L16 head gasket blowing,upgraded studs or thicker gasket?
blown the head gasket on my 1600 sss twice now after hard driving. the standard head bolts seem to lose clamping force under heat. ARP dont make a stud kit for the L16 as far as i can find. has anyone solved this? thinking about either getting custom studs made or going to a thicker composite gasket. or both.
the L-series head bolt pattern is the same as the early A-series head. ARP do make studs for the L20B which have the same thread pitch and spacing as the L16. check part number 207-4203. youll need to verify the length is correct for the L16 block height but theyre a known fit for the L-series family. custom studs are expensive for no reason when the L20B kit exists.
ive had the same issue on the L24 in my 240z. ARP studs fixed it permanently. also check that your head is flat, they warp from overheating and no amount of gasket or studs will fix a warped head. get it surface ground if its been overheated even once. costs about $80 at a machine shop.