Well its official

My first post here and its because of the dreaded 0331 head. Oil pressure at hot idle ran about 8psi, oil fill cap and oil showed no signs of water so I dropped the pan and HOLY CRAP, sludge from hell! Couldnt even see the screen in the pickup, bought a new oil pump but the pickup wont be in 3-5 days. Rods and mains looked good and clearances are,according to Haynes, "desireable". So in the meantime I popped off the valve cover to change the Gasket and cleaned off the spot between 3 and 4 cyl. and sure enough, cracked. Couldnt see it through the fill hole though. So how big of a job is it to change these heads? Ive noticed that everyone thats done the swap has used new head bolts, is that neccesary? Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks

It's not particularly difficult, but takes a while and can be a bit tricky getting the head in and out without some help.

I'd recommend referencing a factory service manual BEFORE you start and review every step, so you don't miss anything. You don't want to do this twice.

What replacement head are you using? Be sure to change the oil multiple times to get all traces of coolant out of your oil.

I'll be purchasing a new one from Clearwater, its still the 0331 but according to thier website, the problem areas have been resolved

Clearwater Cylinder Head has helped many 0331 owners.

No worries with their products; they get good marks from others who have responded to threads.

Their heads are redesigned and don't have the defect between cylinders 3-4.

Good luck!