Head Resurfacing

[Menaces Nemesis]

I'm about to tackle heads gaskets on my deuce, and want to make sure my heads still have enough material left to have them resurfaced. TM says that the amount of material removed from past resurfacing will be stamped "on the front of the head, about 1/2" away from the gasket surface". Not sure if I should be able to see these marks with the heads still on the truck. I can't see anything on the front of the heads, but I do see some stamped numbers on the top of each head (looks like 001), at the front right corner, would that be the number I'm looking for? Thanks in advance for your replies. - MN

 

[M543A2]

Sorry, I cannot answer about the numbers location but the 001 is, if in inches, only one thousandth of an inch. They could not resurface the heads properly removing that small amount even if they were able to set up for it on the surfacing machine.
Personally I would remove the heads then examine them so I can thoroughly clean them and more easily look them over since you are going to remove them anyway. You might consider taking them to a reputable machine shop to have them checked. You might find they do not need surfaced.

 

[Menaces Nemesis]

Got a machine shop already lined up. Seems like many here on SS insist that resurfacing, just a few thousandths, can be the difference between the job being successful, or being wasted time and $.Other than a stamped reference left from those who did previous resurfacing, regardless of how the heads look I'm not sure how a person would know if the heads still have enough material to be resurfaced, or if I'd be gambling. Is there some other point of measurement or reference on the heads?- MN

 

[cattlerepairman]

Since you ask about measurements: My experience with three shops in the area was not good. I ended up with new heads because it was the least hassle.

None of the shops was comfortable "just doing it". I handed them copies of the relevant TM pages out of the LDS repair manual (which I thought was ok; at least they wanted the info). However, even after this, they felt that they did not have the info to do the work correctly because the TM lacks some measurements. They also insisted on repairing all the cracks (even though the cracks were of the "normal" nature described in the TM, i.e. not reaching into valve seats etc.).
While I agree that this is probably good practice, the cost for this would have been prohibitive; more than a new head.