Not off to the best start

[srxboy]

Ok I bought a wrecked f350 with a 6.0. I test drove the truck before I repaired it to check everything out. Come to find out it had bad head gaskets. not a biggie I had to pull the cab and I wanted to put studs in anyway. Pulled the heads and sent them to the machine shop only to get a call a day later saying both of them were cracked and not fixable. I got a set of heads with only 10,000 miles, I was cleaning up the block and noticed what look like cracks on top the block. I have been a mechanic for 10years 3 of witch were at international. I have never seen anything like this. The head gasket is actually broke were the mark is. Here are a few pics. Im not sure if it is a cracked block or if the head gasket failed somehow and vibrated making a groove in the block.

[deucer]

The pics really don't show enough to make a good analysis. Is the block still in the truck? Were you leaking any coolant into the crankcase? Just got finished with r&ring my heads with remanf. heads and I recall seeing "battle scars" to some degree on my block too. Nothing that I saw as cracks however. I've only experienced headgasket failure 4 times on my engine, thus the reason I did it myself this time. Those headgaskets look awful familiar too.

[srxboy]

I know it was really hard to get a good pic. No coolant leaking into crankcase. I cant tell if they are cracks or just scares. The thing i dont get is the cracks in the head gaskets

[deucer]

Cracks? I had a hole blown through mine on the right bank next to the water journal. Coincidently, that is the approximate location of the cracked head. Cracks to headgaskets were caused by heat and coolant passage thus resulting in extreme pressure application.

[Harley10]

My block looked the same way. It isn't a perfectly machined finish anymore but it should be fine as long you get it as clean as possible. I could barely feel it with my finger but it looked the same as your pics. I'm only on day one after my truck is complete but I am definetly not leaking anymore.

[srxboy]

That makes me feel better, Thats kinda what I was thinking after looking everything over really close. Thanks for the help gentlemen!!

[deucer]

Good luck on your fix. One week now since I put my engine back together and no hiccups yet. Runs strong and no leaks.