Time to order Headgaskets and Studs

[Tristan]

So it is time to spend some more time and money on Lil (the F350) to get her road worthy. The next step is getting the coolant under control, time for head gaskets. I searched through the FAQ and the technical sections and was kind of surprised we didn't have any information posted there. Where is the best place to pick up the gaskets and the ARP stud kit? Probably online? Which gaskets seem to be the best. Does everyone still agree that the ARP studs are the way to go? Maybe we can get these questions answered and posted up in the FAQ section.

 

[87crewdually]

ARPs I got from Summit. Most use Felpro I think because availability but i had trouble with them failing. Victor Reinz never let me down.

Also the ARP's need to be torqued in the prooper sequence and to spec, then loosened up in order and retorqued again 4 more times before use for everything to wear in for an accurate torque.
So yes that means 5(17 nuts x 4 steps tightening) + 4(17 nuts x 4 steps loosening) x 2 heads = 1,224 times pulling on the torque wrench. Yeah you'll feel it.

 

[yotee]

ARPs I got from Summit. Most use Felpro I think because availability but i had trouble with them failing. Victor Reinz never let me down.

from my searching i found the felpro's were failing. car quest has the victor reinz and seem to be the only place, csk, auto zone, and napa only carry the felpro's.

 

[sassyrel]

rsdsl says the same--victor reinz only---

 

[FordGuy100]

I have Fel Pro, they are doing fine. My truck see's over 15spi now a days.

 

[plywood]

I believe I've read that ARP has the studs but they aren't listed so you have to call them.

 

[icanfixall]

ARP has the 6.9 studs and so does typ4. I think typ4 can get the 7.3 ARP studs too. ARP does not have a ready made 7.3 kit but they do sell a stud that works for us. All this information was complaments from typ4..... I use Felpro and have never known them to fail me or anyone else. Do you guys personally know where these failed on what motors...???

 

[rhkcommander]

which are better and cheaper? ARP or victor reinz, do fel pro's really fail?

I been wanting to upgrade to studs... thanks

 

[The Warden]

which are better and cheaper? ARP or victor reinz, do fel pro's really fail?

I been wanting to upgrade to studs... thanks

I think Victor Reinz is an alternate for gaskets, not studs...AFAIK ARP's the only company that you can get a stud kit from (besides DPS, but that's a whole different ballgame ). I don't recall hearing of any premature failing of a Felpro gasket, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened...FWIW I've been running Felpros for going on 6 years now with no known problems. That's what was recommended to me in '04 (and, honestly, I had never heard of Victor Reinz gaskets before reading this thread)...

 

[Diesel JD]

I don't know if the Fel-pros are good or bad. A lot of people swear by them. I've had VR in my 6.9 since Jan 2004 and so far they don't leak. It was a minor miracle including luck and divine intervention that a guy that was as green as I was at the time could ever get them to seal. That and the help of a lot of kind friends here and in real life, so I don't feel like boasting. RLDSL says use Victor-Reinz and I trust and respect him, Gary says Fel Pro are good, and I trust and respect him too. I think the success or failure of this job mostly depends on you taking your time and getting the deck and heads spotlessly clean and following the torque sequence on removal and reassembly and this is obviously MORE important as you upgrade to studs. The 6.9 studs from ARP are a really good value, cheap insurance. Also make sure your torque wrench is properly calibrated. A mistake here could have severe consequences. What would I do personally? I'd by Victors again. Someone found them on ebay for $79.00 I think, and buy ARP stids from TYP4 and then make SURE to calibrate my torque wrench and follow all reverse torque and torque patterns and sequences. Good luck with what you're doing. It seems everyone who drives a 6.9 very long has to go there.

 

[RLDSL]

. Do you guys personally know where these failed on what motors...???

See post 2 .
there 's been a few others here recently and a rash of failures over on FTE . More than one case on an engine with mixed head gaskets on it and the felpro folding one or more times and the VR still holding.
It only stands to reason that you would get OE quality from VR since that is what their primary market is, gaskets for original equipment manufacturers. In fact, a little in depth research and it wasn't too hard to find who makes the gaskets for International, Yup, Victor Rienz, They make the factory gaskets for a bunch of commercial engines worldwide, a small list : Caterpillar, Cummins,
Daimler AG, DAF, Deutz, Ford,
MAN, MTU Friedrichshafen,
Navistar International, TATA

Just a slight step above consumer grade IT's obvious why they aren't too concerned about competing with the autozone grade stuff

 

[hesutton]

I've never had an issue with FelPro's. Had 'em on the 7.3 in my F250 for 4 years. Boosted at times beyond 15 psi with reused headbolts. So far, no issues.

But, for the 6.9 headgasket, stud, and turbo project, I thought I'd give the Victor Reinz gaskets a try. I got them from Reliant Gasket on eBay. They don't have them listed again yet, but email them and they will list 'em up for ya. Good price and quick shipping. You can get 'em at CarQuest as posted above as well.

Head Gasket set

Valley Pan

I'd rebuild the oil cooler while you had the heads off. I got my oil cooler header gaskets and O-rings from my local Ford dealer for $43.77.

As far as the ARP studs.... I got a 6.9 set from CNC MotorSports. They were on sale and I paid $218 with shipping.

Heath

 

[Tristan]

Thanks to everyone for the tips. Do you all agree that this info should be in the FAQ?

 

[George_7.3IDI]

Not sure what you had planned for coolant but you might want to look at Evans Waterless Coolant. I was scoping it out recently because I'd like to switch to it but it's expensive so I'm going to wait until I've got some more $ in the bank. Might be worth it despite the initial cost because then you don't have to maintain SCA's and it provides for better cooling and you don't have to replace it every 5 years or so like you do with conventional coolant.

George

 

[RLDSL]

Not sure what you had planned for coolant but you might want to look at Evans Waterless Coolant. I was scoping it out recently because I'd like to switch to it but it's expensive so I'm going to wait until I've got some more $ in the bank. Might be worth it despite the initial cost because then you don't have to maintain SCA's and it provides for better cooling and you don't have to replace it every 5 years or so like you do with conventional coolant.

George

I can tell you a fill of Evans runs about $300 ( That to the lower 48, I don't know what shipping would be to the 49 on that stuff, but it's heavy) but it's cheap insurance, it's one of the few things that wife.gov INSISTS that I spend money on for the vehicles after its saved two of our engines on two different vehicles, and the accompanying 2 family vacations . For what that stuff has saved me in road repairs and tow bills, it's really downright cheap