I probably should know better then to ask this but I just have to. This will probably get the FTE "I'm an IDIOT" award. I'm a believer in ARP studs and it appears from the posts that I have read on this site that if you want the 6.0 to stay together then, ARP studs is the answer. I rebuilt the supercharged V-6 in my T-Bird SC with ARP studs (mains, rods and heads) and have had no head gasket or other engine problems. Here is my question. Can I drain the coolant and oil from my 6.0 and replace the head bolts one at a time with ARP studs leaving the heads and OEM head gaskets in place? I would think I could remove the OEM head bolts in the reverse torqueing sequence and install a stud and preload it to, say, 75 LBS-FT and then torque the studs per the ARP instructions and proper sequence. Just thinking out loud, so be gentle.

DSMMH

 

Hmmm I would really not do this....

 

this is probably a newwbie ?
my son and I have talked about doing this some long weekend this fall
the only reason we've come up with for not doing it is looks like you won't be able to get several of the bolts out because of the heater/ac core and other bits and pieces

 

Are you trying to tell this guy he can swap to arp studs Without changing his head gasket/?


Really, think about it twice please!

 

I wondered the same thing mulot30th...I was once told by my local Diesel Performance shop that if I purchased the ARP bolts from them and went to my FORD Dealership that they would change them for me for $150. I would guess that meant they were going to do one at a time.

I wouldn't think that would be wise for the entire set. I know with all the Quality-Inspection courses I've gone through this would be totally out of the question. When you first think of doing it this way it sounds logical, but when you REALLY think about it and understand what you are doing it would be a shot in the bucket chance. Not to mention the location of some of the bolts.

We went through the Cab-On Cab-Off discussion a few weeks back and this job might be pulled off with the Cab-On, but I just don't have the experience to give a definitive answer.

Anybody out there that has done this One Stud at a time and have had some good/bad experience could chime in here and get this answered.

 

Yeah would be great to know, but I am 99% sure it not good doing it that way!

 

personally if it aint broke don't fix it. otherwise if your headgaskets leak or something else breaks. then they have the opportunity to deny a claim for warranty. i dunno how many miles you have if it's over 100k or not ,but i would personally run the truck until you have headgasket problems even if it means beating the **** out of it,,lol, then at that point i would upgrade. as you have to remove the heads anyways. sorry for giving advice instead of answering your question as i don't know if it can be done or not, but different points of view are what forums are all about, right?

 

Like raptor said!


For my part, I will probably get a set of good gaskets and arp bolts and be ready when I get a blown gasket!

 

As dumb as your question may seem, it has been done. The ARP studs torque to 240 lbs-ft. I recommend changing the MLS head gasket.

 

check ATS website ,they have instructions on how to do it one at a time.Let us know how it turns out

 

Sorry for bring this up from the dead but what website is ATS?

Thank you

 

ATS stands for Advanced Turbo Systems.

http://www.atsdiesel.com/ats_new/

 

it has been done before and they have reported no problems!

 

I come from a diesel tech background, have the diploma to show for it. Not that that makes me any more knowledgeable , but..................


personally I wouldn't chance it, but anyone's entitled to try it and post the results.

 

It may work and it may not....I wouldnt trust it NOR recomend it to anyone. What people dont understand is on the 6.0 what a job it is just to get to the headbolts themselves. If your gonna go that far for a "might work might not" type of thing just tear it down and do it right and be done with it.