I'm replacing both head gaskets on this vehicle, Took the heads to be milled and (as I feared) the machinist found that 3 intake and 1 exhaust valves are not seating. Now, common mechanical knowledge says that if you fix the valves and make the heads all nice, new, and seating properly that they will blow out your piston rings in a short time (few thousand miles?). The car has about 100,000 miles on it and in talking to the machinist he says that the piston rings should last until 140,000 miles if I were to fix the vavles and run the heads. So, please either correct my thinking on this and/or tell me what the best course of action is, or any alternitives. Thanks.

 

If you mill (or deck) the heads - You MUST take the block to be decked also. If you have one straight and leave the other warped it'll leak all over. Plus - decking ruins the factory height and you'll have to replace all the pushrods to get the valves functioning properly (opening at proper amount). The rings may last for a while longer but if you rebuild it all at once you will be saving the money on two sets of gaskets when you'd have to take it apart for the rings (&likely pistonheads, bearings and oil pump)later.