ARP Stud Tightening Phenomena
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From: Little Rhody
ARP Stud Tightening Phenomena Installed my heads yesterday using ARP studs. All holes were cleaned and verified with a boroscope. Lubes up the threads of the studs, screwed them into the block. Installed gaskets, then lubed the upper threads of all studs. Then installed heads. Next, lubed washers on both sides inside of nut and contact surface of nut where it contacts the washer. Bottom line, everything is lubed good and studs are bottomed hand tight in the block, per ARP instructions.
Here's what I found, when tightening through the torque sequence, the nuts would actually get easier while turning and then get hard and I would hit the torque click. Kind of hard to explain, but I am wondering if anyone else has run into this.
Some have said to loosen the nuts and start over, but I have found this is not recommended on an MLS gasket.
Here's what I found, when tightening through the torque sequence, the nuts would actually get easier while turning and then get hard and I would hit the torque click. Kind of hard to explain, but I am wondering if anyone else has run into this.
Some have said to loosen the nuts and start over, but I have found this is not recommended on an MLS gasket.
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Originally Posted by vettenuts
Some have said to loosen the nuts and start over, but I have found this is not recommended on an MLS gasket.
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From: Little Rhody
I may be making a mountain out of a mole hill (I have a tendency to do that) so I will see what ARP thinks tomorrow. When they tightened up they tightened up, it was just a little odd that as the wrench was moving it would get easy then hard. Never ran into that before.
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From: Little Rhody
That does make sense, because when I was tightening the lessoning of effort was only for about 1/8th turn or less so the stud might have been moving. When I installed them I tightened the studs gently with a wrench and then backed out 1/2 turn and re-tightened with my hand so even though they were bottomed with a good load on them they would likely move a bit. I have re-checked torque values on the nuts several times and they are OK. I even set the wrench a few ft-lbs higher and no movement.
Last edited by vettenuts; Apr 10, 2006 at 06:31 AM.
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From: Little Rhody
Follow-up: Just spoke to ARP. They feel that there is no problem since I got final torque and re-checked the torque several times including the day after. He agrees that a slight movement of the stud might produce what I felt, so a cigar goes to hotrodrx7 
