Lets talk studding

PyroFighter

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I've read a few posts where some of you have done studs one at a time with success, the threads were a little old so I figured I would start a new one for some updated inputs. Has anyone had any issues thus far? My 04 only has 118k. No signs of headgasket problems, so I'm a little torn on leaving it be until it does blow a gasket or trying the one at a time method. I know the correct way and I should tear it down and send the heads to the machine shop, just looking at all my options. I'd love to be able to stud it one at a time so I can finally tune it and move on to more power. Anyways, just looking to hear from you that have tried it this way with success or failure.
 

sootie

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Its a crap shoot. Doing them one at a time has never been the correct way to do the job. Every truck will respond differently to having them done that way.
 

78f100

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I have done it on a truck I traded for with success but it was a long time ago and I sold it. As far as I know it's still ok. I will never do another one, it's harder to me than doing it correctly. We've done well over a hundred maybe 200 head gasket jobs at my shop and by the time it's all said and done it's not worth doing one at a time. Yes it's a lot more expensive to do it right but well worth it. 2 of my mechanics did them on their personal trucks both eventually pushed coolant.
 

ghohouston

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It's your personal truck, go for it. It will either hold, or you will eventually pop a gasket. If i owned a 6.0, id try the 1 at a time method.
 

Zmann

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you can try it but you will be second guessing yourself
especially if your adding power ( many of us who studded and did gaskets still pop them later)

and you won't have verified the heads are flat
 

PyroFighter

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Yea it would definitely be lurking in the back of my mind if I did it one at a time especially after doing turbo and injectors. The thought of wrestling the heads out with the cab on is what makes part of me want to try the one at a time method lol. I'll probably just wait until I have time to tear it down and do it the right way. Which may be sooner than later because I'm ready to at least get this thing tuned.
 

Zmann

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if it makes you feel better I am about to pull mine cab on also
probably going to try the KC turbo KD o-ring heads instead of messing with my old ones
 

PyroFighter

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if it makes you feel better I am about to pull mine cab on also
probably going to try the KC turbo KD o-ring heads instead of messing with my old ones

That's my second dilemma, take a chance on the factory heads or just spend the coin on some kc's or maybe fully lits heads.
 

powerlifter405

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It's your personal truck, go for it. It will either hold, or you will eventually pop a gasket. If i owned a 6.0, id try the 1 at a time method.

Thats the route I took.

I didn't have any issues that stood out. Once a little bit of dried coolant was around the degas cap when I first did my coolant flush. I did fill the bottle up to the top of the mark. I then drained a little out and didn't have any problems since then. I had the studs sitting on my shelf for the last 2 years and decided to go ahead and get it done.

I since studded 1 at a time and no issues. At 300+k on the original HG and HB I figured if I can make it last a bit longer then great. I torqued to 250lb after reading some of lube owners post and talking to someone that knows him.

If they last, then great, if not I'm not out any money; considering I got the truck cheap, it runs perfect short of an occasional abs light and it has all original parts minus turbo and injectors w/ 300 on the clock.

W/ IPR's, leaking orings, and some of the other "small" items that have the potential to be FTS or dead on the side of the road w/ the 6.0, when this finally dies I have considered a 5.9 or 6.7 swap for a simpler platform.
 

ghohouston

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The whole thing with 6.0's is the heads surface not being true. Some are obviously better than others. If no issues have been present, then i dont see an issue with it. 6.7 swap would be cool.
 

bretferd

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I did mine about 40k miles ago one at a time. 15k miles with 205/85 injectors and stock turbo and about 2k miles with what's in my sig. Havent really towed heavy but have done a lot of racing. Figure the studs are reusable so if it ever does pop I can redo it the "right way" and I'm only out time from the first time.
 

PyroFighter

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Thats the route I took.

I didn't have any issues that stood out. Once a little bit of dried coolant was around the degas cap when I first did my coolant flush. I did fill the bottle up to the top of the mark. I then drained a little out and didn't have any problems since then. I had the studs sitting on my shelf for the last 2 years and decided to go ahead and get it done.

I since studded 1 at a time and no issues. At 300+k on the original HG and HB I figured if I can make it last a bit longer then great. I torqued to 250lb after reading some of lube owners post and talking to someone that knows him.

If they last, then great, if not I'm not out any money; considering I got the truck cheap, it runs perfect short of an occasional abs light and it has all original parts minus turbo and injectors w/ 300 on the clock.

W/ IPR's, leaking orings, and some of the other "small" items that have the potential to be FTS or dead on the side of the road w/ the 6.0, when this finally dies I have considered a 5.9 or 6.7 swap for a simpler platform.

lol it was actually one of your old posts i seen that sparked the idea of doing it. Glad to hear you haven't had any problems out of it. how big of a pain was it?

The whole thing with 6.0's is the heads surface not being true. Some are obviously better than others. If no issues have been present, then i don't see an issue with it. 6.7 swap would be cool.

Yea i need to get an oasis report on it to see if its ever had the gaskets done. if its at 118k and still hasn't blown one id say they heads are probably good surface wise.

I did mine about 40k miles ago one at a time. 15k miles with 205/85 injectors and stock turbo and about 2k miles with what's in my sig. Havent really towed heavy but have done a lot of racing. Figure the studs are reusable so if it ever does pop I can redo it the "right way" and I'm only out time from the first time.

That's awesome, i need more success stories like this. lol
 

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