Head studs vs bolts

[Turbine Doc]

If you wanted to you could remove one head bolt at a time and install your studs.

That's an interesting statement...
Is this an OK procedure - Experts?
I've never done it that way - I always remove all of the head bolts (in the reverse sequence that they were put on) and then put the studs in - torquing them in sequence. Have I been wasting my time? It kinda sounds like a good idea, I really just don't know...

Missed this question RM, not in my engine would it be okay as you would be releasing a clamped area of the head and trying to retorqe it, and I doubt you would get same crush on the gasket, I'll open another thread to discuss merits of it, maybe I've been going about it wrong after all these years also.

 

[Turbine Doc]

Hey this is a carry over from discussion in the broken crank thread http://dieseltowingresource.com/showthread.php?t=6766, studs are superior to the one time TTY bolt, yet a new twist offered up on replacing them one at a time, goes against grain of what I was taught, let's discuss here, for anybody that has ever done it one at a time as offered.

 

[bk95td]

Missed this question RM, not in my engine would it be okay as you would be releasing a clamped area of the head and trying to retorqe it, and I doubt you would get same crush on the gasket, I'll open another thread to discuss merits of it, maybe I've been going about it wrong after all these years also.

I agree. You already have most of the disassembly done to get at the bolts.Why risk having to do it all over again,contaminating the oil,warping the head,or worse yet, hydrolocking the engine and bending rods.Head gaskets are not that expensive.

 

[schiker]

Sorta kinda related. I work at a place that uses small Kubota diesel engines. Depending on engine and package they have optional radiators for one engine that uses a brace for the shroud that attaches to a special head bolt. The engines come in all the same but if you want to change and build up with the optional radiator package they say just take out the one bolt and replace with the special stud/bolt head. The distributor does it all the time. ......

Having said that ....
But the engines have only been test run and RPM set not really loaded up and through many heat cycles. And I don't know the torque pattern could be the last bolt don't know.

I have always heard torque them up in specified sequence with stepped torque in 3 steps or so (leaving the last torque up at least say about 15-20 ft-lbs.)


Heard one mechanic friend say start in the center and star spiral out exact factory pattern not that critical (when you step it up). Implying as long as you don't just start at one end and crank down full torque and warp the head. But I am not that brave and follow factory manual pattern exactly the very few times I've done it (total three times on different engines so not a lot of experience).