Originally posted by inspyral
Pre-torque the studs to about 10ft-lbs before installing the head. Use some copper spray on the gasket. When you install the head, torque it to ARP spec(which is 7ft-lbs, I believe), and then retorque after a couple heat cycles, or a couple hundred miles. It also helps if the head and block are perfectly flat. Check them with a straight edge and feeler gauges, and have them resurfaced/decked if necessary.
Hit the nail on the head. It's 70lbs for final torque, excuse inspyrals typo. I pre-torqued the studs in my block to 20ft/lbs but that was just me.
To do this
Step 1: Run the studs down into the block.
Step 2: Place a 1/2" 12pt boxed-end wrench on the stud.
Step 3: Then take 2 of the nuts provided by ARP and spin them together down the top of the stud.
Step 4: Lock the nuts together with a socket on top and the wrench you slipped over the stud in (Step 2)
Step 5: Place the torque wrench set to 10~20 ft/lbs on top to the stud and tighten till it clicks.
Step 6: Seperate the locked nuts and repeat 2-6 for the rest of the studs.