head bolt/stud dilemma

[josh_6bt]

I'm taking the next step with my 92 and finally bought head studs and injectors. I just need some opinions to help me decide how to proceed with my dilemma. ideally I would like to install all my new parts at once with the head in place (sticks, studs, valve springs and valve stem seals) but removing the rocker arm pedestals for machining leaves a whole row of bolts removed and the head un torque on the drivers side which I highly doubt is good for the head gasket, (am I wrong to think this?). So I was thinking of just leaving the stock bolts in place and doing studs when the head gasket actually blows. In the time being am I better off to retorque the stock bolts? A part of me wants to but the other half is paranoid as hell of breaking bolts . What do you guys think is best to do? need suggestions. Thanks gents.

[revemup15]

Retorque your head bolts... stud it when she blows... when it blows make sure you run a tap in all the holes to clean the treads

[Tacoclaw]

What brand of studs did you get?

Honestly I'm not too sure you could pop your gasket with your mods and retorqued bolts. Pull them out one at a time in sequence, clean the threads on a wire wheel and lube them with clean oil, then put them back in and retorque to stock #'s. After the last one, do a few laps setting them up to 125 or wherever you're taking them to.

If you're wanting it to last like this until you have time to pull it down and do it right, just retard your timing a bit. It'll help keep cylinder pressures down and definitely reduce stress on the HG.

[josh_6bt]

Thanks fellas, I give that a go.

[josh_6bt]

O and I bought ARP studs.

[PToombs]

The other option is to buy a set of pedestals and get them cut, then swap them out. You definitely want to bottom tap the head bolt holes before installing your studs, and it's way easier with the head off.

[RCCUMMINS89]

351s love to blow gaskets.

[Tacoclaw]

Do they have a tiny exhaust housing on them or something? I suppose anything's possible, but I ran my S300 at 40+ psi quite often with it's 12cm housing and it never gave me gasket problems with stock timing and retorqued bolts.

[RCCUMMINS89]

It's not so much the exhaust housing as much as the size of the wheel. See a s300 has a 65 size wheel the exhaust exits out... where as the 351 is a 60. Also stock timing plays a HUGE part in the head gasket.... but what fun is stock timing?

[Tacoclaw]

I ordered my 5x14's with the wide spray pattern to match my bowls.

I guess you missed this part. . I ordered a set with a 155* angle. I DD my truck, I rarely race it and dyno #'s mean about squat to me, especially horsepower. I'm happy with a torquey truck.

[RCCUMMINS89]

I'm not following you on why you are stuck at stock. You have non i/c pistons, right? You can run more timing and stay within the bowl when one has the 145 as opposed to the 155s. What am I missing?

[revemup15]

Tacobell doesnt like to make power lol

[Tacoclaw]

Whoops. Edited instead of posting. Oh well, there it is up there. ^