Replacement Of Head Bolts. Possible?

[MJTru]

I would like to know if anyone has done this before. Recently i installed a MLS head gasket on my rb26 but reused the stock head bolts. I was reading around the net and learned that these stock head bolts can stretch and cause the head to lift at around 25psi.

What im wondering is can i drain the coolant out the block and remove one stock bolt at a time and replace them with ARP head studs, torque all to factory specs first then after all is replaced move on to the arp torque specs. Im wondering if this will work insted of approaching it like a head job. Engine is fresh with only 2300km on it. I never new these bolts were that limited so never thought to use ARP Studs. Funds were also an issue at the time.

Thanks in advance.

[steve200b]

I have changed one at a time on my 2530 with std head gasket is running 20psi for over 12 months

[r32-25t]

You can't reuse Nissan head bolts any way. They are torqued to yield and don't clamp the head down properly if reused

But yes you can replace them one at a time, infact this very question was asked in this section only a couple of weeks ago

[MJTru]

Sorry mate i do always search. Guess i missed that. Sometime the thread title and subjust matter is misleading. -_-Thanks tho

[JH32]

Sorry mate i do always search.

Really?

[MJTru]

Yes mate i do search. I learn that cruel leason from the first day i joined sau. Seems like im still being whipped:D

[Hadouken]

At least you're trying

[Franko07]

While on this subject which is a better way of putting in the arp studs. Is it better to take one out at a time in order of how the fsm says to remove the bolts or the way arp wants you to install them? Or doesnt it matter? In other wards do you put them in from the outside in or the inside out?

[GTRPSI]

Head bolts are tightened down from the middle outwards.

Id be starting from the middle and working my way outwards like the OEM tightening sequence to keep to this method.

Just like when you go through the steps as you torque up the bolts.

[Franko07]

Kool makes sense to me. So whats the theory behind doing one stud at a time? Wouldnt it be easier to loosen the entire head and put them all in? Seeing as you dont have to take the cams out like sr's or are people trying to do this with coolant still in their engines and dont want it to leak out or something?

[Ben C34]

Loosening all the bolts is likely to upset the gasket seal.

[Hadouken]

What he said^^ unless you replacing head gasket.

[MJTru]

Yes im only trying to replace the original bolts witout upsetting the gasket sealing effect like Ben C34 said. I couldn't afford to install them at the time of the build.