I had the diesel shop check my head today with a straight edge and they say its 5 thousandths warped.I have the 2053283339 Marine Head Gasket .090 .With the thick gaskets do I still really need the head planed down or do I need the head planed anyway using the thick gasket.thanx

 

Be safe. Yes, deck it flat.

Merrick

 

Yep!
I'm very modest in hp, didn't go past 40 psi boost, and timing is only around 17° yet I blew my gasket last spring.
Something made it go so didn't want to take chances and had the head leveled and changed to studs. Only took off about 5-6 mils to level it. Also replaced all the exhaust valve guides.

 

Always get the head planed if it is out by more than .0010"

The thicker gasket makes it even more critical, as you will have thick and thin spots after cracking the headbolts to their proper setting. Also, be smart and replace the headbolts or go to studs. Do not reuse headbolts, they do not use torque settings for final fitment, but are twisted (cracked over a partial turn) after initial torque to get the proper stretch. Once stretched they are shot!

While you have everything off, take your exhaust manifold and check it for true by laying the flanges on a sheet of plate glass and looking for air gaps. 9 times out of ten that is what pulls the head and causes the warping. The best option is to replace it with an ATS three piece manifold - they will not pull the head when it is cooling.

 

I don't see how the manifold can pull the head.
I thought sectionals protect the manifold, not the head. Same reasoning for multiple heads on large engines.

 

Ok Guys I took it in today,they are going to mill it flat.What about the valve seals,I had 12 orange and 12 black.It says on the paper the black ones are there for emissions and to use all orange on marine and one black one orange on all others.I wonder if the orange ones are better for high performance ,I dont have any Emissions testing around here.All the headsets are universal to trucks and marine now so they come with parts for both.I have the same marine headgasket number as the one on scheids website and that is the head gasket that came in the headset my application calls for.

 

Cannot remember the colors.
The shop that did my head milled the stem area to accept the type that slide down and are held in place by the valve spring.
Do you see any that match that description?

-John

 

They both look about the same to me the hole could possibly be slightly smaller in the black ones,its hard to tell.The ones in it now are one orange one black.