Header fastener opinions! bolts or studs?

[blown okie]

tired of looking at all the rusting bolts on my engine so i'm buying some ARP stainless bolts for the intake,headers/manifolds, etc. trying to decide if i should go with bolts or studs for the manifolds!? what has been your guys experience when doing this ? TIA for all input!

 

[TRICKSIXPA]

Its better to just get the exhaust manifold bolts blasted at my powder coaters for a couple of bucks and reuse them. the ARP set does not work with our car cause of the studs needed on the driver side to hold the oil dipstick, Alt bracket, and the L bracket for the AC.
The stock bolts have a lock washer on them that keeps them on better. As for the engine I used the SS set Alloy boltz sells on Ebay.
search 231 EFI 3.8 bolts should be able to find them.

 

[blown okie]

well the car currently has a set of hardware store grade 8 black oxide bolts with a flanged head on in and the stock studs on the spots on the drivers side for the alt/ac bracket, and dipstick, haven't had any trouble with keeping them tight, however i haven't been driving it regularly lately either. what do you like about the alloy boltz over the arp's?

 

[Major Nutz]

I used arp studs for all but the 3 on the driver side. Those I matched up long set screws and double nut on the one for the dip stick.

 

[Martin U]

Fastenal, Long SS set screws & SS flanged nuts. Very good stuff. I am starting to get a good sized collection of stuff from them. Did the oil pan this way also.
Mart

 

[SS/GN]

Take the original bolts sand blast them with fine sand,wash with brake clean.Heat them up almost red and through in a bucket of oil.They come out black oxide and resist rust.Oh but make sure the container of oil is metal,the bolts will melt into plastic ones(did I do that)

Kevin

 

[TRICKSIXPA]

well the car currently has a set of hardware store grade 8 black oxide bolts with a flanged head on in and the stock studs on the spots on the drivers side for the alt/ac bracket, and dipstick, haven't had any trouble with keeping them tight, however i haven't been driving it regularly lately either. what do you like about the alloy boltz over the arp's?

The kit from Alloy Boltz was alot cheaper for the engine kit and most of the stuff in the kit actually fit. I would always recomend ARP for Internal engine component but the out side bolts don't really require that much torque to keep them in place.

 

[mtbraun]

I also went with Fastenal and used a combination of set screw studs and grade 8 hex head bolts. They worked out awesome. Cheap too. I think Brian at Gbody was working on pulling together a set of like bolts to offer as an option.