A rule of thumb: If they show rust or if you
know the head has been off a time or two before,
consider replacing them. I don't push engines
too hard and I have never elevated the
compression ratio other than by minimally truing
a head. In fact, I have never replaced a stud on
any engine I've rebuilt except for a damaged
Ferrari 308 engine where I had an interference
valve crash. Studs are strong in daily use. If
I were building a race engine, I would use new
studs.
Rick
> Since the threads stretch when being torqued, they do have limited
capacity
> for reuse. But being a low-budget operator myself, I would hesitate to say
> you MUST replace them. I suspect others may have a stronger opinion.
|