Series 4135 Gen 3 LS Head Stud Kit, 97-03 LS1/5.3 LM7/6.0 LQ4

• Head stud kit for popular 1997-2003 Gen 3 LS V8 engines
• Made from 4135 chromoly steel with 190,000 PSI tensile strength
• Precision rolled threads with black oxide finish
• Includes 16 long, 4 medium, and 10 short studs, flat washers, and 12-point nuts
• Provides excellent clamping force and easier cylinder head and gasket alignment
• Ideal solution for higher compression or boosted street car applications

Head Bolts or Head Studs, Which One Is Right for Your Build?

If you’re putting together a fresh bullet for your muscle car, hot rod, classic truck, or even your daily driver, you might be considering upgrading to head studs over the standard head bolts that you’re used to using. In most cases, the standard cylinder head bolt will suffice for mild performance usage. They also will often save some of your build budget for that hotter camshaft or roller rockers on your wish list as well. Not to mention for really tight engine bays, sometimes cylinder head bolts are the only option from an assembly/servicing standpoint without removing the entire engine just to replace a head gasket or other top end work (and who wants to do that?).

Head studs, on the other hand, provide much more even clamping force, as the nut and washer is tightened it only stretches the stud, providing for a more accurate torque reading versus a head bolt that is tightened into the block threads causing both twisting and stretching. Cylinder head studs also act as alignment dowels for the head gasket and cylinder head that make installation easier and are reusable. This is important where many modern head bolt applications are often a one-time-use “torque-to-yield” fastener. Head studs are certainly the preferred path for those going with higher compression, or higher cylinder pressures from nitrous, or boost pressure from a supercharger or turbo. We offer the most popular applications in our Series 4135 head studs but if you’re looking for even more fastener yield strength consider our expanded line of Series 8740 head studs.

Our Series 4135 Head Studs Provide the Clamping Force Your Engine Needs

Manufactured from 4135 chromoly steel, our Series 4135 head studs feature 140-150K PSI fastener yield strength and 180-190K PSI fastener tensile strength. Each head stud kit includes head studs, washers, and nuts that are finished in a protective black oxide coating and oil finish to resist rust and look good on your engine for many years to come. The studs are heat treated and feature cold rolled threads for smooth and positive engagement in your engine block and are topped off with matching hardened washers with 12-point flange nuts to ensure your cylinder heads can be torqued to their proper spec.

GM 1997-2003 Gen III Small Block V8 LS engines, including LS1, LM7, LK4, and others with the following displacements:

• 4.8L (293ci)
• 5.3L (325ci)
• 5.7L (346ci)
• 6.0L (364ci)

Also available in our Series 8740 head studs.