Which steel head stud to use?
 

I want to put new steel head studs in my 3.2 rebuild.

I looked over the threads and there seems to be two current smart choices...

1) 993 steel studs (993.101.172.02) reported to now not be fully threaded

2) early steel studs (901.101.172.03) reported to be very good, certainly much better than the lower stock dilvars.

This engine is going to be used as a daily driver and not hopped up.

Which stud should I select?

Thanks,

-Henry

901 studs will be fine.

OK, thanks I told Don Wise to just try to get the "old" steel 901...03 studs. The 993 would be an option I think if these now come in same amount of threading as the old. I'm not comfortable with the all thread design.
-Henry

I think the 993 steel ones are cheaper. The last 2 sets I got weren't fully threaded. If you are on a schedule and you decide to use the 993 ones make sure they have them "in stock". I had to wait over a week for some of the last ones I got to come from Germany. (They came this week.)
-Chris
EDIT: The 993 studs are 993.101.172.02 Put that number in the "Search Pelican Parts" box at the top left of this page and you can find it that way.

I called Pelican and it seems that the part number for the "old" steel ones is 911.101.172.00 - I don't know where the .03 number came from or the 901 instead of 911. I think these ( 911.101.172.00 ) will be fine. Do we know the pn of the 993 steels without "full" threading? I don't see these on the Pelican site.

Thanks,
-Henry

I went with the 993 steel studs (not fully threaded), ordered from pelican, 993 101 172 02
No problems, and they are less than $10 each.

When you say not fully threaded do you mean like the standard steel one with about 1 inch of thread on each side? I think there are some versions where there is about 1/2 inch in the middle with no thread.

If that is the case (1 inch per end) then that is a way to go.
-Henry

Sam, Just checking.....are they magnetic? I saw a few threads talking about dilvar studs that some thought were plain steel.
Thx.
-Henry

Sam,
Just another quick update. I'm curious now regarding the type of steel of 993 studs either full threaded or not. After talking to my shop and reading a bit more I think the 993 studs are made from a dilvar type steel. Not that that's bad....maybe they improved the dilvar over time. I'm sure they did. I'm now still headed for all "old" type "plain" steel. I took the studs out last night...all came out fairly easy no heat needed. Using the proper tools is the key in my case.
-Henry

The 993 "steel" 993.101.172.02 studs are magnetic.
-Chris

Yup, they are fully magnetic, same pull as the stock upper steel studs. The amount that is threaded is identical to the upper steel studs, in fact I couldn't tell the difference just by looking at them.

Sam,
OK, thanks then I think this confirms that the 993 studs are in the class to be considered for the 3.2 replacements. I wonder what the difference ("old" steel type vs. "new" 993 steel with old type of threading and magnetic) is other than the price.
Maybe someone will chime in.
-Henry

...ok, I called Pelican and have an email in to Tom and Wayne to see if they can give us the full story on the differences between the 993..-02 and 911....-00 studs....and I guess if there is no difference why the big difference in cost.... Tom sounded on the phone like he wanted to get to the bottom of this and was waiting for Wayne to come in..
-h

Well....I called Pelican yesterday and sent an email to Tom and Wayne.
Wayne responded with email stating the the 993.101.172.02 are dilvar and he recommends the "old" steel style. Or maybe I'm confused, I thought that the dilvar studs were not magnetic.

Do we now have conflicting information? I feel like I'm beating a live horse.
-Henry

Here is Wayne's email from this morning.

Hi Henry. The 993 ones are the later-style Dilavar ones. People don't seem to have a problem with these, although I recommend using the early ones for 1965-89 as they have a perfect track record.

As for the rubber disc - I'm not sure - I'll have Tom chime in on that one...

-Wayne

Well, the ones I put in my engine were strongly magnetic, the dilavar studs I took out were definately not magnetic.
I'll go check through my receipts when I get home to verify the part numbers, but I have enough receipts to make that a good sized job ;)

Sam,
I know what you mean re. receipts....and I haven't even really started. I called EBS and they make me think the Pelican prices on 993 and 911 are messed up. EBS says the old ones should be less, at least I think that is what they said today. Assuming you got steel and not threaded then you are probably in very good shape.
-h