Atomic Barra M14 Tool Steel Head Stud Kit
Engineering Overview
SPEC-DOC
Atomic 14.3mm Tool Steel Head Stud Kit
The Ultimate Clamping Force
When you are pushing past 1500hp and running massive boost pressures (40+ psi), standard 12mm head studs simply run out of clamping real estate. Head lift becomes a very real threat, leading to blown head gaskets and torched blocks. The Atomic 14.3mm Head Stud Kit is the definitive answer for extreme-duty Ford Barra builds.
We use H13 Tool Steel for a reason. Like our legendary 12mm studs, these 14.3mm behemoths are manufactured from high-quality H13 Tool Steel. They are subjected to a rigorous heat-treatment process to vastly improve tensile strength while mitigating the brittleness that causes lesser studs to snap. At ~270,000 psi tensile strength, they match exotic CA625+ studs at a fraction of the cost.
Engineered to Adapt
We've designed these studs with a precision bottoming tip to ensure they bottom out in the block correctly, avoiding dangerous thread overloading. However, because factory Ford block castings can vary (with some threaded holes being shallower by up to ~10mm), this tip is designed to be safely trimmed down if the stud sits too high during your pre-assembly mock-up. This is a rare occurrence but worth highlighting.
2. Heavy Duty Hardware
A massive stud requires massive supporting hardware to distribute the load evenly across the aluminium cylinder head.
- 28mm Oversize Washers: Included in the kit are oversized Chromoly (CRMO) washers with a 28mm OD. This prevents the immense clamping load from crushing into the soft aluminium cylinder head.
- 12-Point Nuts: Supplied with high-strength double-hex 12-point nuts for secure socket engagement at high torque values.
- Cold-Rolled Threads: Threads are rolled, not cut, to maximize fatigue resistance and prevent thread tearing.
Technical Specifications
Material: H13 Tool Steel (Heat Treated)
Tensile Strength: ~270,000 psi
Thread Size: M14x1.5 - 14.3mm
Application: Ford Barra DOHC 6 Cyl (BA-FGX)
📦 What's Included
- 14x M14 H13 Tool Steel Studs (with bottoming tip)
- 14x 12-Point Double Hex Nuts
- 14x 28mm OD Oversize CRMO Washers
- 1x Tub of Atomic Moly Assembly Paste
⚠️ Critical Installation Notes
- Machining Required: This is an oversize stud kit. It requires a qualified machine shop to drill and tap the engine block to accept the M14x1.5 thread, as well as drill out the stud holes to 15.5mm in the cylinder head.
- !!DO NOT TORQUE STUD INTO BLOCK!! You will likely crack the block or snap the stud if you do this. Finger tighten into block until it stops and ideally back off no more than a quarter turn.
- Check Installed Height: Due to variations in factory Ford castings, some block threads are shallower by ~10mm. Our studs are designed to account for this. Always test-fit the studs first. If they sit too high, the bottoming tip can be safely trimmed down to suit.
- Torque Specification: We typically install these studs at 125 ft-lbs (175 Nm) using the supplied Atomic Moly Assembly Lube. They can be taken higher to 135ft-lbs/190nm if you require absolute maximum clamp load, but 125 ft-lbs is sufficient for the vast majority of extreme builds and minimises stress and distortion on the head.
