Hey people,
I finally received my ARP Headstuds that were backordered forever. My question is, has anyone out there replaced the factory bolts with headstuds, replaced the headgaskets with a factory one, and had COMPLETE success in eliminating combustion pressure bypassing the MLS gasket? Matt, I know you will chastise me for even asking the question, but just curious. I have everything worked out to do the job, my only hassle is UPS shipping the heads to Illinois to have Max do the mods. One other thing, I am having some other parts ceramic coated, I was considering having my exhaust manifolds coated while the truck was apart. Do you think this would be beneficial, or could it actually INCREASE EGT, due to the external decrease of temperature to the manifold?


Thanks!

Tim

 

Gotta be in class in a few minutes, no time to ramble....

I'll post in a couple hours.

 

Ok I gotta go drive a train soon too, so I may not get back for a couple days....

 

Still in class Matt??!!! Just Kiddin Pal.... Is no one running ARP Studs yet?

 

He is a dedicated student is Matt - never misses a class

 

Matt is a Geek with big glasses hahha jk (inside joke)

if theres a huge advantage to getting some parts of the engine ceramic coated im interested , I run my truck pretty hard day in and day out this might just help out the longevity no? what would it cost to the Turbo or other vital parts that may benefit from it?

Hey Matt are those ARP Studs the same ones you were telling me about the other day?

 

And one more thing, is anyone running Hypermax's Headgaskets, with or without an aftermarket stud?

Tim

 

Coating with ceramic is a great thing. I would recommend coating the combustion chamber face of the head, the piston, the exhaust runners, the insides of the exhaust manifolds and if you want to go all-out, the inside of the uppipes. While you are at it, the moving parts of the VGT and exhaust turbine housing on the turbo can't hurt at all either. Money well spent- while the EGT rise would be negligable, it keeps heat AWAY from the engine and in the exhaust. More exhaust energy (heat) at same exhaust backpressure = increased turbo efficiency = more power with same amount of fuel.

As for the heads, get studs from Ken Englesman at DPS, if its possible to return the ARP's. Unlike the ARP's which have a yield strength of 220,000 PSI, these are H13 tool steel at an ungodly 330,000 PSI yeild. Those studs on a stock gasket is safe with up to around 45 lbs of boost on aftermarket injectors with a shot of nitrous or water/meth. The ARP's would support a little less, but are still a very sturdy setup in comparison with the stock TTY aluminum turds. Hypermax gaskets can be run with or without studs (they are hypereuretic, so if the head lifts some it will still maintain a seal) but are best with studs. If ANY brand decent studs are used with the Hypermax gaskets, you would window the block from cylinder pressure before the heads would lift or break seal.

Any good machine shop should be able to make the cuts for the Hypermax rings, and hypermax will provide the cutting dimensions in the form of working drawings, along with a template. Should run about 400-500 dollars for the machine work.

 

Matt, what is the highest boost you've seen on your truck?

What is a properly set up 6.0 capable of?

 

I have "seen" 46-48 lbs of boost, playing around. However, don't get all excited at the figures. It makes essentially NO more power than what 35-36 lbs will make, and is FAR more stressful to the engine. The extra power gained from the additional boost is lost into the additional exhaust backpressure required to attain that boost, and the net effect is nil. 35-36 lbs of boost is at the peak of optimal boost/backpressure efficiency on these turbos when the VGT parameters are tuned CORRECTLY. Off-the-shelf tuning will efficiently support about 32 or 33 lbs. A lack of boost manipulation is one of the primary reasons I started tuning my truck myself- I cannot understand why the aftermarket has not done so (at least not completely). Once the fuel is made available, it is the key to true top end power (beyond 3800 rpm). With the amazing capability to change backpressure (and correspdongly boost) at a stationary engine speed and load, these turbos can support peak boost at just plain stupid RPM (and also bring the boost on just plain stupid early, too). When tuned to do so, they will provide a peak optimal 36 lbs full-blast by 1600 rpm, and sustain that pressure dead-stable all the way off the tachometer. Most tuning just simply doesn't address the issue- they just jack up the commanded backpressure to a given value and leave it. Keep in mind all these figures in the above statements generalize that the needed fuel is available to do so- but those numbers are well within what stock injectors will support.

 

Matt... Thanks for the insight, I wish I would have known about the DPS studs before I waited forever for the ARP',S, I may not be able to return them. Where is DPS anyway. I want to Ceramic coat the entire exhaust manifold, inside and out, if for no other reason than it looks cool... I am being way to picky with aesthetics?

Tim

 

One more thing.... I definitely DON'T want to window the block, at least until I can come up with a core engine out of a wreck or something, with the Hypermax gaskets and any stud, 33 lbs. bost should be completely safe?


Tim

 

I have a bunch more stuff I need to talk to you about... how late can I call you during the week... NC time?

 

you know what i just got a crazy idea Matt, I may just be able to design my own head studs and machine them on my dads CNC Turning center. Or maybe I just had to much coffee. Oh wait arent they forged steel? Ill see you on AIM

 

You could design your own head studs, and machine them up - you would want some pretty high stregth steel though (think tool grade strength).