Reading the original post, I didn't realize that any bolts were any better than any other bolts. I assumed new ones were being ordered from Tony because- as 4x4 said- they aren't generally considered a reusable item, and that's where the shopping around led to. That being said, I had enough money invested in my head when I built it that I didn't ever want to take it off again, so for the couple hundred dollars extra I just started at the possible end and worked backward. Granted, the whole cost wasn't directly related to how the head got bolted down, but when you're blowing a few grand all at once, what's a couple hundred more? It's how much I didn't want to pull that head back off, that's how much more it is. Regardless, as I said, I wasn't aware of any middle ground between stock bolts and studs either.

 

how are you blowing a few grand on a hg change? a new gasket is $100 machine work will be less than $200 studs are $450 tonys bolts are $130 and it takes about 6 hours to swap one out new for old? if the head was junk a replacement used head cost 300-500 assembled with the above clean-up and machine work. i dont understand the math? dumb country boy a guess.

 

I wasn't just a head gasket change, and like I said, that wasn't all the head. That would have been relatively cheap, but having the head off seemed like a good time to other things as well. Like making sure I wouldn't lift the head again (studs) or pop the new gasket with however much boost my future turbo(s) would make (o-rings) and buying a new head (since the original was cracked) and a new manifold (since that's what cracked the original head) and machining it flat (may as well, while it's being ringed) and ported (may as well, while it's being flattened, ringed, milled for studs) and since it needed to be assembled anyway, may as well assemble it with stronger valvesprings (to take advantage of the GSK that's already in it) and since it's all out in the open and had to come apart anyway, may as well do injectors too (since there's going to be so much more air in there now) and paying someone to do it while I work around the clock in a fleet truck that made me want to shoot myself in the head... well.
Long story long, what you need to understand about the math is: dominos.

 

yeah, the Domino effect ..

Like when you pop the HG, might as well stud it, while your cleaning out oil system, might as well get new oil cooler, bearings etc...

I like just getting it all done .. then I can play ... thats what i'm currently doing to my IDI F250 7.3 ... might as well get it ALL done so i can enjoy the drive later