I was curious about the same thing so I researched studs specifically and it turns out to be a pretty simple answer. When you turn the head of a bolt it needs to resist tension AND twisting. Studs only need to resist tension - you turn only the nut, and the stud doesn't get twisted while you tighten it. They can make the stud a lot stronger in tension than a similar bolt. That's an advantage when you're attaching something heavy in a high-vibration area (like an exhaust header).

If you're worried about safetying them and you can't get them safety-wired, just use a thin strap of steel, one across the top and one across the bottom, with a hole drilled for each bolt/stud. That acts as a washer under the heads of the nuts. Once you get it all tightened down just stake/bend one edge up flush with the side of the nut so it can't turn. Mazda uses the same technique for a few nuts inside the engine.

On 6/3/12 11:56 PM, DLOMHEIM@aol.com wrote:

As you all can see in my previous exhaust picture, my 13B has bolts to hold the exhaust manifold on (which is the way that Tommy James flew it in his Glastar for 50 hrs. or so) before I bought it.  I am thinking that I should probably swap out these bolts for studs and nuts, since I don't ever want have to worry about bottoming the bolt out and then stripping out the treads when torqueing them per spec., etc.   

 

So my question is what are most of you all flying with...studs or bolts?

 

Also, if I add studs, is there a product anyone can recommend (such as a loc tite type product) that will help keep the stud from backing out but also survive in the high temp environment by the exhaust manifold?  Is the RED Loctite made for this type of duty factor?

 

Thanks for any information.

 

Doug