[w.michael]

Will this work? Could you use a long stud for #8, tighten and torque the head nut WITHOUT the cable clip under the head nut, then install the cable clip upside down (only works if using the 5/32 clip correct for mid-29 to end of production) and then install a second head nut on top of the clip, tightened only enough to hold the cable clip?

By installing the clip upside down, the cable will be in the correct location/orientation. Only the top nut would need to be removed in order to remove the cable, and the torque on the "real" head nut would remain. A thin nut, or a head nut ground down in thickness, would be less obvious for the second nut. I don't think it would look TOO bad, and would be CLOSE to correct.

I'm not sure that the threads on the long studs commonly available go all the way down to the surface of the head without the clip under the nut as a spacer.

Someone who actually rebuilds engines, or at least removes and replaces head studs, would need to evaluate whether this might actually work.

I believe this is a good compromise between correct restoration and a practical approach to allow for on-the-road repairs.

Would someone smarter than me please comment?

W. Michael