Head gasket blew...need advice

[ryde]

My stock head gasket went out a few days ago. I was wondering if I should replace it with stock or an aftermarket one? Also I was thinking about putting on ARP head bolt studs, any suggestions here? My car is running at 15psi on a beafed-up stock turbine. It was real cold the night this happened so the boost my have creaped up. Hopefully the head is OK because I shut the motor down almost instantly (driving only about 1/8 mile).

Anyone with experience using an aftermarket head gasket and or head bolt studs any replies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Gairloch]

I'm not quite sure I understand what you're asking. If it's whether you *should* do these things or not that depends on your circumstances. What mods do you have (What does beefed up mean?), what kind of driving do you do?

If you're just using the car for a daily driver and really haven't done much to add power and don't intend to, stock should be fine. If you have modded the car, or intend to, then the upgraded headgasket and bolts would provide you with a larger safety margin.

[MRQtwinturbo]

since you have to pull the head off anyways....change the studs...get arp ones if you can afford to....i'm using a cometic HG...very reasonably priced...

u should have a reliable boost gauge hooked up so that you know exactly how much boost you are running and if its creeping..