KDD Head?

[USMCShooter]

I popped a head gasket at 65k-ish miles with pusher twins and ARP 425’s…It was my first Cummins build (I’ve built hundreds of street/strip gassers and worked a very reputable race machine shop, so am 100% confident in that world). I followed the advice of a couple of reputable builders at a couple of shows and didn’t Oring or go 625’s on the build.
I pulled the head to have it Oringed and put 625’s in…machine shop found crack around/in valve seats…so I started looking for another head, and actually ordered a reman from someone I trust implicitly.
A local farmer buddy of mine heard from his Son that I was looking for a head and he showed up at my house with a NIB (not remanned) head and I gave him $1k for it…a steal I think.
I got a call about an hour after he left from another buddy offering me a new KDD (Kill Devil Diesel) head. I’ve never done business with them, so I went online and started calling buddies.

I don't see a lot of info out on the KDD Cummins heads. The dirtymax and powderstroke world is full of them…I’ve got a buddy that has been running their heads on two of his hotshot rigs, both making 650+, one 5.9 and one 6.7…he’s got over 300k on the 5.9 now with zero issues he’s had hells-own time with factory heads dropping valve seats, and switched to KDD several years ago.

Anyone else have experience with their heads? It sounds like they’re getting them from a Cummins forge (not China) with their own metallurgy and specs…

For the price of the new KDD, already Oringed, I might actually save going that route.

 

[bateman]

I’ve been looking for a decent priced head cut for o rings. I will check out KDD. I would prefer to have a factory head cut but not many diesel performance shops in N. Alabama.

 

[USMCShooter]

From what I’ve read and heard from my buddy, they’re cast in the Cummins forge…I have to assume Mexico since I don’t know if any in the states any more.