Are there any good (cheaper) alternatives to the pricey ARP studs? I see other manufacturers stud kits on ebay for 1/3 the price. Are they a no-go or?

 

I'd use the TTY bolts that come with the gaskets over a no-name stud. At least the TTYs don't cost you any extra.

 

You know with ARP what steel was used and even the TTY bolts have standards.
Ebay stuff not so much. You could end up with 99% Red Vines® in the steel mix.
Nothing like a nice soft chewy Red Vines® in a box to snack on.

 

While I was chicken out and didn't use cheaper than ARP, I think there is a test for it.
I would suggest someone to try to toque it on something external first. Using ARP sequence. If it fails, twisted or stretch out (maybe leave it there for a couple of days and check the torque again?), then return it with good reason.

I think there are other studs out there that are between ARP and no name. Not sure how good they are.

Although I don't do oringing, but I think if I am Ford, I would make that standard on all my engine. I don't think it adds cost much at all when it's in a assembly settings. The rings themselves should be pre-made rings. I also strongly believe that MLS gasket can have built in oring. Real thicker ringer versus a stamp that would be pushed flat after torque down.

Why I said so? I look at the tiny rubber line that has to handle torque (harden), heat, vibration, variation in surface area just too much.
So, why not have the ring to handle the force, and let the ring to handle the sealing of coolant. Metal ring inside to handle heat and force, rubber ring outside for coolant containment. Doing that, the metal ring also prevents the rubber rings from flatten out and no longer has much elasticity to seal.

Well, given the head all grooved up surface (look at TooManyToys's pictures), I think it's simply that Ford don't care. Well, was that Ford or International to be responsible for this? I know 6.0 was designed by International, but did Ford has any saying as minor as certain kind of gasket or ringing? Also, did Ford buy the engines (versus only the design) or they produced them after license the design. I thought the later.

 

Cheap is not cheap, it always will cost you more in the long run.

 

My original 6.0 in my 2004 F550 went 580K on the original heads and bolts. I have a good used 6.0 on a pallet waiting to be installed (sourced from a wrecked 2004 Excursion with 190K miles). I figure It would be a good time to replace the head bolts one at a time with studs but maybe I should leave it alone. The egr cooler, oil cooler and turbo all look to have been replaced recently otherwise I'd consider doing more before I stuck it in. This is my repo wrecker, I only need a maximum of 50K miles out of this engine for it to last me the remainder of my working (as a repo man) life.
I'm converting to a 2016 front clip at the same time.

 

Don't do that....

If you're going to do the job, do it right the first time. Have the heads checked, machined, and tested unless you want to do this a 2nd or 3rd time.

I've seen people do this and you're rolling the dice when you do that. You don't know if you have cracks developing or other issues that haven't reared their head.

You don't want to have to do this twice, ask me how I know...

Also, don't go cheap on the studs. ARP spent a considerable amount of time developing studs for these trucks and their work is often imitated, but never duplicated. I've actually seen cheaper studs snap when torqued down to given spec, no sense spending money twice, again, do it right the first time.

 

I'm with you all....TTY bolts over those no name junk studs.


I don't care how fast you are or how many times you've done a job like this....it is still a BIG to do, to install heads on this engine

 

It would have cost more to (correctly) put a fresh seat of heads on my current engine than replacing the whole thing with a good used unit.

 

What if you don't need the long run for the engine to last as long as I need it to?

 

Then do the Ford TTY as they often can be found on EBay cheap from people getting a kit and using studs instead, or grab some bolts off RockAuto.

 

Or jusr order the gasket kit from Ford and you get the bolts and I think
also a stand pipe for each gasket.

 

I would use Arp head studs it is alot of work to do the job twice. Motorcraft seems to be the best choice for head gaskets. A little pricey but they work and last. Also on that note make sure to get your heads check before installing them. A very good friend of mine owns a local diesel shop and i bet he has at least 30 6.0 Powerstroke heads stacked in the corner due to cracks in them.

 

Good work isn't cheap and cheap work isn't good.

I'm having to redo my heads because someone cut corners.

Do I miss my truck? Without question

Do I want it back yesterday? You just don't understand

Is it costing me more money and time than I planned on to do things right? Absolutely, but when I'm done, I won't have to do it again and I'll have a really awesome running engine

If you cut corners, take shortcuts, or anything less than doing it right the first time, it'll catch up with you at the most inopportune time and probably cost you more than if you would've done it right the first time.

 

Then don't mess with it in the first place?