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tubman · 08-12-2020, 11:04 AM

I'm now an "8BA guy", so I prefer bolts. I have never had any trouble with them, and remembering the problems I have had in with studs in the past, I'm glad I'm done with them.

One thing to note : current aftermarket heads have oversize bolt/stud holes in them. I think the manufacturers do this to alleviate the head removal problems seen with studs. They are large enough that the head can move around slightly when being installed. The best solution to this is to "pin" the heads, which is what the "pro's" ("GOSFAST" for one) do. I was beyond the machining stage when I installed my heads, so I made some sleeves from the proper sized aluminum tubing to put in the first two bolt holes to keep it from moving around on me. It seems to work well as I have not had a problem since I started doing it. I would think it would be a good thing to do with studs as well, given the "sloppy" fit you get with current aftermarket heads. You only need two per side.

08-12-2020, 11:04 AM	#8
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 10,312	Re: Installing head studs in a 59L I'm now an "8BA guy", so I prefer bolts. I have never had any trouble with them, and remembering the problems I have had in with studs in the past, I'm glad I'm done with them. One thing to note : current aftermarket heads have oversize bolt/stud holes in them. I think the manufacturers do this to alleviate the head removal problems seen with studs. They are large enough that the head can move around slightly when being installed. The best solution to this is to "pin" the heads, which is what the "pro's" ("GOSFAST" for one) do. I was beyond the machining stage when I installed my heads, so I made some sleeves from the proper sized aluminum tubing to put in the first two bolt holes to keep it from moving around on me. It seems to work well as I have not had a problem since I started doing it. I would think it would be a good thing to do with studs as well, given the "sloppy" fit you get with current aftermarket heads. You only need two per side.