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Opinion on head studs

2K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  MILFORD 
#1 ·
I have a 2003 F350 7.3l I got a Edge juice with attitude module and when I have it turned all the way up ive seen the boost at 23-24 psi. I dont know what the stock range is. I want to get a ARP stud kit for it then i dont have to worry about the head blowing off. But until I get it i just want to make sure im not pushing the limit of the head bolts. Ive heard the 6.0L had problems with there head bolts and i had a friend that had his head come right off the motor in his 6.0L. Any opinions or comments will help
 
#6 ·
ive heard that the 7.3s dont realy need studs till you get big cylinder pressures not just high boost. with that said i had a pmr and i went ahead and replaced the rods with forged and just got stock headbolts and gaskets all because i hear the 7.3s dont blow head gaskets like the 6.0s do. Plus i think its all in the tuning wether you get high cyleinder pressures or not. someone else knows a lot more than me about it and there is a post somewhere in hear about it i just cant find it.
 
#7 ·
dirk i think you and i are on the same page, i think we typed at the same time you azz..lol
 
#9 ·
Well now im not worried about the head bolts i just got to worry about throwing a rod. great thats what I need lol thanks everyone for your info
 
#13 ·
The reason the 6.0s have so many head gasket issues is that the retards at international only designed them with 10 head bolts per head as compared to the 18 per head the 7.3s have. Granted, going to 32 valves in the 6.0 flows better than 16 in the 7.3, but it takes up space. Flow doesn't matter if you can't keep the heads from popping off.
 
#14 ·
Well in 2010 International is done making motors for ford. Ford is going to start making there own 4.4L for the F150 and i cant remember the how many liters the other one is maybe 6.7.
Yea the truck only has 72,000 miles on it so its in good shape, I was planning to beef up the tranny with a different clutch. Any suggestions on how to beef my tranny up?
 
#15 ·
auto or manual? manual just get a clutch, auto a VB and TC will help it....
 
#17 ·
some like south bend, and I've heard good things from Val Air too.
 
#18 ·
I swappwed in forged rods and studs recently... Would honestly say studs alone on a PMR engine are not worth the $$$ or time... the rods will let go before the heads blow....
 
#20 ·
My goal is just get the most out of the truck but at the same time being able to drive it everyday. Ill probably put it in some truck pulls this year. Im just trying to get ideas.
 
#22 ·
i just blew my headgasket today, i had the stock headbolts.....i take back what i said earlier get studs trust me,
 
#23 ·
I had stage IIs and no studs or anything. I had no problems with the HG. I just broke an injector bolt and hydrolocked the motor in that cylinder. LOL Not fun. Nothing bent and the truck is back running right now. My Pops took out the motor and stripped it down to the rotating assembly. Said nothing bent and we were both very very supprised. So he put it all back in and back to stock split shots. Not so fast anymore and not half as much smoke. PMRs are with good tuning and stock injectors. If my truck was not taken apart at Ford under warranty I would have put my forged rods I have in it and gotten it balanced but funds did not allow it and the dealer my dad is a mech at would not like that.
 
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