Changing head bolts

[diesel_lv]

I am hoping I did not mess up too bad. I used head studs on my rebuild, 440 Source heads on 383. It is stroked to 496, and I ordered TTI 2" to 2-1/8" stepped headers. These are said to fit on TTI's website and per conversation via phone with them. I'm ready to install and looking for instructions, none.... I go to their website and looking but don't find any. But I do see in the notes way down that the headers will "NOT" clear head studs under cylinders #3, #5, and #7 on drivers side and must use bolts. Question, can I remove 1 stud and replace with an ARP bolt and torque then do the next etc.... or must I remove valve covers and loosen all studs, replace those 3 with bolts and retighten all in sequence? Torque for bolts and studs per ARP website is the same, 80 lb/ft. An additional question, I searched "Installing Headers", Header Install" and came up with nothing on this forum. There must be a thread that details installing headers on a '66-'67 B body with 383. Thanks in advance.

 

[oldkimmer]

U will be fine doing 1 at a time. Only thing I see is that studs and nuts I think have more clamping force than bolts. That is my thinking. I could be wrong though. Kim.

 

[Charged440]

I trimmed the studs down, in my case it was only a thread or two.

 

[threewood]

I think you would fine doing them one at a time but use the torque specs for the head, not ARP.

 

[diesel_lv]

I think you would fine doing them one at a time but use the torque specs for the head, not ARP.
View attachment 941376

Uh oh!!! It's been so long, I do not remember if I used the instructions for the heads or not. I may be pulling valve covers on both sides. Ugh!!! Also means readjusting all the rocker arms. I guess this is going to be a long process.

 

[diesel_lv]

I trimmed the studs down, in my case it was only a thread or two.

Any advice on what to use to trim the stud ends while it's in the car?

 

[493 Mike]

Oxy/act torch, make quick work of it! No really, maybe a Dremel with cut off wheel? How much room is there?
Mike

 

[Charged440]

I used a pneumatic cutoff wheel, but that was with it on the stand after test installing the headers. A Dremel might work better in tight quarters. I also had to cut down a couple exhaust studs as well, good times.

 

[66Satellite47]

I would not be comfortable mixing studs & bolts.

 

[diesel_lv]

I would not be comfortable mixing studs & bolts.

Ya, I'm just gonna use my dremel n trim the top of the studs. I know the torque is the same but there's a reason mains are align honed w studs or bolts. They clamp differently.

 

[wyrmrider]

If torque is the same
and thread pitch is different...

 

[IQ52]

The bolts and their torque are not going to make a reasonable hill of beans difference in the cylinder wall shape. They are out of round anyway......... Because I'll bet you didn't hone the block using a torque plate with your head studs to thread depth, using the same part number head gasket and the studs torqued and sleeved to the head bolt hole thickness height. Just change to the bolts and be done with it.

Here is my dirty, dark secret.......

The 451 was making 620 horsepower with 906 iron heads, stock main caps and factory main and head bolts. We decided to go for more power........

We pulled the main bolts out and installed studs. Well they didn't fit so well in the cap bolt holes so we just drilled the bolt holes bigger and torqued the studs down. No line honing was done.

Switched to aluminum heads and used head studs. The headers wouldn't clear the bottom row of studs so we pulled the studs that interfered and torqued ARP head bolts down instead. 780+ horsepower.

The world or the engine never came to an end and both are still spinning today.

 

[diesel_lv]

Well update here, head studs below all 8 exhaust ports had to be trimmed down. Had to raise the engine on both sides and lift the car as high as my floor jack would go to barely squeak then in on both sides.

 

[Cranky]

Here is my dirty, dark secret.......

The 451 was making 620 horsepower with 906 iron heads, stock main caps and factory main and head bolts. We decided to go for more power........

We pulled the main bolts out and installed studs. Well they didn't fit so well in the cap bolt holes so we just drilled the bolt holes bigger and torqued the studs down. No line honing was done.

The world or the engine never came to an end and both are still spinning today.

Out of curiosity, did you check to see if the main fits still checked out to be the same after the drilling and with the new studs? I would have done it just to see. Done the same with rods after replacing stock bolts with new high strength ones. Had a set of rods that had been prepped but someone dropped the ball and left the old rod bolts in so, knocked them all all out and stuck new ones in and low and behold, they retained their shape. Done that 3 times now.....but one thing I will do is replace the nuts after one time use or torqued down.

 

[IQ52]

Out of curiosity, did you check to see if the main fits still checked out to be the same after the drilling and with the new studs? I would have done it just to see. Done the same with rods after replacing stock bolts with new high strength ones. Had a set of rods that had been prepped but someone dropped the ball and left the old rod bolts in so, knocked them all all out and stuck new ones in and low and behold, they retained their shape. Done that 3 times now.....but one thing I will do is replace the nuts after one time use or torqued down.

Registers were good, main bores were still round, main bearing clearances stayed the same and the crank still spun by hand and coasted without the main seal installed.

 

[andyf]

I am hoping I did not mess up too bad. I used head studs on my rebuild, 440 Source heads on 383. It is stroked to 496, and I ordered TTI 2" to 2-1/8" stepped headers. These are said to fit on TTI's website and per conversation via phone with them. I'm ready to install and looking for instructions, none.... I go to their website and looking but don't find any. But I do see in the notes way down that the headers will "NOT" clear head studs under cylinders #3, #5, and #7 on drivers side and must use bolts. Question, can I remove 1 stud and replace with an ARP bolt and torque then do the next etc.... or must I remove valve covers and loosen all studs, replace those 3 with bolts and retighten all in sequence? Torque for bolts and studs per ARP website is the same, 80 lb/ft. An additional question, I searched "Installing Headers", Header Install" and came up with nothing on this forum. There must be a thread that details installing headers on a '66-'67 B body with 383. Thanks in advance.

I covered this in my big block book. ARP makes studs that are slightly shorter that screw in to the block farther. I've pointed this out to ARP, TTI and others over the years. Nobody seems to pay attention.

 

[BSB67]

We pulled the main bolts out and installed studs. Well they didn't fit so well in the cap bolt holes so we just drilled the bolt holes bigger and torqued the studs down. No line honing was done.

Don't be silly. You CANNOT do that!!! I read it right here on FBBO, and elsewhere on the internet.

 

[BSB67]

Done the same with rods after replacing stock bolts with new high strength ones. Had a set of rods that had been prepped but someone dropped the ball and left the old rod bolts in so, knocked them all all out and stuck new ones in and low and behold, they retained their shape. Done that 3 times now.....but one thing I will do is replace the nuts after one time use or torqued down.

Same.

People seem to worry about the rod cap to rod alignment. Although it may not be "perfect" its never been a meaningful issue.

 

[493 Mike]

Same.

People seem to worry about the rod cap to rod alignment. Although it may not be "perfect" its never been a meaningful issue.

It's more a "roundness" issue after beating out the old bolts.
Mike

 

[Cranky]

It's more a "roundness" issue after beating out the old bolts.
Mike

Never had to 'beat' on them unless there was something wrong. 95% or better came out just by some moderate tapping. Pistons have been a different story though. Some of them took a lot more than a moderate pounding!