In a message dated 3/15/01 4:58:39 PM, vanagon@TGOFF2.GSFC.NASA.GOV writes:

<< Is it an OK idea to replace the cylinder studs with
stainless bolts? >>

Tom,

That's an excellent thing to do as long as you are sure to use capscrews
which are not too long.

Incorrect Bolt Length Anecdote:
Not long after they were introduced, I bought a new Honda Accord.  I loved
it, at first, but within 18 Kmi. loathing set in because about that time it
blew its 3rd head gasket.  Honda would not spring for a fourth one saying
that the car was too old to be covered by there special head gasket extended
warranty and, after all, they had already replaced the head gasket twice.  I
reminded them that it was not unheard of for a car to go more than 18 Kmi.
with its original head gasket.  Since I was starting to muck about in a
quagmire of phone calls to all manner of departments and agencies with no end
in sight, I decided to fix the head myself and then bid sianara to my
Nipponese beauty.

I gathered all the pieces and starting early one Saturday morning I
anticipated driving it to supper that night.  I glanced at the shop manual
and it seemed like a fairly straight forward job, so I went at it.  What a
pleasure it was to work on something that was not all corroded and stuck from
heat and age.  In short order, I was doing the final torquing of the head
bolts.  I had just torqued one of the bolts at the corner of the head and as
I moved to the next in the sequence, I heard a PING from the bowels of Hell
and the bolt I had just torqued shot out of the head and bounced off the
ceiling.  Thank God I was not poised over that thing when it let go or else I
would still be sucking on it.  When the dust settled, I gave the shop book a
hard perusal and that was when I noticed a small asterisk by that particular
bolt on the exploded view of the head.  The asterisk led to a footnote which
said to note that one bolt was 10 mm shorter that the others.  Now, they tell
me!

After getting it all together and wiring a toggle switch in parallel to the
radiator fan switch so that I could do anticipatory cooling, I traded it to
dealer for a Volvo which had 3 times the mileage and was 2 years older than
the Accord.  I used to get a perverse satisfaction thinking of the salesmen
holding court during happy hour and boasting to his droogies how he took in a
nearly new Accord from some schnook on an orange Volvo.  But, I still have my
front teeth and a 10 mm Helicoil kit by which to remember the Accord.

Rich