I 've pinned them in the past( at least 20 years ago) and tap and thread them now. I never liked the amount of metal you lost in the process, in the stud as well as the boss.

 

to pin the studs all you need is an 1/8" drill bit and some split or roll pins from the hardware store, drill into the stud boss about 1/2" down from the top, most people drill thru the boss but it is not really needed as long as you go thru the stud and into the other side of the boss far enuf for the pin to hold you are ok.

you can remove your old studs by stacking washers on it, lube the stud and run a 3/8 rod bolt down on it till you run out of threads then restack washers, repeat till the stud is out, then tap the hole with a common tap, please do this on a drill press or fixture so the studs are straight and in a row.

 

Jim, Pinning rocker studs can be a little tricky if you have never done this before. The Comp Cams tool works well but keeping the studs straight is a major concern. If you have the heads off you might want to bring them to a machine shop and have them do it for you. Pioneer products sells a threaded rocker arm stud that does not require machining the stud boss down. The part # is rm348. If you have alot of spring preasure you might want to use ARP rocker studs. They are much stronger!!!! Good Luck!!!
Dennis, Twister Racing Engines

 

I am running a set of 461 heads that I pinned several years ago. It is a 501 lift cam with 110 lb springs. No problems so far.

Chris

 

Turbo, I have also pinned studs in my own engines years ago. It did work fine for me until I decided to go to screw in studs and guide plates on the same heads. After you drill the studs they become weak. Removing them without breaking them is not easy. If you are going to use a hydraulic flat tappet cam with around #110 seat pressure and #300 open pressure a pinned stud will work fine as long as you keep the RPM's at a moderate level. But if in the future you plan to step up to the next level(as most hotrodders do) solid flat tappet, hydraulic roller, or even a solid street roller a pinned stud will fail every time.
In our shop we try to plan for the future for our customers. It saves them money and it saves us alot of time trying to repair a head that has a broken pinned stud in it. Just trying to help.
Dennis, Twister Racing Engines

 

The engine I listed above is actually a solid tappet cam with .246 duration at .050. It is a street engine and I cant see running anything larger. I dont disagree that the screw in are better, but I think, like you said, on a mild setup for a little extra insurance they are a good budget alternative.

For example: I am also using them on my Turbocharged Small Block buildup. I will be running around 6000 RPM with a hydraulic .515 lift cam and will only run the heads for a little while to get started and then upgrade to an aftermarket set. I wanted to keep cost down on the initial build and I had these ported 487X heads setting around, but did not see the point in dropping a bunch of money into oem stuff. If I planned to keep them long, or run a large cam I would definately go screw in.

I would also add that I make sure and pin the studs in the very lowest point on the boss accessable by a drill. That leaves about 3/4 inch of boss and stud above the pin.

Chris

[ May 18, 2003: Message edited by: TurboS10 ]</p>

 

Turbo, I see your point on spending alot of money on OEM heads. I was there once too. The gentlemen in the first post was asking about pinning vs tapping the rocker stud holes in his heads. I guess my point is if you have never done either before then you should bring them to an engine machine shop and have them modified for his application. I dont doubt that you have had luck with pinning studs. Alot of people do. But with todays fast ramp cams and higher spring rates it could cause a failure that cost more to fix than just spending a little more money the first time around. Just for fun mount a dial indicator on your engine and put the pointer on the rocker stud. The results might suprise you. I have seen as much as .005" movement in the studs while turning the motor over by hand. Imagine what is happening at 6000 rpm's!!!! This movement puts alot of strain on pushrods, valve stems, rocker arms, valve guides and the rocker studs. Valve timing is also greatly effected by this movement!!!!!!! Rocker studs are probably the most overlooked piece in an engine by most people. Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck with your sbc turbo project. Sounds like a great way to make alot of POWER!!!!!!

Dennis, Twister Racing Engines

 

I agree that screw in studs are far superior. As for the dial indicator thing you have me wondering. Are you talking about flex from side to side? I will definately be keeping RPM in check on this engine until new heads are installed.

As for power, I think I can make in the 650-700 range very easily with my current parts. With a tall grout oem block, I have heard 750 is the absolute limit. So a DART piece will be in order if I up the power when replacing the heads. For now, I think that power range will keep the S-10 interesting.

Chris

 

Turbo, check the rocker studs for flex from the intake side to the exhaust side. I havn't checked them from the sides but it could be an issue under running conditions.
We have built alot of high hp engines using GM 350 blocks. If you can find one that passes a sonic test on the cylinders you should be able to make alot of power with little trouble. We install splayed main caps and fill the block to the bottom of the front freeze plug hole. If you want to help cooling, you can drill and tap the middle of the block(just under the center exhaust ports) and install a water line from the water pump to the block. A #8 or #10 line will do fine. This helps cool the center cylinders. Too much heat in this area is a problem for most forced induction engines. HP= Major BTU's. If you have any questions feel free to E-mail me, always glad to help.

Dennis, Twister Racing Engines

P.S. 750hp S-10 should have alot of Yeehaaaaaa!!!!!!!!

 

If you can find one that passes a sonic test on the cylinders you should be able to make alot of power with little trouble. We install splayed main caps and fill the block to the bottom of the front freeze plug hole

I know this is old thread, but what do you fill the block with? and does it work in a street car.