ARP's One-at-a-time?

JonathanN · Dec 22, 2012

I apologize if this has been asked, but I've searched for a few hours and can't find any real solid info either way. Have the 6.4L in my signature and we're going to do head studs so we can run a hotter tune without worrying. We're currently running IDP's street tune... I believe it's between 150 and 180hp over stock. We're gonna probably run the 250 for all-around, hotter for when we feel like screwing around.

I'm having a hard time convincing my dad it's worth the effort to yank the heads and have them checked and to be honest, I'm not convinced the gaskets need replaced either. I'm going to ASSUME the gaskets are good since the truck was stock for the first 110K (has 150K now), it's been driven pretty moderate since we did the egr delete w/gate and cat/dpf delete, it's never puked coolant EVER, doesn't EVER get even remotely warm, pulls in excess of 10K quite regularly, etc.

I'm game to try something. The only kicker is I live in Kansas and I'm home for the holidays (Virginia... 1500 miles away). I don't wanna do the studs, go back to work, and then have the gaskets go out and it have to be someone else's problem to fix. I hate having other people put their hands in my work. Any input? Cab will hopefully be off in good time tomorrow and the valve train rattle figured out.

According to the manual, stock bolts are torqued to 70lbs, then 115lbs, then 90*... the ARP's I have are supposed to be torqued to 90, 180, and 275. If I did one-at-a-time, I was going to use the same sequence and torque to 90 and then 180. Once all the studs are swapped, I'd then do the final 275. It's really no different then stepping up from the previous spec to the next spec in the sequence, especially since I'd be doing them in the correct sequence.

Thanks for the help. I'm a mechanic by trade so stuff like this doesn't bother me and like I mentioned, I'm game to try something... any thoughts? BTW, if this was my truck, heads would be coming off. :thumbsup:

MINK · Dec 22, 2012

No way I would gamble it - cracked heads are way to common

Harlan@Outlaw_Diesel · Dec 22, 2012

Yep what mink said for 500-700 more that peace of mind is well worth it!!

Harlan@Outlaw_Diesel · Dec 22, 2012

I thought torque on them was 325?

Ad8 PRODIGY · Dec 22, 2012

Disregard.

Mbatten · Dec 22, 2012

One at a time is not a good idea.

PowerStrokeEnginuities · Dec 22, 2012

Oh man... Good luck however you do it bud

Smokyred · Dec 22, 2012

If the cab is up then I'd pull the heads.

Dave

Zmann · Dec 22, 2012

Harlan@Outlaw_Diesel said:
I thought torque on them was 325?

You are correct
http://arpdiesel.com/Instructions/250-4203.pdf

really makes no sense to torque up to final when doing one at a time IMHO

it's better to follow the pattern but take it to final value this will keep the clamping force in place

then when they are all done run through the sequence again

but damn with the cab off I would do it right

G Racing · Dec 22, 2012

With that many miles I would pull the heads and have them checked and rebuilt. Always follow the toque specs that are included in the box of headbolts that you use. Good luck.

tensixniner · Dec 22, 2012

Harlan@Outlaw_Diesel said:
I thought torque on them was 325?

Zmann said:
You are correct
http://arpdiesel.com/Instructions/250-4203.pdf

Last summer sometime ARP changed the lube they recomend as well as the torque specs.

6.4L ARP studs #250-4203 have this listed as the latest instruction.

http://arpinstructions.com/Instructions/250-4203.pdf

Shows a final torque of 275 ft-lbs.
At the bottom of this instruction sheet is revision date 6/1/11

The instruction link you posted doesn't have a revision date and I'm not able to find it by clicking links on the arp website. Maybe you saved an old link?

Zmann · Dec 22, 2012

I guess the disclaimer to torque to the instruction that come with the studs is best then

unless u swap lubes

I just googled ARP 6.4 pdf when I grabbed that

JonathanN · Dec 23, 2012

Well, guys... I appreciate the input. Not what I was hoping to hear, but you're probably right. I'm still having a hard time convincing my dad. I'll look at it when I have it apart and see what it'll take. Shouldn't really be that bad... I'll keep working on him.

Zmann, good point... I figured on just going straight to 180lbs, I just posted the values so y'all knew I read the instructions, especially because I knew some of you had probably read the instructions at some point as well.

So what's involved? I know rockers and PR's would have to come out as well as the injectors. Guess I'd need head and intake gaskets, injector O-rings, and washers for the banjo fittings, right? What about valve cover gaskets?

JonathanN · Jan 4, 2014

Lol did this a year ago, but we did the studs one at a time and have yet to blow the gaskets. HOWEVER, the cab was off and so was the entire valve train, fuel rails, and fuel lines. I pulled one, tightened the stud to 180, then did the final torque sequence once I'd replaced all the bolts. My guess as to why most guys don't have any luck with this is because they do it with the cab on and everything in the way. There is NO way this could've been accomplished with the cab on WITHOUT using an extension. At 285ft/lbs, I wouldn't even think about using an extension.. it'd twist WAY too much. With everything off it was still a trick to do this with a deep socket. But I do want it to be known that it can be done and it does work.

powerstroked08 · Jan 4, 2014

Same here man. I did mine cab on and one at a time and so far so good. I did 90# backed it off then back to 90#, backed it off then back to 90#. Then I did 180# and moved to the next stud. Once I completed all of them I then did a final torque of 275#.

JonathanN · Jan 4, 2014

Cool deal, man... sounds like you were really thorough. :thumbsup:

ghohouston · Jan 4, 2014

Its your truck. If youre not having issues as is, and you feel comfortable doing the studs one at a time, do it. If it can be done successfully on other motors, theres no reason it cant be done on these too. Multiple people have been successful in doing the one at a time method on 6.0's and 6.4's, and all the naysayers always advise them against it. I dont disregard the fact that the heads do have issues, but hey, its not gonna hurt anything to stud it and see what happens, and like I said, if youre not having issues currently. If it was my truck with no issues currently, I would go for it.

JonathanN · Jan 4, 2014

That's exactly my thinking when we did it... we never pushed it hard, it didn't push coolant, we figured all we would be out if it didn't work was being able to say it did work. At least we'd come out of it being able to yank a cab pretty easy if we wound up having to pull it again.

I love your "6.0 Moses" by the way... that's pretty funny. LOL

B585Ford · Jan 4, 2014

JonathanN said:
Lol did this a year ago, but we did the studs one at a time and have yet to blow the gaskets. HOWEVER, the cab was off and so was the entire valve train, fuel rails, and fuel lines. I pulled one, tightened the stud to 180, then did the final torque sequence once I'd replaced all the bolts. My guess as to why most guys don't have any luck with this is because they do it with the cab on and everything in the way. There is NO way this could've been accomplished with the cab on WITHOUT using an extension. At 285ft/lbs, I wouldn't even think about using an extension.. it'd twist WAY too much. With everything off it was still a trick to do this with a deep socket. But I do want it to be known that it can be done and it does work.

That was definitely cool of you to remember to update this a year later. I admit, I had completely forgotten about this thread. Glad to hear it is working out for you.