New Head Bolts/Studs

[ls1camino]

With 5.3L Heads and a 224R cam, is it necessary to upgrade the Head Bolts/Studs?

[mark21742]

With 5.3L Heads and a 224R cam, is it necessary to upgrade the Head Bolts/Studs?

saw factory headbolt kit on ebay, "buy it now" for $28 last night.
factory bolts are "torque to yeild" so they have to be replaced every time. if you buy a set of say ARP bolts, they cost more upfront, but can be reused over and over again if you have to pull a head back off for any reason.
new bolts yes, upgrade needed from factory, no.... but, ask yourself if $200 in bolts is worth the piece of mind that they will be holding your baby together while your enjoying beating the hell out of her.

[9t8z28]

Go with the ARP's. Much stronger and can be reused.

[fordownsall]

i have 12 point ARP head studs...they are the longer ones, i think for 99-04, maybe someone will know what im talking about? i was sent the wrong ones from thunder racing and they wanted to charge me to send them back..so i figure i will just re-sell them...they are unused...if your interested

[side2000]

saw factory headbolt kit on ebay, "buy it now" for $28 last night.
factory bolts are "torque to yeild" so they have to be replaced every time. if you buy a set of say ARP bolts, they cost more upfront, but can be reused over and over again if you have to pull a head back off for any reason.
new bolts yes, upgrade needed from factory, no.... but, ask yourself if $200 in bolts is worth the piece of mind that they will be holding your baby together while your enjoying beating the hell out of her.

damn i woulda loved to have beat ya to this one. well said.

[mark21742]

damn i woulda loved to have beat ya to this one. well said.

thank you. lol its amazing how much I've learned just from sitting around here with all my free time reading and asking questions

[side2000]

yep. reading is key. i'm a wrencher, driver and a book reader. but somehow i am a "newbie" cuz i dont have 10,000 posts on a forum.

-and i forgot to say i have jegs and summit memorized from countless hours of mindless browsin'

[mark21742]

yep. reading is key. i'm a wrencher, driver and a book reader. but somehow i am a "newbie" cuz i dont have 10,000 posts on a forum.

-and i forgot to say i have jegs and summit memorized from countless hours of mindless browsin'

yup I know exactly what you mean......ive been workin on cars for almost 20 years now and come to realize nomatter how much you know there's always so much more I don't know.
just here lately started tuning my car with the hptuners program and, lol its insane how much you have to (relearn) to convert over to computerized tuning. sometimes I feel like my brain is going to explode.
just remember we were all newbies here once :cheer:

[mark21742]

hey side2000 where in Maryland are you from?

[twoolley08]

so what kind of boost can the arp studs hold in the heads

[mark21742]

so what kind of boost can the arp studs hold in the heads

should beable to hold whateve you throw at them. you can probably get more answers in the froced induction section......ive turboed a honda but haven't done an ls motor.....yet

[side2000]

i live just outsidea baltimore

[mark21742]

i live just outsidea baltimore

oh ok im just out of Hagerstown MD here

[side2000]

ever go to green ridge?

[mark21742]

ever go to green ridge?

i didn't make it up there this year, but we used to go up there and ride 4wheelers alot...just been too busy here lately