Anything special I need to know when installing ARP head studs?

1634 Views 20 Replies 9 Participants Last post by i love honda, Jan 12, 2007

i love honda

Discussion Starter · Jan 11, 2007

I got my head studs in the mail today. I have to get a head gasket and then I'll be putting it all together and hitting the dyno. But I wanted to check and see if there was anything special I needed to know about the head studs? Do I need to do anything different? How tight do I screw them into the block? And do I use OEM torque specs when tightening the nuts on top? What all, if anything, do I need to lubricate? Anything else I should know? I'd really appreciate some good answers. I don't wanna fuck anything up, ya know? And I have searched a little but can't find all my answers...so I came to you guys.

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

97y7hatch

· #2 · Jan 11, 2007 (Edited)

well if you got ARP brand studs then it should have come with a little instruction book stating the installation procedure/torque specs etc...

but heres what to do.

use the moly lube (supplied with studs) on the threads.

lube up the bottom threads, and turn the stud into the block hand tight using an allen key.

once all the studs are in hand tight (not cranked, just snug), then put on the gasket/dowels and then head.

apply lube to all remaining threads/nuts and washers, then beging to tighten down the studs in steps of 10-20-30-40-50-60 ft lbs.(all studs torqued to 10... then all to 20...etc...) remember to follow the honda torque sequence (its been a while i cant exactly remember what it is).

and you should be good to go.

i went to 68 ftlbs with my studs and some have gone upwards of 80ftlbs but depending on the setup 60-70 should be fine.

good luck!!!

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vtecduck

· #3 · Jan 11, 2007

97y7hatch said:
well if you got ARP brand studs then it should have come with a little instruction book stating the installation procedure/torque specs etc...

but heres what to do.

use the moly lube (supplied with studs) on the threads.

lube up the bottom threads, and turn the stud into the block hand tight using an allen key.

once all the studs are in hand tight (not cranked, just snug), then put on the gasket/dowels and then head.

apply lube to all remaining threads/nuts and washers, then beging to tighten down the studs in steps of 10-20-30-40-50-60 ft lbs. remember to follow the honda torque sequence (its been a while i cant exactly remember what it is).

and you should be good to go.

i went to 68 ftlbs with my studs and some have gone upwards of 80ftlbs but depending on the setup 60-70 should be fine.

good luck!!!

:werd: I torqued mine to 60 ft lbs. That's what arp reccomends. But do just like he said, start off low with the the torque and go up in 10 ft lb increments 'til you reach the max.

i love honda

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 11, 2007

awesome, thanks a lot! So lemme see if I got this...lube up the bottom threads of the studs and hand tighten them into the block with an allen head, then put on the gasket and head, then lube up the rest of the threads, washers, and nuts, then tighten them down in increments of 10lbs at a time until I get to about 60-70lbs? Where could I find the Honda tq sequence at? I wanna make sure I do this right. Oh and one more question. After I put on the head, do I need to tighten down the stud itself more before I put the washer and nut on or do I just leave them hand tight?

97y7hatch

· #5 · Jan 11, 2007

no you dont nee to tighten the studs into the block after you put the head on, only torque the nuts onto the studs.

basically its like this

looking at the engine in the car.....
------------------
8--6--2--4--10

9--3--1--5--7
------------------

should be like that.

Reactions: 3

lsturbohatch10

· #6 · Jan 11, 2007

also you may want to chase the threads in the block with a thread chaser. and you should have your head resurfaced. everything else mentioned above is correct.

transzex

· #7 · Jan 11, 2007

97y7hatch said:
no you dont nee to tighten the studs into the block after you put the head on, only torque the nuts onto the studs.

basically its like this

looking at the engine in the car.....
------------------
8--6--2--4--10

9--3--1--5--7
------------------

should be like that.

not quite a "noob"

EXCELLENT posting help...........wish we had other "noobs" like you

i love honda

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 11, 2007

hell yea man. He's awesome. Rep!

i love honda

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 11, 2007

think 65ft lbs is good enough for 10lbs daily driven?

carby

· #10 · Jan 11, 2007

Cleaning your threads is vital make sure to do it.

SpoolinSol

· #11 · Jan 11, 2007

carby said:
Cleaning your threads is vital make sure to do it.

how exactly do you go about doing this? I've heard to use a tap & die; is this correct? I don't really see how the threads could be dirty if there has always been a stud in it...

ryan89crx

· #12 · Jan 11, 2007

SpoolinSol said:
how exactly do you go about doing this? I've heard to use a tap & die; is this correct? I don't really see how the threads could be dirty if there has always been a stud in it...

not a tap and die, you need a thread chaser. tap will actually remove aluminum, which is not what you want.

the threads can actually be very dirty, on my last motor the studs would screw in about 1/4 of the way and just stop. there was a ton of shit in the stud holes

SpoolinSol

· #13 · Jan 11, 2007

ryan89crx said:
not a tap and die, you need a thread chaser. tap will actually remove aluminum, which is not what you want.

the threads can actually be very dirty, on my last motor the studs would screw in about 1/4 of the way and just stop. there was a ton of shit in the stud holes

got pics of this 'thread chaser'? I think i've seen what you are talking about (in a Jeg's catalog) but i'm not sure, and how would it clean the threads?

97y7hatch

· #14 · Jan 11, 2007 (Edited)

65 ftlbs should be fine for your app.

http://www.cgenterprises.com/thread_chasers.htm

here is pics and explinations of basic chasers for drain plugs, but same idea.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 97y7hatch
no you dont nee to tighten the studs into the block after you put the head on, only torque the nuts onto the studs.

basically its like this

looking at the engine in the car.....
------------------
8--6--2--4--10

9--3--1--5--7
------------------

should be like that.

Quote:
not quite a "noob"

EXCELLENT posting help...........wish we had other "noobs" like you

thanks guys.

i like to think im fairly well known on turbod16 under the same name, but for some reason i cant access that site. so iv been looking over the forums, and decided to join this forum as it is specific to my beloved D-series. :TU:

i hope i can help here, and thanks for the welcome!!

konigcivic

· #15 · Jan 11, 2007

i love honda said:
think 65ft lbs is good enough for 10lbs daily driven?

do it to what the sheet in the box says. i think mine were 60 or 62 with the moly lube they give you in the box.

why do you guys do it in like 6 steps with a 10ftlb difference? seems like a waste of time.

SpoolinSol

· #16 · Jan 11, 2007

konigcivic said:
do it to what the sheet in the box says. i think mine were 60 or 62 with the moly lube they give you in the box.

why do you guys do it in like 6 steps with a 10ftlb difference? seems like a waste of time.

that sheet says to follow OEM sequence (i assume the 10ft/lb steps are the sequence...)

p.s. where can i get one of those chasers?

97y7hatch

· #17 · Jan 11, 2007

konigcivic said:
why do you guys do it in like 6 steps with a 10ftlb difference? seems like a waste of time.

that is the proper way to do it.

it ensures everythings is torqued evenly and consistantly, and that the headgasket has been properly sealed/crushed in all spots.;-)

ryan89crx

· #18 · Jan 11, 2007

ehh, i always just went 15-30-60-65. worked fine so far...

konigcivic

· #19 · Jan 11, 2007

97y7hatch said:
that is the proper way to do it.

it ensures everythings is torqued evenly and consistantly, and that the headgasket has been properly sealed/crushed in all spots.;-)

i dont buy that. theres no need to add 2-3 extra steps into when you torque the head studs. having steps to close throws off the torque reading.

either way you have your opinion and i have mine.

97y7hatch

· #20 · Jan 11, 2007

i thought you were questioning the idea of step-torquing vs just torquing it to 60ftlbs right off the hop.

im sorry then, yes i do it in 10ftlb steps, but there is nothing wrong with 15-30-45-60.

as long as you are gradually torquing all the fasteners in steps equally, then you are fine.

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