does the head HAVE to come off to bottom tap it?

i got a brand new headgasket on it and dont want to do that again if i dont have to. id rather get the pedastal milled than have to redo the headgasket.

 

doesnt HAVE to if you get creative, shop air forced thru a small diameter tube, with a shop vac there to catch the air/metal particles flying out. if you're going to try this i wouldnt use any kind of lubricating oil so the air is actually able to blow the filings out. i cant imagine it needing to cut more than 3 threads and most of the filings may come out in the flutes. of course some modification to the tap is going to be required to accomodate the distance. a decent 3/8" drive extension welded to it and dressed up on a grinder would work

 

Having the rockers milled has nothing to do with having to bottom tap the threads.

No matter ARP or A1, the block needs to be bottom tapped.

 

got it. im either going to do it when i do my p pump swap or my twins so ill just take the head off.

 

hey what is the thred pitch? 1.75 i think is right but i'm not sure, just blew my head gasget and gettong a set of head studs so i want to tap the holes wile i have my truck ripped apart at work

 

if your going to order the haisley a1 studs, just get the bottom tap with the studs its only an extra twenty bucks. i doubt youll find the right one anywhere else for much cheaper than that.

 

i work at a machine shop, we got taps out the wazoo, i ended up going with the ARP's they were a little cheaper then the A1's. but it seems like a good idea to bottem tap for the ARP's too, or am i wrong?

 

Read post 33 again.