I've heard you can re-torque the stock head bolts a little to help keep the head gasket in place. I plan on doing studs in the future, but figured since the valve cover and exhaust rockers are off I might as well give this a try. Has anyone here done this or know the correct procedure and torque numbers?

 

77 ft lbs and then an additional 90 degrees acording to Haynes repair manual.

 

Normally on angle of rotation torque settings they use stretch bolts and would require relaceing the bolts.At least with Mercedes.
So unless Cummins recomends it,I wouldn't even do it.
But I am still new here and am not sure what every one else is doing.

Phil

 

That's also what the factory service manual says. I thought you could safely torque them down a little more than that though?

 

what is the consensus on studs and stock headgasket as far as safe psi one can run? I've seen ARP studs as low as $400 but I don't want to waste my money if studs alone are not much value over the stock bolts.

 

There is no magic boost number where the gasket pops.

Boost is only one small part of the equation.

People should really worry about EGT and back pressure hurting the headgasket.

 

I did this on mine and did It in 5ft/lbs incremants all the way to 150ft/lbs. Make sure you still follow the correct sequence. Mine have been fine for 10'000 mile. That's what I would do. But there is no replacemant for studs. I would be curios what your drive pressure is with those twins in accordance to you boost. Those things throw serious cfm

 

I have heard of people runnin them to 135 but I dont know in what increments, not how well it compares to studs. I just know some do it.

 

Can you get the head back off with studs installed without removing them first?

 

Advanced timing hurts the headgasket more than anything else. Just come take a look over here in the 2nd gen forum and see how many 01', 02' trucks with much less boost and drive pressure blow heads. 01', 02' HO engines that is, the SO engines on a 2nd gen have a lower compression ratio and thus less strain on the head bolts and gasket. I'd wager that a guy could run 60 psi boost forever as long as timing is never increased over stock.

 

Thanks for the info guys. I would be scared to take them that far for fear of breaking one off in the head.

Maybe I'll just get a set of ARP's and skip the bottom tapping procedure. Has there ever been a report of someone ripping untapped studs out of the block?