Warning about ARP Main Studs
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 875
Likes: 2
From: Portland Oregon
Warning about ARP Main Studs If you are building a new motor, or beefing up your old one with ARP main studs,
this could happen to you. The ARP stud kit I bought has a hardened steel washer, a 12 point nut, and another hardened washer on each stud. Because the top of the 12 point nut is so small, they give you the extra washer to put on top of the nut so the oil pan baffle won't get crushed. Well
that total stack up is about .25" bigger than the stock GM bolt setup, and that will put your oil pan pickup exactly on the bottom of the oil pan. OK, you should check the height.
I checked with the GM bolts, didn't think about the height difference, put the motor together with the ARP's, no oil pressure
Took a while to figure it out. I hope that you can learn from my mistake, it cost me a lot of time.
this could happen to you. The ARP stud kit I bought has a hardened steel washer, a 12 point nut, and another hardened washer on each stud. Because the top of the 12 point nut is so small, they give you the extra washer to put on top of the nut so the oil pan baffle won't get crushed. Well
that total stack up is about .25" bigger than the stock GM bolt setup, and that will put your oil pan pickup exactly on the bottom of the oil pan. OK, you should check the height. I checked with the GM bolts, didn't think about the height difference, put the motor together with the ARP's, no oil pressure
Took a while to figure it out. I hope that you can learn from my mistake, it cost me a lot of time. 
I can shift faster than you.
iTrader: (21)
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 5,133
Likes: 0
From: Baton Rouge, LA
This is a very common problem with the ARP main studs and their supplied washers. It is required to space the windage tray up when using 4.00" cranks,etc. Pickup to pan clearance always needs to be checked!
Jason
Jason
Ditto on what jason said. I had to check my pickup to pan clearance the other night with some playdo. Mine was not very bad but did need a tad bit of modifying to get the clearance i wanted.
