Changing Out Head Studs and Nuts?

[dabtl]

I am putting new head gaskets on next week. I got the entire engine gasket set from OD Iron just in case we find other items that need work.

So, an old time mechanic tells me that it would be a good idea to replace the head studs and nuts. He says this is common in rebuilding diesel motors on heavy trucks. Has anyone here done this? If so, where do you find a source for head studs and nuts?

 

[Westech]

there not stretch bolts. you do not need to replace them. If you are doing headgaskets more then once I am betting you did NOT have the heads shaved and the valves reset in the head. Just replacing gaskets is not the way to do it, they will leak again.

 

[Crazyguyla]

while you have the heads off, replace all the coolant hoses that run along the head.

 

[WillWagner]

The only time a headbolt gets replaced is if there is pittimg in the fillet, the shank is heavily erroded or it is stretched past it's limit. The studs are very robust on the multi and they are a low torque item.
As for shaving them, get a sanding block and clean the face...don't polish it, just clean it. If there are any grooves in the face of it, most importantly at the fire ring area, that you can catch a fingernail on, it t will need surfacing. You can check warp yourself. Get a straight edge and check crossways on the face. IIRC, you are allowed .003 warp.

If both checks are good, put them back on.

 

[dabtl]

there not stretch bolts. you do not need to replace them. If you are doing headgaskets more then once I am betting you did NOT have the heads shaved and the valves reset in the head. Just replacing gaskets is not the way to do it, they will leak again.

The engine was rebuilt in 1991 at Toule. I have never changed the head gaskets on this truck.

It will be resurfaced and the valves checked and fixed if need be before reassembly.

 

[Floridianson]

Doubt the heads have ever been shaved but the TM tell us to mark them and or check for numbers at base of head.