aluminum or cast iron ? why are they so prone to crack ?

if its problem common to all stock heads, i'd be afraid to put on the same stock heads from a junk yard, as they might crack next week.

what's the most reasonable aftermarket solution that won't break the bank ? and won't have the same problem ?

 

they arent crakced..its just when i obught the truck the guy said there was a broken stud on the manifold and said its not to bad..well little did i kno he screwed me over..the manifold wasnt even touching the block on the one section..so the exhaust valve is done on that side...and when i went to change headers i had to drill some out..and they told me if they drill again they could crack the exhaust port...i just hope this isnt oging to break my bank for the cost...

 

I'd look at getting the bare heavy dutyheads from hughes racing and swap your parts over on them.. .probably the cheepest way to get you back up & running.

 

http://www.hughesengines.com/partDet...amp;eTypeID=10

do you mean these? and if so i am guessing i am going to have to swap over valves, springs etc..well im guessing my valves are bad from the leaking exhaust so i guess i would just throw new stuff in there

 

It takes awhile before you ruin your valves correct? Im worried now because i drove my truck for 5 days now with a bad gasket on the drivers sad...Exhaust was leaking pretty loud...Its going in the shop tommorow

 

they will most likely try to get you to get new heads..since they want the money...unless they are a good trustworthy shop

 

It isn't the days, it's the miles driven that will determine if you burnt a valve. Unless you did a few hundred, I seriously doubt you burnt one.

I see no problems at all with going the junk yard route. As long as they test the heads, and they do a good three angle valve job on them and replace the guides, you'll be fine. Be cheaper than buying new. The blown head gasket will be replaced when they do the heads anyway. I assume you will do both heads and not just one correct?

 

well got the estimate back today...2300 for everything..they are including all top end gaskets replaced ( get to get my plenum fixed ) heads got pressure tested and serviced...new studs and bolts..coolant flush..new plugs...and oil change....what do you guys think of the price?

P.S. the heads only have 70-75000 miles on them...from a 5.9 liter jeep that was t-boned..

 

i think with heads with that amount of milage should be completly gone through not just pressure tested or tested for cracks have the seats done seals and guides and since they have the top end a part u might want to do a timing chain and a cam if you have the money that sounds a little high on price but its a lot of work