What is the estimated max boost level using the standard ARP head studs? No O-rings or fire rings, no special head gasket. Max boost meaning before head gasket failure.

Anyone have experience with this?

Presently I run about 64lbs boost now (on rare occassions). I average 44lbs to 52lbs. However, I can hit 64lbs boost at fairly low power settings. I am thinking about adjusting my wastegate to 62lbs to keep things tight.

 

You should be fine at 65lbs are these the Standard 12mm studs. I know a few people running 70+ on those and are fine still. Those MLS gaskets seem pretty tough.

Brett

 

No problems here, I run 65 lbs rather consistentlly and maybe a bit more when having fun and so far my ARP's are holding up to the challenge, knock on wood.

 

I have run 85 lbs a few times but I do not recommend it.

 

I"m no expert by any means but I have blown a head gasket twice now. One thing that made a big difference for me is using a sealant under and above the gasket to keep everything tight and sealed from the coolant and oil passages. Allot of times the blown head gasket is the seal between the water and oil, not the escaping of gases from the cylinder. Also since I only wanted to do it one more time I used the new ARP 625+ head studs. You torque them down to 165 foot pounds and man you can really feel them lock down. I remember doing the same thing with the regular ARP's and you can literally feel them stretching because at 125ft. lbs they never really felt that tight. With the the custom age 625's you can really feel them lock down hard. That and the combo of sealant around the coolant/oil passages and o-rings you have one hell of a good seal. I'm only able to get 60-65 pounds of boost but I use nitrous all the time and have had zero problems since then.

And as Don M mentioned in a earlier post it's not really the amount of boost that is so relevant rather the temperature of the boost and the quality of air.

Just my .02 cents

 

mines set at 62 and nary a problem

 

I see 80 psi all the time.

Bottom tapped...good surface prep...proper torque...gobs of ARB Moly lube and retorque after heat cycles will make standard 12 mm ARP's go the distance!