[Adger Smith]

John, If your block was prepared (bored and honed) with regular head bolts or bolts in the Torque plates you might create problems with cylinder sealing when you install head studs. Head studs distort a block differently than head bolts. there is a fundamental difference in how a stud anchors and a bolt climbs an inclined thread pitch. If you want to use Head studs put them in and have the block honed with them. It is SOP at my shop to prepare the cylinder bores with the Torque plates and the type fastener that is going to be used. Studs with Studs and bolts with bolts. another issue with studs is they require a dead flat interface with the head and block deck. If your heads have any uncorrected angle mill in them the bolts will self align slightly in the thread clearance, studs don't and are not forgiving. Installing studs correctly is not just a matter of screwing them in and tighten them up. Same goes for main bearing studs vs bolts. Whatever you are attempting to gain with studs might have a negative in cylinder/ring seal.