Head gasket recommendations??

[Mits187]

Hey MR50 peeps so i'm a CALI guy trying to fix my jacked up MM (meaning it needs to pass strict smog requirements, im in one of the worst polluted cities in the US, Fresno so she needs to be done right) im wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a company that makes a solid, finely produced head gasket for my 4g64 stock specs (the head has been decked twice, second time not much material shaved from my understanding.) also maybe someone has some ideas to help with my situation?? im very desperate and have spent so much on this truck within the last five years. sooooooooooooo.

to make a long story short. i have a 4g64 that snapped a camshaft between 2 and 3 during light driving on the freeway from work to home one day(70mph). replaced cam with another from a 4g64, triple checked timing (actually did belt 7ish times till everything was perfect, dam cam sprocket markings threw me off), spark plugs. wires/ cap dissy and position of it, and fuel injectors...compression is consistent across all 4. only thing i can think of now is to do a leak down test. i may have a bad fuel pump or computer problems if leak down comes out ok, buuuuuuuuuuuut.


worst case scenario i'm going to pull the head (3rd and last time in 5 years 15k ive put on her)so which head gasket would you guys recommend to use? if the head comes of i am going to spend the money and time to get everything spot on so that hopefully i have a reliable MM for the next couple years...
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[pennyman1]

how much total has the head been shaved? there is a limit on the head for shaving. If it's more than the limit, you may need a Felpro head saver gasket - it is thicker to bring the dimensions back into spec. Otherwise, a Felpro or factory head gasket will be fine.

[geezer101]

I am going to recommend replacing the head. If a cam has snapped like that I would be concerned with how 'true' the head is. A cam would never break under normal circumstances. IMO it is really bad news to shave a warped head in order to true it up. This practice doesn't take into consideration what happens to the cam bed when it becomes twisted and it takes a lot to break a cam in half. It also causes issues with combustion chamber volumes not being uniform. If the face of the head has been milled a few times and is out of specs it will weaken the heads integrity and ramp the compression ratios up. Get a decent used head, have it checked over - maybe clean up the ports before using it.

[pennyman1]

new heads are also out there for about 400 or so - I agree it will be better in the long run than trying to use that head.

[Mits187]

thanks yea Ill agree with that I will have to search for a new cylinder head. any recommendations I'm guessing they are all typically remans?

[geezer101]

There are new heads available as pennyman has previously posted. They are typically 'bare' so you will need to source valvetrain hardware. Here's a bargain bare head - http://au.dhgate.com/product/petrol-engine-parts-8v-4g64-cylinder-head/398747049.html?utm_source=pla&utm_medium=GMC&utm_campaign=rachel_car_parts&utm_term=398747049&f=bm%7c398747049%7c112004%7cGMC%7c228938908%7cpla% 7crachel_car_parts%7cAU%7c112004007%7cc%7c%7c2%7c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0em8xIvO1QIVngYqCh25MwmjEAkYCiAB EgJTUPD_BwE

Give it a light port job and match it up to you inlet manifold, polish up the combustion chambers, add springs, valves, rockers, rails and cam and it'll run better than new.

[pennyman1]

Odessa cylinder heads also sell complete new heads ready to Bolton for about 400 I think - check them out.