I believe that it is unlikely you could remove or install the 196.5 head on full length studs. Depends on the firewall and engine placement. New studs from ARP will allow removal as they have allen holes in the ends to facilitate their removal. Installation works the same, however, that would defeat the purpose of helping install the head without sliding the gasket around, best is zero movement. The Renault tool is ideal for install and removals! It would be very easy to make some up, anyone with a decent drill press and one 1/4" left hand tap and die could whip them out easy. Thealignment dowells are only about 1.5" long, and are 1/2" thread outside for the 199-258. in the top end they are driled and tapped for about 1/4 left hand thread. could maybe even go 5/16" if you want to. The removal tool is a simple T handle. Mine I simple ran a 1/2" die over the metric thread and wire wheeled the burrs off. They then worked on both the renault and the sixes! Great tool on the 258 as they have no alignment dowells either. The new gaskets don't use sealer, but no sense in worrying about tearing one of the beads of sealant off! -- Mark Price Morgantown, WV 1969 AMC Rambler, 4.0L, EFI, T-5 2004 Grand Cherokee Laredo, 4.7L, Quadratrac II " I realize that death is inevitable. I just don't want to be around when it happens! " -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx> > The guide pins area great idea, and the studs just might alleviate re-torquing > the head. Only thing is I wouldn't want to risk it, and would re-torque every > other year/10-15K miles just to be safe anyway! Might go another year or two if > it were a collector car with minimal miles put on it, but would still re-torque > by or before 10K miles. Spare heads are at a premium, ya know!! > > If you went with studs, I don't think they'd need to be 1/2", 7/16" should work > fine. The only problem is lifting the head off that many studs! The L-head has > studs -- 22 of them (OHV only has 15 head bolts). I still remember taking the > head off my first Rambler -- half an old lock washer sneaked into a spark plug > hole when I was changing them, and banged into the top of the piston. Luckily > nothing broke, just a few small dents, but sounded like someone going crazy with > a hammer in there!! Anyway, I had to use a steel wedge to get that #$%$%^ head > off! Trash and such had worked under the washers and into the bolt holes... it > was STUCK!! It's not something I look forward to again, especially not without > pulling the engine. Of course it had been on for 18 years. > > The L-head studs didn't need re-torquing though. At least I never did, and I've > never heard of anyone who has, or had a problem with blowing the head gasket. > The TSMs say to check torque the same as the OHV, but that's mainly due to the > material the head gaskets were made of back then -- all cars required periodic > head torque checks in the 50s and early 60s. the newer gaskets don't need it, > but that old OHV design for some reason does. Could be bolts vs. studs in this > case, since it's a converted block...??? But again, do you want to go to studs > then not check? The only way to check is loosen then re-tighten... > > > ------------- > Date: Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:55:05 -0800 > From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx> > > Matt Haas wrote: > > > > Actually, there's a simple trick to not sliding the head gasket: Make > > > guide pins. > > > Good idea! I've been discussing this motor's problems with others, and > many think that switching to studs might help a lot. Drilled out to > 1/2", locked into the block with loctite, could get more torque on there > or at least "better quality" torque. Gotta see if there's room for that. > > Then two could be made longer for guiding. Clearly this is more than a > rebuild task though. > > -- > Frank Swygert > Publisher, "American Motors Cars" > Magazine (AMC) > For all AMC enthusiasts > http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html > (free download available!) > > _______________________________________________ > Amc-list mailing list > Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list