ARP Head Stud Kit for Civic D16Z6 & D16Y5/Y7/Y8

ARP Head Stud Kit for Honda Civic D16Z6 and D16Y5/Y7/Y8 - Part #208-4301 / #208-4305

Turbo D-series builds live and die by head clamp. The factory head bolts on a D16Z6 or D16Y8 are fine at stock pressure, but the first time you put 10 psi through a small SOHC on stock bolts, head lift and a pushed gasket are on the table. This ARP head stud kit page covers both generations of the SOHC Civic: 208-4301 for the 92-95 D16Z6 (and D16A6) and 208-4305 for the 96-00 D16Y5, D16Y7, and D16Y8.

What It Is and Why It Works

Studs give a more even and more accurate clamp than bolts because the fastener stretches on one axis while the nut is torqued, instead of twisting in the block threads. On a boosted D16 that is the difference between an MLS gasket that seals and one that weeps into the coolant. ARP machines both kits from 8740 chromoly heat treated to 200,000 psi, thread rolled after heat treat, with 10 studs, 12-point nuts, hardened washers, and assembly lube in the box. The two kits are not the same length and are not interchangeable, and the length is set by the head, not the block. The Z6 kit carries nine equal studs plus one longer stud for the D16Z6 and D16A6 head, while the Y kit is ten shorter studs of equal length for the D16Y5, D16Y7, and D16Y8 head.

Specs

Available Options

Fitment

Choose by the head, not the block or the year. 208-4301 is for a D16A6 or D16Z6 head on any D-series block. 208-4305 is for a D16Y5, D16Y7, or D16Y8 head on any D-series block, which makes it the correct kit for a mini-me build with a Y8 head on a Z6, A6, or ZC block.

What to Know Before You Buy

The classic mistake here is the mini-me build. Every D-series block shares the same head bolt bosses; it's the head that sets the stud length, and the Y-series head is shorter through the bolt towers than the Z6 and A6 heads. So if you're putting a D16Y8 VTEC head on a D16A6, D16Z6, or ZC block, buy the 208-4305, the Y kit, and if you're keeping a Z6 head on any block, buy the 208-4301. Run the 4301's long studs under a Y8 head and you'll run out of nut thread before you reach torque; run the 4305's short studs under a Z6 head and you'll have a couple of threads of engagement, which is worse than the stock bolts you removed. The 4301's one longer stud goes in the position the Z6 head needs it. Whichever kit you run, use ARP's lube and torque spec from the included sheet, and if the head is off for a gasket anyway, this is a 20 minute upgrade that makes the next head gasket job easier too, since the head slides down over the studs already aligned.