Can head studs be installed with the motor in the truck?

[olblue]

Just wondering if head studs can be installed on a 6.0 with the engine in the truck? Does the body have to be lifted or motor pulled? I'm guessing that the length of the studs would mean that you couldn't pull the head off with the motor in the truck or the body on.

Anyone ever installed studs by removing one head bolt at a time in the proper torque sequence and then replace the bolt with a stud?

Are there any aftermarket head bolts that aren't built out of the same cheese that the factory bolts are made of?

I don't have a problem but I would like the peace of mind that studs would bring. I bought my Stroke without knowing that the headgaskets are such an issue (or is it that the people on this forum just lean on their trucks harder than anyone else?). Dad's owned I don't know how many since '95 (at least 6) and only ever had 2 with issues. 97 burned oil because of a bad injector and the EGR plugged up on the 03 once. No head gaskets though and the 03 had a 60 hp Bully Dog module. He tows an RV too. If I'd have found this forum before I bought my 07, I wouldn't have bought it. I'd have gone GM or Dodge just for reliability. I run my Triple Dog on Tow/Economy and next to never go WOT just to make sure I don't push a gasket out.

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I need my truck for work and can't afford the time off if my truck did hit the shop to change gaskets.

[mschn99]

Just wondering if head studs can be installed on a 6.0 with the engine in the truck? Does the body have to be lifted or motor pulled? I'm guessing that the length of the studs would mean that you couldn't pull the head off with the motor in the truck or the body on.
yes..they can be installed...BUT the evaporator core housing (for the air conditioning) has to be removed...and for a couple of the studs the motor mounts have to have the nuts taken off and the motor lifted on one side or the other...

Anyone ever installed studs by removing one head bolt at a time in the proper torque sequence and then replace the bolt with a stud?
This is an acceptable method of doing studs....ONLY IF YOU CAN 100% GARANTEE there has been NO compromise in the gasket. If there is no doubt about the gasket condition (very tough to say for sure with a 6.0 with positive certancy) then its ok to do, and actually better than changing the gasket...if there is any doubt....ANY AT ALL...the gasket should be changed...

Are there any aftermarket head bolts that aren't built out of the same cheese that the factory bolts are made of?
why go with a "bolt" when studs are proven to be stronger than the rod bearings in the 6.0??

Honestly i would never do a 6.0 without changing the gasket....just my opinion though...a 7.3 i would....

Its an issue with these trucks...its not as common as some would make it out to be..but it is common enough to be at least mildly concerned about...

[olblue]

why go with a "bolt" when studs are proven to be stronger than the rod bearings in the 6.0??

The only reason would be if the motor or the body had to come off to go to studs. That was my only reasoning. Besides, lots of agricultural motors that are bigger and make more power than a 6.0 came with head bolts. A decent head bolt can do the job. Unless you're a bean counter at Ford/Navistar. Then you outsource bolts made from dairy products...

[LvTitan]

Originally Posted by olblue

why go with a "bolt" when studs are proven to be stronger than the rod bearings in the 6.0??

The only reason would be if the motor or the body had to come off to go to studs. That was my only reasoning. Besides, lots of agricultural motors that are bigger and make more power than a 6.0 came with head bolts. A decent head bolt can do the job. Unless you're a bean counter at Ford/Navistar. Then you outsource bolts made from dairy products...

key word there being "decent" head bolt. the factory ones aren't. so if you are going to go to the trouble of changing them, might as well use studs.
remember you can torque a nut a lot tighter than you can torque a bolt.

if you dont wanna yank the motor you should at least lift the cab. it's not really that big of a project.

the one at a time can be done, but i dont know of anyone who has done it with any success. they have all failed right afterward and needed the H/G replaced anyway.

[shu873]

Talk to lubeowner about it... I know he lifted his cab and installed studs one at a time on his own and I think several other times too... IIRC he's had no problems, but you'd have to check with him to be sure.

[Redneck47441]

Diesel Power Mag will be having a write up about head stud install on 6.0 in next months issue.

[460+]

Studs are definately stronger,Ive not done studs on a truck yet but did you see preveiw in next months issue of Diesel Power where they had the body off the truck?

[owtcast]

Just for curiousity's sake, who out there does headstuds? What kind of pricing are we looking at? Is there anyone out there known to do "the best job" on headstuds?

[460+]

I do the work on my own stuff but Im not sure how much it would cost at a shop. Ive heard on 7.3 its possible to do 1 stud at a time.

[shu873]

Originally Posted by owtcast

Just for curiousity's sake, who out there does headstuds? What kind of pricing are we looking at? Is there anyone out there known to do "the best job" on headstuds?

There's a ford diesel tech has a private shop about an hour or so away from me, I've heard quotes for studding in the neighborhood of $2500 or so out the door. He's the one who did mine.