PRI 2015: ARP Custom Fasteners Solve Problems

A diesel engine producing 3,200 lb-ft of torque will create an enormous amount of stress on the clutches and transmissions in an oil-burning dragster or puller, as Dan Scheid explains in the above video. But also think of what 130 pounds of boost and EGTs reaching 1,500 degrees are doing to the hardware on this Cummins-based engine.

With three turbos pumping out 130 pounds of boost, the heads and intake manifold are under constant stress. Dan Scheid called on ARP to produce larger head studs that could withstand the pressure and also design intake manifold bolts that were easily accessible.

“Head studs were a significant problem in the beginning,” says Scheid, president of Scheid Diesel, home of numerous record-setting diesel racers. “We went to ARP and totally eliminated the problem.”

Strength isn’t the only concern when spec’ing hardware for custom applications.

“We had a hard time accessing the intake bolts,” says Scheid, “and ARP came up with a fastener that worked perfect. We use ARP on just about everything.”

ARP’s diesel head stud kits are made from either ARP 2000, a proprietary alloy steel, that provides 220,000 psi tensile strength or Custom Age 625, a super alloy rated at 270,000 psi tensile strength. Each stud is thread rolled after being heat treated; and following heat treatment, each stud is centerless ground to assure concentricity.

Here are closeups of the custom ARP hardware on the Scheid Diesel Cummins-based engine that makes over 3,000 lb-ft of torque.

Many of the in-house fabricated components require specialty fasteners for secure mounting. Scheid Diesel called ARP with specs and requirements needed to produce the custom hardware.

ARP’s custom products are used throughout the racing industry, as noted in the additional video below. In fact, using ARP’s test equipment Kenny Duttweiler discovered that overusing head nuts can lead to a lower than expected clamp load. That revelation is important to machine shops that use the same head nuts over and over at the honing machine when they install a torque plate.

As all the engine builders note, working with ARP on a custom order is quite easy. Give them the dimensions and operating conditions and the ARP engineers will develop the correct fastener.

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About the author

Mike Magda

Mike Magda is a veteran automotive writer with credits in publications such as Racecar Engineering, Hot Rod, Engine Technology International, Motor Trend, Automobile, Automotive Testing Technology and Professional Motorsport World.
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