well that is why i threw that out there:

their are two rover sets one is $100+ for 215 Buick and early rover with metal gaskets
and a completely different set $200+ for new rover with composite gaskets.

there have been reports of problems using the older stud kit with the newer gaskets which led to the 157-4301 kit being introduced.

 

Im pretty sure the new kit has nothing to do with the gaskets.

The difference is they made the ends that go into the block longer so there is less chance of pulling the block threads.

 

I agree with pinky here. The only way you could make these bolt kits "better" if there was a problem, would be a change in material due to failure, or a change in length due to failure of the object you are bolting into. I can't see why anything would make a difference of what material your HG was made out of. Any other claims sound like marketing jargon to me.

Deeper stud would mean less strain to the threads for sure.

That being said, there are a pile of reviews all over the land rover webs that swear by both kits. Some rare cases have issues with the old kit pulling threads, from what I have read, but almost every case I've seen is due to not exactly being accurate on the way they torqued the bolts down.

 

they are indeed longer, it is not like they are inches longer just slightly
when i inquire with ARP i was told that the 124-4003 was for use with a metal head gasket and the 157-4301 was for use with composite head-gaskets. So i assumed that they had taken into consideration the difference in the thickness of the composite over the metal gasket into consideration in the new length

 

^^ That makes perfect sense.

Now I can't quite justify the extra $70 for it being a fraction longer. There are too many success stories with the original ARP kit with any kind of head gasket for me to pay that much more for piece of mind. I'm already dumping $100 more compared to the stock bolts for piece of mind in the first place.

 

To me, lowering the likelihood of stripping threads is definitely worth $70.

 

I'd recommend you google this because it's actually very contentious and many folks have had problems with the stock bolts. Others will pop up and call you an idiot for not using the stock bolts.

Like I said, it's contentious.

 

I found the ARP stud kit on Amazon for $143 with prime. Ordered and will be here tomorrow.

 

Just for clarification(if this helps)

I'm pretty positive Lucky8 has the best price out there on the kit

there are 2 kits

the more expensive kit has less studs

the less expensive one has more studs

the less expensive kit has all the same studs as the more expensive one, plus a few extra used on the early blocks.

 

So are you saying that, on the more expensive kit, the studs are exactly the same as in the less expensive kit and not longer or the threaded part that goes into the block is not really longer or has more threads?