supertec headstuds-anyone used them?

[adomakin]

im about to buy a set of supertec head studs with hardware and was wondering if anyone has used them/had any probs with them?

Andy

[adomakin]

...

[asphaltgambler]

I'm wondering are they really overkill? If you are doing a good performance, non-turbo app does it really need $750. stud kit? or is a steel replacement set more than enough?

[adomakin]

i went for the supertecs in the end. im building a 400 horse 3.3 turbo and im paranoid that if i don't use good studs they might fail. ive been sucked down that 'better to be safe than sorry' road.

Andy

[Carrera3.5L]

Originally posted by adomakin
i went for the supertecs in the end. im building a 400 horse 3.3 turbo and im paranoid that if i don't use good studs they might fail. ive been sucked down that 'better to be safe than sorry' road.

Andy

Not familiar with Supertec studs, what are the differences between them and Raceware and ARP and what makes them better then either of the well-known brands? Are they simply rebranded units sold under a different name?

Ralph

[adomakin]

dunno, but they are cheaper than raceware/arp and are constructed from some pretty fancy sounding **** so i bought 'em. not a particularly technical way of choosing a product but there we go!

[asphaltgambler]

I think Supertech is raceware.. ...... just don't know of they are really needed. It's not like it's another $300.00 ....it's more like $750.+

[adomakin]

i think they cost me $500 from pelican, so, each to thier own.

[Shuie]

Supertec is not Raceware. They are not $750 either.



Henry Schmidt, the guy who owns/runs Supertec is a regular contributor here. Try sending him a PM about the studs. He's a no BS kinda guy who offers a lot of knowledge to this BBS.

Here's his contact info, BTW:

Henry Schmidt
SUPERTEC PERFORMANCE
2951 Grace Lane #A
Costa Mesa, Ca. 92626
phone- (714) 429-1863
fax - (714) 429-1864
email - supertec911@earthlink.net
www.supertecperformance.com

[Henry Schmidt]

These cylinder head studs are an innovative design that is unique compared to anything else on the market today. The kit includes 24 studs, washers and head nuts. The polished studs have rolled threads; the case end is slightly longer, permitting it to thread deeper into the case, and the head end is fine threaded for smoother and more consistent torque. The nuts are 12-point with a serrated flange and the washers are hardened ground.

Supertec chose an alloy that is race-proven and impervious to corrosion. They spent two years to design and develop this product until the desired specs were achieved. These studs are currently being used in everything from 700hp+ race engines to two-liter production street engines. Until now, these studs have been one of the best kept secrets in the high performance Porsche world. Now they are available to you through Pelican, and at a reasonable price too! Best of all, they are GUARANTEED for LIFE! (Any reported failures will be subject to analysis by Supertec Performance.)

Fits all 911 based air-cooled engines from 1964 to 1998. This includes 3.8 RSR, 3.6 Carrera, 930 Turbos, 911 T, E, S, SC, 3.2 Carrera, and even 914-6.

Supertec Performance Cylinder Head Stud Kit (sold as a complete set, hardware included), 911/911 Turbo/964/993 - 2.4/2.7/3.0/3.2/3.3/3.6L engines [Photo]
SPTC-HSK-1

Available through our host.

[jgparker]

Andy,

How many HP will your engine have? If it's under 250, plain steel should be fine (IMHO), and they are only $200 for the set. All the high-end head studs are steel too, so they will have the same difference of expansion from the cylinders as OEM steel.

Good luck,

JP

[Carrera3.5L]

Guys, thanks for posting the info, but it still doesn't answer the question: What makes them better then Raceware or ARP studs or are they simply another option to consider?

The info posted was simply marketing jargon, there is nothing there that says WHY they are better then the other well established products.

I KNOW that ARP initially manufactured products that Raceware then rebranded as their own before Raceware went and did their own manufacturing.

My ARP studs are also made of a special alloy steel that is also corrosion resistant and includes "premium parallel ground" washers and 12-pt. head nuts.

Quoting direct from my ARP catalog, they are made from "premium grade 8740 alloy that is rated far superior to aircraft quality and then each stud is precisely heat-treated to 200,000 psi. Following heat treat, each stud is centerless ground to make it as close to perfectly concentric as possible. This procedure involves about ten very slight cuts and results in an exceptionally straight part. It's important to note that lesser quality studs are not even centerless ground, the material is thread rolled in bar stock form mostly before heat-treat when the material is easier to machine. ARP studs are thread rolled after heat-treat, which gives them about 1000% (that's ten times) better fatigue strength than those studs that are threaded prior to heat-treat".

When fitting the ARP studs to the case, there are also plenty of threads left over (they only can go so far in the case before bottoming out). ARP products are also race-proven (more so then any of the other brands mentioned) in every type of motorsport for virtually every type of engine.

Of course any new product offered is going to be "better" then current offerings according to the manufacturer, that's how it is differentiated and how they try and get people to buy them. If it's only "as good" as the current offerings, the only advantage a new product has is price and potentially customer service.

Not affiliated with Raceware or ARP, just looking for more "why" info. I would speculate that Supertec are similar to Raceware and ARP and are simply another alternative when purchasing head studs.

Henry, here is a pic of some ARP's I installed on my 3.5L motor. Can you critique the advantages/disadvantages between yours and theirs? If you have an image that you can post of yours on a case, that might also make it easier for people to see what you are referring to.





You obviously won't have me as a customer Henry as I am content with the ARP's I just installed, but this will give you an opportunity to show people that may be on the fence why Supertec should be chosen (or at least seriously considered) over the other offerings.

Regards,

Ralph

[asphaltgambler]

Ok now just calm down everbody! I just want to know if ANY of those higher-end studs kits are overkill on a non-turbo street engine.

If Porsche put steel on their Turbo apps, aren't they good enough to use to replace with on my mild non-turbo build? I see clearly the need to go to ARP or some other higher grade ROD bolts but still not convinced that the high-end stud kit is worth the extra $$ for me. I'm not being cheap, just don't want to waste my money.

[adomakin]

fair point ralph. i really just bought them off the strenght of the info and their price. JP, im looking for 400 ish hp


Andy

[adomakin]

Ralph, If I was building myself a warm n/a engine id just use the oe turbo studs. they put out 400 horses so.........I could have gone that route myself as thats my target but im thinking that i may want more....................maybe ive caught some sort of airboure bug off juan ritz!

Andy

[Carrera3.5L]

Originally posted by asphaltgambler
Ok now just calm down everbody! I just want to know if ANY of those higher-end studs kits are overkill on a non-turbo street engine.

If Porsche put steel on their Turbo apps, aren't they good enough to use to replace with on my mild non-turbo build? I see clearly the need to go to ARP or some other higher grade ROD bolts but still not convinced that the high-end stud kit is worth the extra $$ for me. I'm not being cheap, just don't want to waste my money.

Asphalt, nothing to calm down about. This isn't an attack (I hope it doesn't look that way), simply a request for more detailed information. ARP puts all their cards on the table with respect to revealing product info, I just feel other manufacturers should do the same regarding their products rather then supplying generic info that doesn't really tell anyone anything.

In my opinion (FWIW), yes I believe they are probably overkill on a mild street engine. The 993 steel studs seem to work just fine and would have been what I used as well (to save money just like you) on my n/a 3.5L if I wouldn't have got such a smoking deal on the ARP's.

I haven't seen the Supertec studs and don't know anything about them, hence the questions.

Ralph

[Henry Schmidt]

The pictures and answers you seek are in this tread.
Here are a few engines being built at SUPERTEC
The material was found in a factory race engine built by Porsche and made big HP in the 80s. You guess what it was
Here goes.
Remembering that I am a mechanic not an engineer the specifics are as follows:
17-4ph HCR 38-42 4hrs @ Temp 1025
http://www.latitudemanufacturing.com/174PHPrint.html

[Carrera3.5L]

Thanks Henry, interesting reading.

Ralph

[konish]

Sheesh, if nothing else (if I were buying premium head studs), I'd buy the Supertec studs just on the fact you have Henry's word they have a lifetime guarantee, and they are sold directly on Waynes site. They both contribute a lot to this site, and I find that anyone willing to give out "free" professional advice will see more of my green. A little biased, I'm sure....

R/
Dustin

[Eagledriver]

Just curious if anyone has ever seen a failed steel headstud? I know Porsche went to Dilavar on the street turbos for all 24 studs and suspect but don't know for sure that they used them in the 935 as well. This talk about super duper head studs is kind of rediculous. Any steel stud will pull the threads out of the case before it will break unless it corrodes. The only advantage that I can see from stud differences would be thermal expansion differences and none of the studs except Dilavar are different in that catagory.

-Andy