ARP Head Stud Cycle HELP

ffden

DIY'er
Aug 4, 2009
5
0
0
Thunder Bay, On. Canada
I am torquing my head studs and went through 60-90-125. The instructions say to loosed and tighten 3 cycles. Does this mean to loosen all the nuts and re-torque or one at a time?
 

FMOS

Hard Up
Nov 19, 2008
352
0
0
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
I did them one at a time. I brought them up like you mentioned, 60/90/125, and then one at a time I loosened them completely and then retorqued them to 125. And I did that 3 times. I did it in the same torquing order as originally too.

My reasoning was that if you drop them all off and bring them all back up a few times you would probably be squeezing the headgaskets all sorts of ways. I wanted to tighten them up and leave it that way. So I did them one at a time.
 

Vrabel

TOYAHOLIC
May 22, 2008
3,434
0
0
56
Hewitt, NJ
I did them one at a time. I brought them up like you mentioned, 60/90/125, and then one at a time I loosened them completely and then retorqued them to 125. And I did that 3 times. I did it in the same torquing order as originally too.

My reasoning was that if you drop them all off and bring them all back up a few times you would probably be squeezing the headgaskets all sorts of ways. I wanted to tighten them up and leave it that way. So I did them one at a time.

That's exactly why you do only ONE at a time
 
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ffden

DIY'er
Aug 4, 2009
5
0
0
Thunder Bay, On. Canada
I did them one at a time. I brought them up like you mentioned, 60/90/125, and then one at a time I loosened them completely and then retorqued them to 125. And I did that 3 times. I did it in the same torquing order as originally too.

My reasoning was that if you drop them all off and bring them all back up a few times you would probably be squeezing the headgaskets all sorts of ways. I wanted to tighten them up and leave it that way. So I did them one at a time.

I see we have some different theories on this. I did not back them right off, I left around 50 Ft lbs on them. I believe it is done to stretch the studs, not for re-seating the head gasket. It says in the ARP instructions that if you pull the heads off again, it is not necessary to cycle torque the studs, just run them up to 125 Ft lbs once. If I was to use factory bolts, I would have followed GM specs 37-59 Ft lbs then 2x60 degree angle one time.
 
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FMOS

Hard Up
Nov 19, 2008
352
0
0
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
I suppose my method was not really a "theory". Its just fact that if you torque up and down on the headgaskets its going to get compressed and relieved a bunch of times and possibly crack or not seat very well and then it will leak.

I think it says right in the ARP instructions to do them one at a time as well.
 

glynn25

New member
Oct 13, 2009
2
0
0
massachusetts
wow i wish i saw this 2 days ago or ACTUALLY GOT THE INSTRUCTIONS with my arp studs.i assumed they were the same as gm spec since i didnt get the install directions and did them the gm way.hopefully theyll hold up!!:confused:
 

juddski88

Freedom Diesel
Jul 1, 2008
4,651
116
63
Chesterfield, Mass.
^the order in which you torque them should be the same, the ft-lbs. is 125 final on the ARP's and obviously less on the stock bolts

btw glynn, where in mass are you from?
 

maine04max

New member
Dec 11, 2008
1,009
0
0
I bought a used set of arp head studs. they didnt come with any instructions . I see everyone is saying the final torque is 125 . I assume that i wont need to stretch because they have already been stretched rite? and Im hoping I got everything needed 36 studs nuts and washers . Do they come with the short bolts on the short side of head near the exhaust side or am I missing parts?
 

KEVINL

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2008
1,431
43
48
41
Phoenix, AZ
if they have been installed on a motor and were cycled before you don't have to cycle them

All the bolts or studs are the same length mine came with the small bolts near the pushrods as well but if yours didn't come with them you can reuse the old ones
 

bullfrogjohnson

Big Girl!
Nov 20, 2006
4,167
1
0
39
Locust, NC
make sure you coat threads with moly lube or motor oil prior to torquing.


You use a light coat of fresh oil on the block side threads and moly lube on the head sides. make sure not to use too much oil on the block side because if the oil puddles in the bolt holes and you torque the studs you can compress the oil and crack the block. Also make sure not to bottom the studs out in the block before torque. Give them a little room to turn when torquing. I bottom the studs out by hand and then back off one turn.
 
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Mike_S

OOPS!
Nov 18, 2009
803
0
0
40
Idaho
So whats the final word? If I was doing this, I would NOT loosen all the studs once they had been torqued, but do each one, one at a time. I can't see compressing and relieveing the head gasket three times as a good thing...
 

2500HeavyDuty

Book 'em, Danno!
Feb 14, 2008
2,209
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Katy, Tx
www.myspace.com
So whats the final word? If I was doing this, I would NOT loosen all the studs once they had been torqued, but do each one, one at a time. I can't see compressing and relieveing the head gasket three times as a good thing...

you only loosen one and re-torque it at a time, if you loosen one, you will still have 17 other studs keeping the clamping force on the gasket.
 

ripmf666

Active member
Sep 20, 2006
15,123
14
38
47
Wentzville Mo
if they have been installed on a motor and were cycled before you don't have to cycle them

All the bolts or studs are the same length mine came with the small bolts near the pushrods as well but if yours didn't come with them you can reuse the old ones
The little 8mm are not to be reused they should be replaced just like the fly wheel bolts.