No problem, Good luck.

Ask that import place where they take their heads for machining. Call up some other local garages and ask the same thing. They'll tell ya. There's probably one or two places in the area that do exceptional work. That's where you want to take them.

They're going to probably start by checking them for straightness, checking the valve guides for wear ...then if they pass that, take them apart, hot tank the parts (clean), check the springs for pressure, inspect for cracks, inspect the valves and so on. Then they'll tell you what they found and the cost to redo. But call in advance and check the price of doing the heads first ...assuming no new parts are needed. Know the price in advance for the basic work (assuming no new parts at this point) so you have a general idea what they charge ....knowing of course that it might change depending on what they find. That's why you want to find a trustworthy shop that other places also trust. When you take them in, don't go in wearing your nice clothes ..go in greasy, talk to the main shop guy, get his name. It's good to establish a relationship with a shop. For one, they'll work with you better on pricing. Don't say things like: "Gee wiz, this is the first project like this I've ever done!"

Well that's my approach. My wife always says stuff like that and gets away with it 100% of the time ...so.. maybe it won't hurt to tell him you're new to this kind of work

 

i have a 97 with 107k miles,my head gaskets were leaking from the back of heads [water jackets]. the truck wasn't blowing smoke or losing compression [yet!].going against my better judgement i added a small bottle of k-seal and have been driving it for awhile.it stopped leaking heads for now [as they say it can last 5min to 5yrs!!],if coolant hasn't blown thru the firerings it can give you some additional time.i'm about to flush system and change thermo and hoses and hold my breath! i'm pretty good at fixing all the vehicle's i've owned and eventually will replace gaskets but i'm starting to feel more confident that it's working much better than expected.i know most people don't like any of these type products and i was one of them.it really boils down to where the coolant is going,if the gasket around the firerings are leaking than you really don't have a choice,but you clearly would see smoke and/or coolant smell out the exhaust.anyway,love my truck and eventually will do whatever it takes to keep her.also,throw a bottle of hyper lube or something like it and only use coolant.hope it helps,just my experience thus far with my girl!!!