New Heads Or Resurface? On The Fence....

Joey-D

New member
Dec 15, 2008
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My buddy is doing my head gaskets. I am using ARP head studs and GM "C" thickness head gaskets. Truck has 160k on it. Replaced the Injectors about 5K ago. Sent the heads to the machine shop to have the resurfaced. He has never done a set of duramax heads and talked to SoCal about doing them. They say they deck them all the time. Here is my question, do I replace or resurface. They are only 4 one thousands out. I am not really worried about clearances, I am worried about sealing injector cups. Pretty sure my head gaskets were popped, but what if it was just an injector cup from when I did the injectors. That was an 18 hour job and the head gaskets are a 40. Decking cost $450 new heads cost $1275. New heads come with includes guides, seats, and injector tubes. No worries about injector cups seating. I can also sell my old heads on ebay to offset the cost. Is it worth $800 for piece of mind? GM say not to resurface, but there is a conspiracy theory on that as raising the compression ratio will mess with emissions and this is why they say don't deck them. Whats everyone's advise? Gotta make up my mind soon. Truck has been down way too long.
 

wdino73

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Sep 25, 2009
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Versailles, Ky
I would have them shaved, the heads have no volume like gas heads so no worries of anything hitting the piston, that's my opinion. what's the piston height out of the cylinder????
I would find a shop that's done dmax heads or send them to guy at socal, I got into a mess with my engine by using a shop that hasn't done the dmax block, they had done plenty of gas engines and cummins but not dmax, Good Luck
 
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Darius6t9

I'm the Floater. Lurking.
Aug 23, 2008
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Rusk, Tx. Again
Like Dino said. The combustion chamber on these are in the pistons. Not the heads like a gasser. The only thing you might have to be concerned with is shimming the valves springs I think. Or the valve clearance. One of those.
 

Joey-D

New member
Dec 15, 2008
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Clearance issue don't really worry me, its the injector cups seating that does. With new castings from GM, they come pre seated from the factory.
 

Joey-D

New member
Dec 15, 2008
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But I have heard horror stories about injector cups resealing. It looks like one of mine came loose after doing my injectors. I just don't wanna have to tear down again to reseal injector cups. New castings from GM have the injector cups seated from the factory. $800 worth the piece of mind that the injector cups are sealed?
 

wdino73

Member
Sep 25, 2009
735
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Versailles, Ky
those cups can be resealed without any problem, myself I wouldn't spend another 8oo bucks, just so the factory can seal the cups, but keep in mind that's my opinion, it's your truck, an you should always do what u think is best concerning your truck, say yours I mean anyone, LOL
Good Luck if I can help I will be happy to, there's alot of very knowledgeable mechanics on this site so a second opinion isn't hard to get, Simon, Trent, Henry, those guys know what's going on if they tell u what time it is u don't have to go look. LOL. I just hate to see someone waste money, cause I've wasted enough for 3 trucks LOL.