head install question

has anyone had an issue using stock style replacement nuts
with ape hd studs?....i am going to crank em down in three
stages..10 ft/lbs,20, and then finally 30...can they handle it(10.5 to 1) or should i spring for the ape heavy duty nuts and take out the doubt factor?...i guess i could always sell the new
stock ones i bought if i had to go with the ape nuts..experiences or opinions?...as always, thanks in advance....keith

I had stock studs and nuts on my 10.25:1 720 motor on my 650 with no problems.

you might run in to a height problem with the stock nuts going on the ape studs if i remember right. the ape studs are taller than the stockers.

when i pulled the topend apart on my 1327 it had stock nuts with aftermarket studs.ive run a lot higher numbers with stock parts without issues

When I changed mine this summer to ape stud I measured each stud before I removed them. I put the new ape studs in and they were all pretty much the same as the old ones. I used the old nuts and torqued them to what ape recommended. I put on around 700 miles or so and re-torqued the head probably half a dozen times before the torque on the nut stopped changing.
You can check it out here.

Just a thought, But, around "77'78, KZ400's had head gasket issues. It turned out that cyl studs were long enough that their acorn nuts bottomed on studs before head was properly tight. hundreds of new units rec'd new top-end kits before prob was found.G

Our studs are the same length as stock. Where you run the risk of bottoming out the oem nits, is on motors that have had the head milled a bunch.

Our nuts are tall enough that there is no chance of this happening. Also, the stock nuts are very soft and can pull the threads when torquing much over oem specs.

If you look at photos of built KZs, you will notice that they almost all have black nuts.

:laugh: