Doing my head gaskets this week and wonder what work I should get my machinist to do to my heads aside from the obvious resurface and install the valve seals that the kit comes with... anything else?

Another question: What else should I replace while I have the motor apart? I also bought the kit which includes with oil pan gasket, timing cover gasket, and front and rear main seals (only plan on doing front)... anything else I should do? Truck has 175,000 miles (285,000KM) on it

Thanks

 

The only other thing is a 3 angle valve job. Highly recommended... if done by a competent and experienced machinist, they'll likely be better than new (or so I'm told) due to factory QA issues.

Replace timing chain, crank gear, cam gear, oil pump gears,
If you are pulling the motor out, do the main bearings and rod bearings. Heck, then piston rings, top hats, crank polish, new camshaft (then new lifters as well),
And of course follow the overhaul manual the whole way and double check tolerances using dial bore gage, micrometers, and dial indicator stands w/ vee blocks

It's a slippery slope. I've been there

 

Might as well bypass the TB heater and run an inline Tstat or switch to the grey 180 oem one. Could switch to a brass bleeder (BMW) while you're there too

Could also upgrade the Fan and viscous clutch as well while you're there

Oh and change every single clamp away from that junk snap crap and ****ty coolant hose ones that LR uses. By a universal worm gear kit and go crazy everywhere you see a hose lol

I'm just throwing out cheap ideas since the job being done is obviously costly

 

Definitely inline. I can't recommend it highly enough.

 

Port and polish the heads while they are out. I wish I had done mine.

 

Also second the port and polish. Definitely helps wake her up.

 

Replace the valve guides or the engine will use oil even though you have replaced the guide seals.

 

Called my machine shop and he wants to look at them when they are out and make a decision on what to do after based on condition of them. Clean, resurface and vavle seals is all he thinks will be necessary, 3 angle is an option but he thinks it wont be worth it.

Port and polish ive done myself before on a SB chev but i'm not sure if out trucks will benefit much from it. Would love to hear from people who did it one thier heads, not sure I want to spend 8hrs on my heads without hearing from people who have done the work.

 

My early-'70s auto shop instincts would be to do the 3-angle grind but maybe post-unleaded hardened valves and seats need that less. I don't know. Maybe relying on the machine shop guy's opinion makes the most sense, if he knows his stuff.

I agree that porting and polishing is probably a waste of time. Some people go nuts with this stuff.

 

My machinist did a vacuum test on my heads and the valves sealed so he skipped the 3 angle job, at my request. Runs fine but my vehicle had over 200k on the clock so I anticipated a major engine overhaul within a couple of years anyway. I also did the oil seals myself so I only spent $100 total on head work