[Supras] ARP stud and gasket removal hints

[berniek at technicaldevelop.com]

If you are using ARP head studs for the first time,  the 3/16" hex head 
end should point upwards for easy removal.  I did not do that for the 
four corner studs when I lowered the head onto the block as pilots using 
an engine hoist.  Afterwards I could not get the washers on.  The answer 
was to remove the inverted studs by taking one of the ARP nuts and 
threading it half way onto the inverted studs.  Then screw a stock bolt 
into the other half of the nut.  Take a flat bladed screwdriver and 
prevent the the nut from turning by wedging it between the nut and the 
head bolt clearance bore in the head.  Thereafter you lightly tighten 
the top of the stud against the end of the bolt.  Assuming you have only 
hand tightened the stud into the block, it will then come out as one 
unit with the nut and stock bolt, after which they can be separated.  
The washers really need to go on the head first.

Another trick:  The old water pump gasket on the inside timing cover was 
fitful.  Not having Permatex gasket remover at the wee hours, I found 
that paint remover (Red Devil type stuff, not paint thinner) works 
pretty well in softening old gaskets.  It took to iterations, but ....no 
more scraped aluminum.

          Bernie