It will be fine either way you go. But if your willing to spend the money to pull the head and surface, you might as well have it ringed while its out, it will for sure provide a superior seal compared to staying with the factor gasket. Will you blow the factory gasket, who knows . Maybe maybe not. But its your money and studs should only be used once.

 

Why?

 

Well, some folks do reuse them. Even top fuel teams have been known to make multiple runs on the. Most aftermarket products are not torque to yield, so the bolt shouldn't ever be in enough torque to stretch the fastener. I personally wouldn't for the simple fact a stretched stud means another blown gasket. Previous retorque could have been over recommended torque, causing stretch. If you do your own work that's fine, but if someone else does it beware. If you reuse them at the very least make sure they are not stretched. If you've brought everything down and one bolt won't torque, or feels spongy its most likely stretched.

 

I have re-used studs many times over and talked to some people who know a lot more then me and they all re-use them. I dont think it is common for the all-powerful ARP stud to just give way and stretch unless some idiot torques it like fifty lbs too tight. Head bolts i would always replace but the studs are built to last for a long time. IMO i should add.

 

Lol imo is actually predicted in my phone.
I've seen arp studs stretch but I'm not sure what the previous tech brought the torque. I've actually seen broken studs too. The broken studs were on a truck that the nuts were not loosed on before retorque and no high pressure lube in sight.

 

If that makes no sense call HTC and complain. Auto correct!

 

wow impressive. where did it break at? was the engine warm when they torqued em? i always grease em. I think my studs have been in and out like 4 times now. this last time i actually had to take a dye down some of the threads but still doin good.

 

Have no clue, he said 100 but for some reason I have a feeling that want the truth. Or either his torque wrench had a "malfunction" .
He felt that the others would hold just fine but thought the studs should be warranty items. With no assembly lube on anything, I explained that I would love to warranty them but the hadn't followed the manufacturers instructions and therefore would not be replaced. He still won't speak to me

 

no clue if the engine was warm? i thought you said you saw it break. your killin me man. i feel like we might be stealing the point of this thread. on that note i would also do studs and rings and idk if i trust the one by one meathod cus if you already got a weak spot in that gasket studs wont fix it. be a man and do it the right way and you will only be doing it once.

 

True we are stealing his thread. When you do studs, even moreso with a new gasket, and even moreso with rings - do multiple retorques, loosen a nut at a time, apply a little more lube and torque again.

On the broken studs topic, I ment I had seen broken studs, he actually drove the truck in with two broken outer studs. We have never damaged arp studs in the shop, and I honestly don't know what you would have to put on them to break them but It's hot to be a pile of torque, damaged product , crossthreaded something....
I think he may have broken them on the initial torque truck cold, I seriously doubt he made it to retorque.