get ur head checked, make sure nothings warped, and have them clean it like i did. machine the head, if u want take the block in and do the same thing. straight edge the block, if u dont know wat that is, take it to the shop. I ended up just using sand paper on the end of a drill and buffed the block clean, but i caught my hg very early. and arp head studs u torque to 120lb, and arp head bolts are 78lbs...so studs are alot stronger with the torque and design

arp head studs are 90ft/lbs, bolts are 75. as per ARP directions.

The stock HG is approx 1.37mm when compressed, unless you are looking to increase compressions even further than what the machining will cause youwant a thicker HG.

The shop will tell you how much material was removed. Add that to the thickness of the OEM HG and you have your desired thickness (if you are looking to maintain something close to the stock C:R).

well yea just depends but i think i torques by arp studs to 120lbs lol

Need to take it in for a pressure check. A small crack will drive you nutty!

Anyhow there is no such thing as a over build for people in this forum! The kids (no set age) are hard with their toys! This includes me! so the better it is put tougher means the less chance it will break soon.

true, but things like over tqing head bolts/studs, you can crack heads, strip threads, cause alot of headaches. 90ft lbs is waaaaaaay enough to keep stuff sealed if built and machined properly.

my first sbc only had like 65 ft lbs and that was on 5 bolts per cyl. (i say only and toyotas original specs were for 58 ft lbs. haha)

i agree, but for some reason i keep thinking 120lbs....but maybe im just being crazy.....ive tried to forget that i got a bhg...its all just a blur

If you're inclined to ignore the directions of the manufacturer of the fastener then at least look up and follow the industry specs for said fastener when used with those same materials. I believe the spec for the MKIII headbolt size is about or just under 80ft lbs for an elastic application... then you allow for the expansion of the materials it is joining as the engine heat cycles (remember, aluminum expands more rapidly than steel) putting us back down to about 75. It's not just about what the fastener can withstand either, these heads are not as beefy as people seem to think and they're not the best alloy available today. They've got well over 20 years of stress making things even worse. These same rules apply to studs.

thank god someone like CRE is around to put those thoughts together in a fluid explanation...

i really gotta get a grip on things haha.

Trying to explain some of these things fluidly is just insane... Fasteners are insane. If you look in the thread concerning valve cover grommets you'll find more info... but there's so much more to add still to every side of the equation that I think most people will decide that perhaps they should stop and follow what's written in the book or piece of paper in the box.