Removing driver's side cylinder head, advice please
 

I'm removing my driver's side cylinder head due to a weird spark plug hole. I'll be taking that to a machine shop possibly to have the hole fixed. Other than that, what should I do while the head is off? I've read that I should at least clean the valley cover area, carefully remove the old head gasket, replace the lifter tray, etc. My questions other than "what should I do?" are:


1. If I have the machine shop clean up the heads to make sure the valves are seating properly, what should I make sure to tell them?
2. Is there a problem with having the machine shop clean up/re-check one head and not the other?
3. Are lifters, lifter trays, or pushrods necessary to replace if they all look fine?
4. Is this a good time to do something else like a delete, conversion, or relocation other than the LS6 PCV conversion while I've got the intake off? What else should I do while I'm in there?
5. Any other tips/advice when doing this?

The car is mostly stock. 2000 LS1 with 853 heads, SLP Lid/ram-air, LTH, ORY, EGR/AIR delete.

Nothing says they cant check or cleanup just the 1 head and not the other. Depending on the mileage I would replace the lifters and trays on that side though for piece of mind. Check the condition of your intake gaskets, plenty of people reuse, but they will wear out. I would also check for signs of the valley cover or oil pressure sending unit leaking.

Pull both and install better heads?

Id pull both heads honestly. It wont increase the total cost alot and allow you to upgrade all the lifters and change all valve stem seals. I would at least puy new springs on (ls6 blues are fine for that and cheap) new head gaskets, ls6 valley if you want (may require block clearancing) and we have mls head gaskets in case your 853 heads have a notch on the deck theyll work for it. Then valve stem seals. Lifters and trays. thats about it.

Ported heads

Pull both heads

Why do lifters and trays need to be replaced if they're not broken and show almost no signs of wear? What happens to them? I don't have money for new/ported heads, otherwise I would already have planned on taking both heads out.

I said depending on the mileage. If the lifters are factory and the car has 100k miles, its cheap insurance to replace what you can while you're in there. Having a lifter bearing come out or a lifter turn sideways in the tray tends to end ugly.