Do I need 'em? Head Studs on an '03

MacbooknMyTruck

MacbooknMyTruck

Waiting and Wanting
Joined
Apr 27, 2009
Messages
341
Hey guys! Just wondering what you guys think about me needing ARP head studs on my '03! Do I need them or not? I'm getting the Innovative Diesel Custom Tuned SCT X3 with the Xtreme Race tune and a 4" MBRP exhaust. Do I really need them?
 
Not much of a ford guy but from what I hear you need everything you can get on a 6.0. Friend of mine has an 05 an blew his headgaskets with just a banks six gun.
 
The 03's are a lot different from the 05's. A lot o people put the 03 parts in their 6.0ls because they are better.
 
I've got an early '04 with the '03 chit, and i'll totally honest with ya, i've see guys blow head gaskets on '03's that are totally stock. I'd get studs and a egr delete kit. I don't wanna scare ya, you'll be fine with stock bolts as long as you are easy on the truck, but there just might be a time when you are gonna start puking coolant out of the degas bottle. Just get 'em and have them on hand till you can find the time to have them put in.
 
I just don't have the money to get them installed yet. That's why I ask cuz this $500 SCT X3 isn't doin much good just sitting on my kitchen counter.
 
If you don't have the money, than just wait to do them tell the head gaskets blow.

One of my guys here went 80k with no problems, another went 130 no problems. It just varys
 
I've heard anywhere from $2,000-4,000 depending on labor rates.

Edit: for what it's worth, I ran Innovative's extreme street tune from about 8,000 miles to 24,000 without any problems. I don't have any doubts I could've gone much further. I had the studs sitting in my house and chose to have Ford install them while I was out of town for a week. I hadn't blown the headgasket, but the job is the same either way.

They charged $4,000 for it. Thank you west coast, rich-ass-town dealerships :(

I did however ruin the bearings in my turbo. That one was warranty...
 
How much are they gonna charge to install head studs? (not including the studs themselves)
 
I'm probably not going through a ford dealership but more likely a family owned shop that strictly does diesels. So what's your guess on the charges? :)
 
studs themselves will be about 500 and the labor to have them put in will be around 2500 with new gaskets.
 
Yes you will need them. Could take a couple of months or a day of driving with the new tune...or just hook up to a heavy trailer on a warm day and hit the hills..We have done 8 HG/Stud jobs on 6.0's in the past 11 weeks, and all but one of them has been an 03/04. The early trucks have the better egr cooler that is less likely to fail, but otherwise, there aren't any differences that will keep you from stretching your headbolts and lifting the head.
I generally end up doing oil cooler, screen, egr cooler, master gasket kit (HGs and all the other gaskets) with the ARPs, split and clean/inspect the turbo, check the y-pipes, etc and it runs around $5k out the door. I always recommend doing the oil cooler and screen, but the early EGRs are usually ok, so that can save $5-600. We're also in crazy Cali, so tax and labor are expensive thanks to the State's abuse of small business...
 
I DID THE EGR DELETE AND HAVE BEEN RUNNING MY INTAKE EXHAUST AND MY SCT WITH THE EXTREME TUNES FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS AND I HAVENT BLOWN MY GASKETS JUST KEEP AND EYE ON YOU TEMPS AND GET SOME GAUGES FOR BOOST AND PYRO AND JUST DONT BE CRAZY STUPID 24/7 THERE ALL GONNA GO ITS UP TO YOU ABOUT WHEN THEY GO
 
farmboy6.0 said:
I DID THE EGR DELETE AND HAVE BEEN RUNNING MY INTAKE EXHAUST AND MY SCT WITH THE EXTREME TUNES FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS AND I HAVENT BLOWN MY GASKETS JUST KEEP AND EYE ON YOU TEMPS AND GET SOME GAUGES FOR BOOST AND PYRO AND JUST DONT BE CRAZY STUPID 24/7 THERE ALL GONNA GO ITS UP TO YOU ABOUT WHEN THEY GO
Click to expand...

X2!!! No Headstuds or EGR delete for about the same time period. I don't get stupid and no problems. I do play every once in while though, when they deserve it.:evil:evil:evil
 
my buddys 2005 6.0 just blew the HG on his truck and his is bone stock. Now every time he parks it leaves a nice little puddle under it.. the shop quoted him 3800 to fix it.
 
I guess it depends on when it was built....A Monday or Friday truck vs. a Tues thru Thurs............LOL
 
Just realize that once you put those parts on, you might need head studs the day after, or a year or two later. Better to start budgeting for the total cost of them ASAP.
I had my SCT on about 2 years before I really needed studs. Luckily, I bought some before that, and when mine started puking, I got them installed.
 
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