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ARP Head Stud Install - (2019 RAM 3500 Cummins 6.7L)
Tackled the head studs on the 2019 RAM 3500.
For anyone who is worried about this mod, don't be. I probably spent more time watching youtube videos about it than it actually took to do the job.
I used ARP 625s for my install and bought extra 1oz packets of ARP ultra lube from Amazon.
The videos online are pretty straightforward so my comments here will be some extras that they don't talk about, or things I worried about before getting in there and doing it.
Starting off, take all the electrical connectors off and move them to the right side. There's 2 CCV pressure sensors (one obviously on the top of the CCV filter cover on the left and the other is behind it on the valve cover). You gotta push the red locking tabs out to depress the latches. The one on the valve cover(on the right) you can actually push the red locking tab away from you through the little cutout on the connector with a really small flat blade screwdriver. There's a coolant sensor as well on the left side. I also disconnected the large connector for the engine wiring harness, the one with the grey cam-over latch. All of this can get just pushed over to the side.
There's the stupid foam insulation thing that goes over the fuel lines. You have to remove both the front and rear CCV drain lines to get this off. The drain lines just pull off. I used a flat blade screwdriver to kinda gently push them off and bent them out of the way. I didn't reuse the foam insulation.
I was worried about the fuel injector harness plugs thinking maybe there's some kinda trick but there isn't. I pushed the tab in with a small pry bar (there's a gap in the center of the tab that you need to push both sides and a screwdriver isn't wide enough) and rocked it front to back and they popped right out.
Taking the valve cover and rocker box off are self explanatory. Make sure the 2 shorter bolts go in the front and rear spots on the rocker box when you put them back in.
Rockers and valve bridges come right out. Squeeze the intake and exhaust rockers together and the whole set come out as an assembly. Make sure you keep the valve bridges in position so they go back the way they came out. I used a large piece of cardboard numbered 1-6 to keep track.
Follow the instructions for what order to take the stock head bolts out. I used a 1/2" flex head ractchet. Make sure you are aware of the injector studs when doing this. I used the "one at a time" method.
Installing the head studs was actually pretty easy. I blew out the holes (some had oil in them and the first one I wound up painting the underside of the hood with oil so use a rag), wiped the surface clean, ran the studs in, backed them out 1/2 turn and put the washer and nut on. There's a video out there with a guy from ARP doing head studs on a 6.0 powerstroke while its on an engine stand. A couple things stood out that seemed different from the "conventional" wisdom out there on head studs. He said just run em into the block. no need to back them off (I did anyways). Another was that he DIDN'T recommend putting the ARP lube UNDER the washers. They're designed to clamp DOWN, not spin while they're being torqued. So you want the nut to spin on the washer but the washer to stay put. I used an acid brush to put the lube on the threads and the top of the washer. I think a lot of guys overdo it on the Ultra Torque lube. Think about how much VOLUME there is between the stud threads and the nut and between the bottom of the nut and the washer. Not much. FWIW, I didn't even use the whole packet that came with the kit and now i have another 6 laying around. I did the initial torque to 100 ft/lbs until they were all done.
My torque wrench is a digital one with a fixed head. I've seen some of the vids where the guys had one with a flex head. If I was gonna buy one, the flex head is the way to go. Also get one that doesn't have to move a whole lot before it ratchets. I had quite a bit of swing and wound up having to navigate around the trans dipstick, intake horn, and Ram air intake above the radiator a lot. I had a rough time trying to use a ratchet u-joint and some extensions b/c the wrench kept wanting to twist sideways. It worked fine, but I could see how the flex head torque wrench would be easier. The name of the game here was having a variety of different length extensions; fixed, wobble, and the u-joint. The #13 stud was the worst because of the coolant riser right in front of it, but the coolant line itself is flexible so it worked out. Another thing that would have been nice, is a flex head ratcheting box wrench. I have a set of fixed ones, and holding the stud steady with a 5mm allen while tightening the nut initially would have been a bit easier if I had the flex box end ratcheting wrench. Not a deal breaker. Don't go out a buy a set if you don't have one, but if you have a set, use it.
Milling out the rocker box for the rear stud clearance was short work. Less than 5 minutes. I drilled a couple 3/16" holes through the aluminum and then a cheap carbide end mill bit in my dremel. I cleaned it up with a little sanding drum in the dremel. It took longer to clean all the metal shavings out than it did to clearance the part. Make sure to take the o-ring out and blow it out, clean it with brake cleaner, or whatever you wanna do. Just spend the 5 mins to make sure its clean. I checked the o-ring on the rocker box cover, the injector wiring harness, the valve cover gasket, and the CCV filter gasket. Check all of them. I also wiped them all down b/c they were sitting in the garage all day. Better the 5 mins than aluminum floating around your engine oil. (And I have the Amsoil bypass filtration setup). I also used a little bit of green 3M pad to clean off the top sealing surface of the rocker box where the injector harness/gasket seats to make sure there was no gunk leftover.
I went through and did the final torque setting. This went really fast. 100-125-150. Clean off the sealing surface on top of the head. Rockers go back in and torque to 27-29 ft/lbs. Make sure everything goes back in the way it came out and double/triple check that the pushrods are in their sockets and the valve bridges are seated correctly. I don't think it would actually go back together if they weren't, but its good to double check. I wiped of the rocker seats on the head before putting the rockers on. Rocker box bolts go in at 18-24 ft/lbs. The short bolts are the first and last ones. I cleaned off the valve cover and made sure there wasn't a bunch of crap in the gasket sealing surface. 6 bolts. I don't know the torque value; they stop out at the end of the threads anyways. I plugged everything back in, replaced the CCV filter, reconnected the battery and fired it up. Since this is a 5th gen with the hydraulic lifters there's no valve adjustment. This is also why they have the 5w oil spec.(though if this setup gives me problems, Hamilton cams has a 5th gen flat tappet conversion. Get the wallet out, though.)
I also didn't have the ole Topside creeper like in a lot of the vids. If you have access to one, for sure use it. But I was able to manage with a Werner 16" height work platform that's about 4 feet long and 2 feet wide and it worked great and didn't slide around. I also used a moving blanket draped over the grille.
SO, I've done numerous jobs on multiple vehicles, several suspension lifts, complete stereo installs, brakes, transmission work, spray in bedliner, and this was actually easier than all of them. Time consuming, yes maybe 8 hours by myself, but if I had to choose this job, or torquing suspension bolts to 250ft/lbs while laying on the hot pavement, I'd do this one again. Just stay organized, have the right complement of basic socket extensions and ratchets, and a little bit of patience, especially with some of the electrical connections, you'll be just fine.
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Originally Posted by BrentM
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