ARP’s Head Stud Kits Keeps Vintage Ford Engines Sealed

When you are building a fresh Flathead, you don’t want to rely on factory fasteners. While the engineering team at Automotive Racing Products spends massive amounts of time developing fasteners for late-model powerplants like the Ford Coyote and Chrysler HEMI, they never forget about the vintage community. Recognizing the needs of old-school mechanics, the California manufacturer just added new dedicated fastener packages for pre-war Flathead engines.

Prioritizing early four-cylinder platforms, ARP recently launched a brand-new fastener package (P/N 151-4002) built specifically for the ’27 through ’31 Ford 201-cubic-inch Model A engine. Along with the premium 8740 chrome-moly studs and parallel-ground washers, buyers also receive forged stainless-steel acorn nuts that technicians harden, CNC-machine, and polish for a brilliant mechanical finish.

Aside from the pre-war four-cylinders, the company also offers five distinct packages designed for Ford flathead blocks spanning from ’36 to ’53. Dropping a premium V8 head stud kit onto a Flathead block gives mechanics maximum clamping force for both factory and aftermarket cylinder heads. Supporting alternative vintage platforms, the manufacturer also supplies heavy-duty fastener packages for Ford inline-six engines built between ’65 and ’96, covering both the 240- and 300-cube variations.

Workers manufacture every single vintage application directly inside the ARP facilities located in California. Hewn from premium Grade 8740 chrome-moly steel, these fasteners have a nominal rating of 190,000 psi of tensile strength. To completely surpass factory specifications, technicians physically roll the threads onto the studs immediately after completing the intense heat-treating process. Rolling the metal provides a fatigue rating up to 20 times better than standard hardware.

Relying on decades-old bolts to hold a freshly machined antique engine together usually guarantees a blown head gasket or stripped threads. Dropping fresh, high-strength fasteners into a vintage cast-iron block gives enthusiasts serious peace of mind before putting a classic machine back out on the road.