Well I have been reading the other topic about 2 bolt block limitations and I heard that studs wont make the bottom end stronger. Well what will it do than? How much power can a BBC 2 bolt hold with the proper hardware? I though studs held it together better

Studs allow you to torque the parts down more consistently.
They also cause (a little) less deformation while you are tightening them down. You are to a small extent twisting the caps (in this case) where with bolts you would be twisting the block and the caps.

I would guess that studs will not make a two bolt stronger than a bolted four bolt, but it should be stronger than a bolted two bolt.

Studs improve the bottom end somewhat. The studs extend further into the block than bolts and do not wear the block threads nearly as much, even in a single installation. The reason for this is that studs are inserted in the very soft block material under no stress, and aren't required to move while being torqued. When bolts are torqued, they cut deeply into their threads since they are sliding (cutting, actually) into the thread material while being torqued. This cutting degrades the threads with each installation.

Although there is a clear cut improvement in strength between bolts and studs, the difference in HP capacity in a BBC depends on the condition the block is already in, especially in how weakened the block threads have already become. ARP bolts and studs are manufactured from stronger materials than GM bolts to begin with, so you gain some strength by simply moving to superior bolts. Moving to studs adds an additional incremental improvement, but this may be negligible depending on the condition of the threads you're starting with!

[This message has been edited by Douglas Staley (edited July 16, 2005).]

Balancing will make the bottom end a lot stronger, so will a line hone, both will put less stress on the bottom end, or you can use aftermarket 4 bolt caps.

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