**UPDATE** Installed ARP Studs Without Removing the Cab or Motor or HVAC unit
 

Well, it has been 5,000 miles since I installed the ARP studs one at a time without removing the heads and changing the HGs. Not a sign of any puking. In fact I have filled the coolant tank to between MAX and MIN (old levels), driven it hard and towed with it. No puking at all.

Prior to the stud install, I use to tow my Scarab (6,000 lbs.) to the boat ramp about 10 miles from my home and it would puke. Not a lot but I had the white stuff all over the place. When I took the coolant level down to where I could just barely see it in the tank, that helped but I still had puke around the cap and on top of the tank.

If you are running a tuner and have minor puking or no puking, I would highly recommend you entertain replacing the OEM headbolts with studs and do not replace the HGs. IMHO, the OEM HGs are good quality HGs, and when held in place with the proper fastener - ARP Studs - should last a long time.

I'm a happy camper since I did the stud job. I have been on three trips, one driving in the WV mountains, one to Myrtle Beach and one to PA. No puking.


DSMMH

Great news. I was hoping you would update us on your progress.

Very cool. I was skeptical when you first posted. I don't think I'd do it that way, but I am glad it worked out for you.

I was thinking about trying it. but I have the helocopter so I need to pull the head anyway!

KRDiesel,

What is the "helicopter"?

It is a rotary wing aircraft :)

It is the sound of a stuck or burnt intake valve. You can hear "hump" "hump" "hump" Sounds like a huey.

If you put your hand over the intake you can feel a suck, then puff, then suck, then puff.

:-missingt that was a good answer

glad to here it worked out for you. I too was skeptical when I first read your last post on this, but hey it worked. :-jammin<!-- END TEMPLATE: newreply_reviewbit --><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: spacer_close --><!-- / close content container --><!-- END TEMPLATE: spacer_close --><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: spacer_open --><!-- open content container -->

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Let's here more. Any pics during the install? How much did you have to remove before attempting the head covers? Was it difficult to torque in such a confined space? Which side gave you the biggest challenge? How many hours did it take? Tell us, because we want to know. I for one am interested it doing it this way myself.

HAHAHAHA you got me

yeah id like to hear more details myself;)

I'll try to answer all of your questions.

I have no pics. Sorry.

Well, I was not going to remove the cab, or the motor or the HVAC unit. I knew from this site the last three long head bolts on the passenger side were a Hillary Clinton. So I removed the fan, radiator, IC and the frame cross member that they attach to. That allowed me to stand in front of the motor on a cinder block and have access to everything. Getting to the turbo, oil cooler, intake, EGR cooler, FICM and valve covers was easy. So to remove the Hillary bolts I jacked the driver side at the front of the oil pan and removed the driver side motor mount. Remove the power steering pump and let it hang and removing the motor mount becomes very easy. You do not have to remove the AC compressor on the passenger side to do this job. I let the engine back down and the exhaust manifold rested on the frame. I still could not get the last three bolts out. So I removed the frame bolts from the passenger side motor mount (left it attached to the motor) and jacked it at the little stub that sticks out just behind the starter where the tranny and motor come together. That tilted the motor enough and gave me the clearance I needed. The studs were easier to install since they did not have the heads on them. Also, buy some extra ARP moly. The amount they sent with my stud kit was not even close to enough. I already had two bottles since I use ARP moly to assemble and torque anything I put together.

I'm 62 years old and pulling 250 lbs-ft of torque was not easy. But standing in front of the motor made it a lot easier then reaching over stuff. I removed the OEM bolts one at a time starting with #1. When I installed the stud I torqued it to 150 lbs-ft. After I had all of the studs in at 150 lbs-ft, I torqued them all again to 200 lbs-ft starting with #1 in the factory recommeded sequence. I repeated the sequence again to 250 lbs-ft. Be sure when you install the studs that as you torque them the torque is smooth and even. If they jerk as you tighten them back them off a little and re torque. After I installed the studs, I removed the 4 or 5 (don't remember which) small head bolts at the top of the head, coated the threads with moly and torqued them to the factory specs, I believe, 18 lbs-ft.

It took me about 6 hours to remove all of the interference, to figure out how to jack the motor and get to removing the bolts and installing the studs. It took me about 8 hours to install everything because I'm anal about taking my time and making sure everything is clean before I reassemble. I hate rework! If I had to do this again, and I don't plan to, it would be quicker since I don't have to figure out stuff as I go along. I now have the process in my head.

If I can impress upon you one thing, it is to remove the fan, radiator, IC and cross member. This will save you a lot of time. It looks like a lot but it is fairly simple and this job was a lot easier then I thought it would be once I had removed all of that interference.

I'll share this analogy with you so you can get some idea of my thought process. Lets say Ford decided to attach the thermostat housing (TSH) with NYLON bolts. Now these NYLON bolts hold the TSH and O ring seal in place. When the engine is cold and started there is no problem and all is well. As the coolant temperature and pressure rises, a small leak occurs due to the NYLON bolts stretching slightly from cooling system heat and pressure. The O ring seal has not failed there is just a leak under the seal during certain driving conditions. Now we replace the NYLON bolts one at a time with steel bolts. The leak stops under all driving conditions. That is what I did when I changed out the streched OEM head bolts with ARPS studs. The HGs were fine they just needed a fastener that would seal them properly.

Hope this helps and answers a lot of the questions.

DSMMH

Correct me if I am wrong, I read on this forum that after the 250ft. lb. has been done the studs should be retorqued to 250 again after setting for X amount of hours?

If I do it this way I will remove my grill and bumper as well, probably take that opportunity to change out my header panel to the 05 and newer style.

I have the ARP install instructions in front of me and there is no mention of going to full torque value letting them set for X hours, back them off and re-torque. I have installed ARP studs before and have never had to let them set. Not sure where that came from.

The only two requirements that ARP stipulates is the use of ARP moly and to torque to 245 lbs-ft in three equal steps in the recommended manufactures torque sequence.

When I removed the OEM bolts, there was no debris on the threads. I assume that was because Navistar used some type of non moly lubricant for the TTY bolt install. I went to 250 lbs-ft to compensate for any stud stretch and stud thread seating in the block. That is just the way I do things.

DSMMH

The reason I asked was it has been posted on this forum that the final torque was suppose to be done after setting for a certain amount of hours, but never mentioned backing off and retorquing. Maybe someones personal scientific procedure.