Every car engine is stressed, especially Powerstroke, Cummins, and Duramax diesel. Head bolts or head studs keep these engines from falling apart or blowing the head gasket. Performance-oriented diesel owners and those with bulletproof trucks praise head studs. Why do you need aftermarket head studs? Let’s pop the hood and remove the cylinder head.
Head Studs
Head studs beat head bolts. Diesel engine owners prefer them because they can withstand more pressure than head bolts.
Head bolts are made of heat-treated steel and can withstand 160,000 psi. They’re difficult to install and single-use. Head bolts twist during installation, resulting in inaccurate torque readings.
Why Use Head Studs?
Since automakers must cut costs, they don’t always use the best parts. Any major power boost, such as a turbo kit, can blow up the engine’s stock head bolts. Head bolts can handle the power of Powerstroke, Duramax, and Cummins diesel engines.
Performance Head Studs?
If you’re modifying your truck for performance, you’ll need head studs. Powerstroke, Duramax, and Cummins diesel engines are designed to be under pressure. Certain engine parts can’t handle stock power, so you’ll need to replace them. As gases expand during combustion, the piston is pushed down, but other parts must not move. If you increase engine power, the weakest parts will break, and stock head bolts are one of them.
Head studs have a greater clamping force than head bolts, so they can seal the cylinder head, head gasket, and engine block better. Head studs are made of tougher materials so they won’t break easily.
Head studs are hand-screwed into the engine block and tightened with a nut, which results in stronger clamping force and greater reliability. Head bolts pull on engine block threads and twist, which isn’t ideal.
Bulletproofing Head Studs?
Bulletproofing a truck involves replacing unreliable stock parts with aftermarket parts to make it reliable and durable. Some models, such as the 6.0L or 6.4L Powerstroke, need more work than others to replace parts. Almost all bulletproof trucks have head studs.
Some heavy-duty trucks have impressive factory horsepower and torque. Inline-6 or V8 turbocharged engines are held together by steel bolts. Truck owners who want to bulletproof their diesel often replace the stock head bolts with aftermarket head studs.
Head Stud Installation?
Now that you have your head studs, it’s time for the hard part: installation. If you’re installing head studs yourself, you should already know how to remove the cylinder head from the engine block.
Once your engine block is decked, inspect it for any liquids or debris. Tap the bolt holes to clean the threads. Use a compressor to remove any remaining debris from the holes. Always be careful during this process.
Lubricate the engine-side stud and threads. Hand-tighten each head stud without tools.
Head Studs Benefits
After installing the head studs, install the head gasket. Like the engine block, prepare the cylinder head. Rock the cylinder head onto the head gasket by yourself or with help.
After installing the cylinder head, lubricate the washers and fine threads. Hand-tighten each nut and prepare for the torque sequence.
You’ve installed head studs and bulletproofed your engine.
Endgame
Powerstroke, Cummins, and Duramax engines use aftermarket head studs. They’ll help you bulletproof the engine or add power. Even if you’re just replacing the stock head bolts, aftermarket bolts are reliable and durable for the price. Our Barra Head Studs are among the world’s strongest, but we want everyone to be able to afford them, so we offer lower-level dealer discounts.