Adding Head Studs Without Removing Heads Possible ?

[Still Strokin]

Was wondering if anyone on here has head studded a 7.3 idi without removing the heads and changing them one at a time? I've studded 3 trucks now, all being 6.4 powerstrokes with very little miles and never been chipped... Instead of tearing the engine down, we removed one head bolt at a time and replaced it with a stud.... torquing to to 1/2 then full directed by ARP.....Worked flawlessly. Has anyone tried this on a 7.3 idi ? I'd like to stud this truck without removing the heads and will already have the valve covers off during turbo addition (removing passenger side to tack weld glow plug relay bracket on)

 

[lindstromjd]

Yes, you can, but I doubt you'd be able to with the engine installed in the truck. The heads sit so close to the firewall that I don't see any way you could get a stud in there without putting some good sized dents in the firewall. I know I couldn't get the head bolts in the last time I tried without pulling the heads off and putting the head bolts in the head before the head was mated to the engine block, but if you get it to work, then more power to you.

 

[Still Strokin]

Yea lol I was kinda wondering if that was going to be an issue....Its so tight against the firewall.. I just want the protection factor for running 12+ psi boost.... The injectors and pump should support enough fuel to go over twelve, I'm not sure if the charger will though,,, but if not I was going to set the fuel and then adjust the wastegate rod to 12psi if I can't get the studs in with the heads on....

 

[vegas39]

We did the head studs in my 86 with the engine in the truck but we had the heads off for new gaskets. Some studs we put in before we set the heads on and some we threaded in after the heads were on. We had to remove the housing for the a/c evaporator but otherwise it worked out fine.

 

[The Warden]

We did the head studs in my 86 with the engine in the truck but we had the heads off for new gaskets. Some studs we put in before we set the heads on and some we threaded in after the heads were on. We had to remove the housing for the a/c evaporator but otherwise it worked out fine.

That's pretty much the same thing I did...given firewall clearances on both sides, I don't know if it's going to be practical or possible to put the five rearmost studs in with the engine in the truck. But, if the engine's out of the truck, it's no problem.

With that said...if finances allow, IMHO you'd do well to pull the heads and get the freshened up, then have new gaskets. Head gaskets on these trucks can be problem spots...may as well nip it in the bud now, then with studs, you shouldn't have to worry about them again

JMHO...

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Once you get ot the point of being able to pull the bolts out and put the studs in, the only thing left to take off to pull the heads would be the intake manifold. Do your self an insanely large favor...pull the heads, get them check/freshened up, new valley pan, new head gaskets, then put your studs in. Another thing.....the threads in the block need to be REALLY CLEAN to get a proper torque on the studs. I don't see it possible to clean them out entirely with the heads on there.

Little more work now, but still far less than doing the entire job again.

 

[Still Strokin]

Ehh, there's alot more than just the intake manifold, all the accessories bolted to the heads gotta go, ac compressor is another thing that comes to mind, was just trying to avoid all that lol. Which brings me to my next question ..... Are the head bolts a blind tap? Or do all the bolts protrude into the water jackets and require thread sealant ?

 

[The Warden]

..... Are the head bolts a blind tap? Or do all the bolts protrude into the water jackets and require thread sealant ?

They're all a blind tap. For this reason, you need a bottoming tap to get the threads cleaned up.

And, yeah, taking the extra steps to get the heads off is a pain, but IMHO it's worth it. If you're worried about losing your a/c charge, if you're careful, you should be able to move the compressor out of the way without disconnecting the lines. But, again, you have to be very careful about it...

 

[laserjock]

Please excuse the hijack, but supposing you were working on a freshly remaned engine (like you just took it off the pallet) do you see any problems with studding on at a time. I'm contemplating the promar route and want to do a cam swap with studs. I don't think the heads actually have to come off. Just the rockers. I'd like to save a set of gaskets but I wondered if the one at a time method would be too unsettling on the gaskets.



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[The Warden]

Please excuse the hijack, but supposing you were working on a freshly remaned engine (like you just took it off the pallet) do you see any problems with studding on at a time. I'm contemplating the promar route and want to do a cam swap with studs. I don't think the heads actually have to come off. Just the rockers. I'd like to save a set of gaskets but I wondered if the one at a time method would be too unsettling on the gaskets.

IIRC this has been done successfully, when a bolt has broken in mid torque. I would do it one at a time, in the order that they're supposed to be torqued in.

 

[Still Strokin]

No hijack here laser, very good question I think..... I have a complete assembled parts truck . I will do some experimenting this fall to see if it can be done. Studs won't have a huge bolt head on the end of them, just a straight rod. hopefully you guys are wrong , and it can be done.... But I doubt you are wrong , since you've already been thru this... And I haven't

 

[The Warden]

No hijack here laser, very good question I think..... I have a complete assembled parts truck . I will do some experimenting this fall to see if it can be done. Studs won't have a huge bolt head on the end of them, just a straight rod. hopefully you guys are wrong , and it can be done.... But I doubt you are wrong , since you've already been thru this... And I haven't

I would suggest reading through this article: http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?6.9L Gasket and Turbo Install

You're right that the studs don't have a bolt head at the top of them, but that's countered by the studs being noticeably longer (see this page: http://dieselwarden.net/ford/project18.html ).

If you pull everything off the firewalls (a/c evaporator box on the starboard side, brake/clutch hydraulics and steering shaft from the port side, etc), you might be able to get a few in that wouldn't be able to go in otherwise...but, I still don't think you can get the ones on the very back. If you read what Mel says about it in the first link...I confess that I didn't try pulling the accessories off to get as many bolts out as possible, but I definitely couldn't get the rearmost bolts out, and I didn't even try with the studs when putting the heads back on; I just took the five rear-most on each side and used rubber bands to hold them up. I highly doubt that you'll be able to get a stud into a hole that you couldn't get a bolt out of...

 

[riotwarrior]

DON"T try to do studs without removing heads in the truck. FIRST it's nigh impossible to lift heads with all bolts removed, some bolts stay in the heads, and If I could have pounded firewall to make it work I surely would have. Also you can't properly clean bolt holes with a bottoming tap, and then flush out the bad gribblies that cause grief with torque readings etc.

Aside from that if you are going through the expense and work of adding a turbo, why not pull heads, check valve seating and guide wear and so forth and add new valve seals if all good?

I for the life of me do not understand the continual need of people to skip a quintessential step in engine improvement. All for sake a of a few bucks for HG's, it just amazes me how frequently this comes up here.

Sorry not to nag on you specifically, it's just you release tension on one section and then reclamp hopefully equal to or so we think.

Thus please reconsider and do the due diligence and pull those heads clean those bolt holes of all gribblies and be much happier with your end result!

JM2CW

Al

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Al, you think it comes up a lot here(it does), you should see the 6.0l forums..............

 

[icanfixall]

Well guys. Short cuts are sometimes fun. And sometimes a real mess. The cost of head gaskets compared to a cracked head because you removed the torque in one localized area is more than i want to do. For me the chances are not worth it. But if you really are going to be differant and do it then lift the cab and place a 4x4 block under the front of the cab to frame mounts. Then you maybe will have the room but I can't say for sure. Its just a swag at this point. Replacing the head gaskets on a 7.3 by using the 6.9 head gaskets is a proven good idea. The lower corners of the 6.9 heads have open coolant passages where the 7.3 has plugs in those passages. Reason was it heats up the exhaust ports to burn more of the fuel that didn't burn in combustion. So the 7.3 engines run haooter than any 6.9 and thats proven too. The 4 freeze plugs in the block and both heads wont have to be completely removed. Just lok at the 6.9 gasket coolant passage size. Then cut a hole in the plugs to match. Please us the Voctor Rienz head gaskets. The felpro works well but the VR works better.