Hey, I am installing arp head studs on my motor, and I have heard that when threading them into the block that I shouldnt thread them down all the way, that I should back them off a 1/4 turn to compensate for thermal expansion pressing them into my block and possibly cracking it. Has anyone ever heard of this? Otherwise im going to do what ARP says and thread them in "Hand tight".

 

I've done it both ways and never had a problem either way. Any more I back them out half a turn. An engine builder that I know said to do it that way and his engines hold up well, so I figure it works okay.

 

alright, so you backed them off half a turn on your motor? how long have you been running them like this? and whats your setup?

 

I have tried to back out for 1/4 of turn, but when I torque the head the stud go down (and possibly false the torque)

 

I've done that on 4 cars:

Sleeved turbo B16, street and track, 408 WHP, 2 years
Dart block 2.2L stroker, first 12:1 NA, then 320 WHP supercharged, 4 years, mostly time trial track use
D16Z6 -w- JDM ZC pistons, NA 140 WHP, track car for endurance racing, two events
B16-w- LS pistons, turbo @ 10 PSI, 260 WHP, daily driven for 6 months

 

no need to back them out. just turn them down till they stop.

 

Wow that's quite a few cars, Ok, well I definitely feel better about doing it this way now.

 

i have alway turned them back half a turn and never will do diffrent it works the best and not just that my uncle bulids rack motors and said it is the safest way to do it so i stick with it

 

Sounds good. I'll do that too then. Thanks.

 

Just do what ARP recommends. Hand tighten them down only when installing them into the block. I do this all the time and have never had any issues. Arp recommends to retorquing them after a certain mileage, but i didnt so until a year later and they were still nice and tight.

 

Yea, I ended up just hand tightening them into the block. That way if something goes wrong I can say I did everything I was supposed to.