Castech heads question

[BealT1]

So I have been doing a lot of reading on castech heads. A few days ago I noticed loss of coolant and found out about the lovely castech heads. I have been doing a lot of reading but I cant find any answers to some questions I have.

-How many on these heads were affected?

-How many miles do people have when they usually Crack?

-Are there any good non castech replacement heads that you guys recommend?

I'm crossing my fingers that it's something simple like a water pump but in the future if my heads do end up being cracked, I'd like to have a plan. BTW I have an 06 tahoe LT with 91,275 miles with the number 862 stamped on the side. (I haven't taken off the valve covers off to confirm it has the castech stamp yet)

 

[Fosscore]

Here are a few threads on this issue maybe worth reading.

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/castech-head-question.67723/

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/would-you-buy-a-tahoe-with-castech-heads.67689/

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/Bluegorilla/2008-12-05_142924_Coolant_loss_5.3.pdf

There are many more threads from the other GM sites. This should give you some idea and search here on the TYF as well.

@BealT1

 

[BealT1]

Here are a few threads on this issue maybe worth reading.

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/castech-head-question.67723/

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/would-you-buy-a-tahoe-with-castech-heads.67689/

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/Bluegorilla/2008-12-05_142924_Coolant_loss_5.3.pdf

There are many more threads from the other GM sites. This should give you some idea and search here on the TYF as well.

@BealT1

Thanks for the reply, made me feel better after reading about the 862s.

 

[retiredsparky]

If you have the rear heating/cooling, there are two tees in the heater tubing just above the center of the engine adjacent to the fire wall. These tee's use o-rings to seal in the coolant. When the o-rings shrink, small leaks occur that can be difficult to detect. Many older GM's with this option have leaks that are not detected. You can get an ultraviolet die kit with a special flashlight inexpensively at most auto parts stores.