Heasd Gasket Revisited
 

Ok, I just need someone to confirm what I am pretty sure is the case. My top radiator hose blew off yesterday and it appears that there is soot in my radiator. I am going to say it is a head gasket. I do have studs and it is o-ringed. I just pulled the head a month or so ago to fix a broken stud from retorqing them. John at Floor It said they have seen issues with the ARP 2000 studs. I had 3 of them break when I retourqed them originaly. Of course I could not get one of them out so I had to pull the head. So this will be the 3rd go around with this head. I used a .020 12 valve gasket and torqued the studs to 130 ft. lbs. I am not sure if there is a better sollution to this or not. I see about 80 lbs of boost. I dont want to keep pulling this thing apart, any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

That does sound like the head gasket.

We have similar setups, I have arp 2000's torqued to 130... I see 85-90 lbs of boost... except I am not o-ringed and use the MLS.

I have not had the problems you describe with the studs or the gasket.

Should I stick with the same gasket or use something differant?

I see Greg always talking about the ARP 2000's. Yet all the big boys that are reliable are running New Age 625's. I will be ordering mine from Brown's Diesel. We have a similar setup, but I should have Flux 4's in these next few coming weeks with John's Stage 4 pump.

I know nothing about the 12 valve head gasket either but know a thing or two about the ARP studs. I run the normal ARP 2000's. I have installed many ARP studs in numerous engines over the years and never had one let go yet. I find it hard to understand how you are breaking a stud at only 130lbs...? And I've read and understood that TECHNIQUE of using a torque wrench and PROPER lubrication is essential. What is your torque wrench etiquette and what type and how much lube are you using???

btw- I bought a Snap-On digital/electronic torque wrench just for my head studs.

I would not change the gasket. With O-rings you are limited to what you can use anyway. Tim Barber has had great success with that combo at a lot higher HP that either of us. So I have to guess that the problems have to be with install technique.

The devil is in the details there somewhere. I don't know what direction to point you in either. Try PMimg Timinva for some tips.

Ditto...

Proper prep and install will make 2000's last a long time with just a MLS gasket...even at 80 psi boost (but what is your drive pressure...could be way high!)...and they should last forever with o rings...if they are done right. Is the ring seated right...right projection..etc etc.

Get 625's this time since your shopping for new studs anyways...

I have a 6 month old Matco digital torque wrench. I have not pulled it all the way apart yet. When the studs broke the first time I was retorquing the head after the initial warmup and had 3 studs break, with plenty of ARP lube. John at Floor It said he has seen problems with these studs several times. I tore it down and put a new set of studs in that John got warantied for me and put in a new gasket. The gasket that I took out looked good as far as the o-ring contact that was on the gasket. I have been driving it now for a few months and everything has been fine. As far as the drive pressure I am not sure, I dont have a guage set up for that. I really dont like the thought of spending $1000 on 625s. I guess if that is the fix it is worth it.

your time is worth something. how many times ya gonna pull it apart? spend money now or later? not trying to stir anything up but you have to calculate your down time and your labor each time you pull the ol girl down. just my .02

I dont see why your breaking the regular ARP 2000s, mines oring'd with the 12v gasket and the 2000s tq'd to 140 with no problems. My studs kept backing off/stretching at 130 after 4 retorques, took them to 140 and they bit down hard and haven't budged

The 625s are worth the piece of mind tho, since you've got to have new ones