head studs, worth it?

[D347643]

my engine is coming out this weekend and i was thinking of switching to head studs. whats the benefit of doing so? The only thing that comes to my mind is maybe they do a better job of holding the heads on, especially with alum heads. maybe im way off

thanks

Drew

 

[Blk91stang]

Yes, they do a better job of holding the cylinder heads to the block than head bolts do. The only thing bad about them is you SHOULD have your cylinders honed using a torque plate with the head studs as they stress the block differently than head bolts do. My machinist showed me first hand the difference. Now when I pulled my heads I switched to head studs (blower motor) exactly like you are talking about and I havent had a problem yet on a 120k mile shortblock. My recommendation would be only use head studs if you have high compression (13:1) or have a blower pushing over 10#'s of boost. If not, get Head Bolts!!!!

 

[5spd GT]

ARP head bolts would be fine N/A but if your going with a blower go with the studs...to keep the heads "planted"...

 

[Clownfish]

I've heard pulling the heads in the car is not possible with studs? True?

 

[Flash Gordan]

It's possible to do it but you need to be careful when you pull the heads off. Pull the wrong way and you might run the head into something that will break very easily or gouge the paint in the engine bay.

 

[TheUser]

I've heard pulling the heads in the car is not possible with studs? True?

You can pull the heads w/ head studs, in fact, they're reusable, so you can reuse them a few times. The thing is that you have to pull the heads straight up to get it over the studs and yeah, gotta be careful not to break or scratch anything-not always easy when you're trying to lift a 49 lb cast iron head while leaning over the car, but i've done it, so it's possible

 

[D347643]

wait, so would i need to get my cyl honed with a line plate or is it no big deal? ARP is pretty much the top stud maker it seems and could i just put them in and go? no machining? also, ill be running 14 pounds through a turbo.

 

[Flash Gordan]

14 lbs. of boost? You might want to consider going to a aftermarket block that's already been prepped. But if you want to use the block you have then you'll have to get the cylinders honed with a torque plate and maybe get the block decked also.

 

[giddyup306]

When you're talking about high cylinder pressures head studs are the only way to go. If you can't lift the heads straight off the block in the bay, just remove the studs completely.

 

[D347643]

haha 14 pounds of boost doesnt mean i need a r block or anything.. plus itll be 14 pounds before it hitds the intercooler. as long as my comp is good and i avoid detonation i should be fine.. im shooting for 500rw and with a turbo and a h/c/i setup it really isnt to hard to get it with a decent tune.

 

[Blk91stang]

I say go for a dart block.. why spend all that money on a stock block which will split eventually under 14#'s of boost. I cant say if it will or wont split your block but I can tell ya you're EXTREMELY close to that breaking point!! good luck!!

 

[D347643]

how much for a dart block?

Drew

 

[Michael Yount]

Keeps gettin' more complex don't it Drew? Yes, with boost, I'd switch to studs; giddyup's right, just remove them if you have a hard time getting the heads off. And ask the manufacturer of the studs the proper technique for installing them - be sure to seal the threads.

Also, on your other head gasket question, I don't recall you mentioning it was a boosted application. I'd get into the boosted forum and ask about what kind of gaskets/stud combo folks are using to deal with 10-12 psi boost. And I agree with others - you could make enough power to compromise the block if you're using the power regularly. Hate to see that investment get busted up - and when a block splits, it usually takes a bunch of other pieces with it.