well i started friday morning at 8AM and ended saturday night at 8PM. it actually went VERY smooth except for one stud on each side. one i had to drill out, and one the nut would not come loose and i had to chisel it off (of course, that nut had to be on the bottom of the middle cylinder ). 8 studs were broken off and 2 or 3 others looked like they probably wouldn't last much longer. the truck is noticeably quieter in the cab.

cost for parts $185
cost for tools $130, but at least i have new tools to use for other projects

thanks for the tips, they all came in handy!

i guess the next project i'll have is spark plug replacement, but with only 60k miles i'll wait a bit longer.

andy b.