Cylinder Heads - Machine or Replace?

[blown240]

I have a blown head gasket on the 350 sbc in my 51 Chevy. I am trying to decide if I should have the heads machined flat, or if I should try to find some aluminum heads.

The motor is from an 88 Suburban with 68k miles. Money is the biggest factor and I am not familiar with costs to get machining done.

If I get a set of used heads though, I may have to get them machined anyway.

Thoughts?

[fredscarryall]

if you buy a set of aluminium head they will cost you new around $1000 or more. if you are lucky and find a set on craiglist i paid $600 for mine and i had to look for about 4 weeks. since you have a 1988 you have vortec heads. they flow pretty good for stock.with my stock 88 heads i would have hogged out my heads for larger intake valve from 194 to 202 and my exhaust valve from 150 to 160, bronze guides,new valve locks,cleaned up, surface ground and magnafluxed for cracks. my shop quoted me $350 using my stock valves and triple grinding them and using my stock springs.for about $100 more you can buy stainless larger intake and exhaust valves on ebay and have the shop put them in when you are rebuilding the heads.if you need new valve springs they will cost you around $75 more. i would just spend some time calling local machine shops to get a good price on rebuilding. some shops have a rebuilt head exchange rebuild progam, you just have to ask and see. i hope this helps you. if you want to go real cheepo like my friend did (i wouldnt recomend it) just take both head into an affordible shop. have them maganaflux the heads so make sure you dont have a cracks in you head instead of a blown head gasket. since they are low in miles, just have the shop take a look at them. if they are in good shape and the valves arent burned.just get both the heads resufaced because you need both heads to be the same . it seemed to work good for my friend. my shop quoted me less then $200 to resurface.

[blown240]

good info, thanks!

[tapeworm]

Send the heads out, and find how bad they really are & go from there.

Also, not trying to be a smart a** and rip on the other poster, but the heads usually refered to as "Vortec" heads are the ones typically used on trucks from around 96-up. Everyone & there brother sells these, but will not fit yor 88 without a special intake, as well as a couple other changes depending on how big of a cam you are running.

Check out this article

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/ho...458/index.html

or here

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/small-...good-ones.html

Here's a good one

http://www.2quicknovas.com/vortecheads.html

Your 88 will at least have the correct valve covers & rocker arms