Head Gasket... What do I need to do with the heads?

[Smokin LB7]

Truck is a 2003 LB7

So a bad balance rate on an injector lead to new injectors, which lead to 30% over nozzles, which lead to head studs, which lead to replacing my California emissions heads with some federal emissions heads and some grade C gaskets...

So my question is, what all machine work needs to be done in order to get these new heads good to go. I dont know how many miles they have on them, but I am pretty sure its over 100K.

I took them to a machine shop and he told me that the heads need to be cleaned, resurfaced, valve seats reground, valves reground, and new valve seals.

Is this what all needs to be done or what? I took the valves out and didnt mark them, and found out later that you cant just put them back in...FIGURES!! So i am kind of stuck with the valve work I think. But what about the rest of that stuff?

 

[S Phinney]

You will most likely need some new guides also. Get them checked for cracks too.

 

[Smokin LB7]

So you think that all that is good practice though?

 

[Cougar281]

FWIW, When I swapped LBZ heads onto my LLY shortblock, I took them to a local machine shop and had them checked for flatness; since they where flat, I only had them cleaned. IMO, if they're flat and don't need to be milled, then I wouldn't. Valve guides & seals may be a different story. YMMV.