Originally Posted by westcoaststyle
ARP (or other aftermarket head studs) are not necessary. I know plenty of people that swear by OEM head bolts. I have heard that they are TTY though. Consdier getting another set of OEM bolts or just go with aftermarket - I prefer AEBS because they have an allenhead top to the studs so you can properly torque them without using the double-nut method.
If you think of the design of a head gasket you would likely burn coolant off before oil. The coolant channels run closest to the cylinders and then the oil passages so I don't see that being your problem - although I could be wrong...
Burning off oil sucks because it's hard to diagnose.
You have a really good point there about the leaky headgasket. I am not burning coolant and I know this for a fact. The compression test reveals nothing out of the ordinary except somewhat worn rings. The numbers were all around 210 psi, so that is where my dilemna is. The numbers are good but I am missing a quart of oil every week and a half, so where the hell is it going? It is going on my back bumper. Some how it is getting into the combustion chamber. I have a catch can, new headgasket, and no leaks from the spark plugs, so that leaves the rings and the valve seals. I will replace both this weekend just to eliminate those as well. The problem should go away, I would assume.
About the studs/bolts, I don't need ARP. That would just be overkill. I will stick with the stock bolts but get me a new set just to be safe.