girdle or billet caps

[iamjeff]

There seems to be a lot of debate on this topic. i know people seem to be saying that the girdle is stronger and recomended for cars running well into the 10 sec range. i plan on running mid 11s thought...maybe some day low 11s. which would y'all suggest?

-jeff

 

[gnx7]

if you plan to dip into the 10's do the billet #2/#3 caps. If you plan to go faster a girdle would be a good idea.

Billet caps allow easy inspection after the season of racing to see what your bearings look like. A girdle requires pulling the motor to do this.

 

[iamjeff]

i also forgot option 3...just leaving the lower end stock with arp studs. i dont reace that often. really only at events like the brand x bash, GS Nats, and oklahoma. being in college doesnt exactly leave me with a ton of extra money.

-jeff

 

[ross87t]

I wouldn't worry about doing either until you are in the 10's.

 

[TurboTR]

Just do the center 2 caps and be done with it. That will take you as far as you will ever go with the stock block. IME the stock caps can break surpringly easily.

TurboTR

 

[iamjeff]

TurboTR,

did you happen to check on those prices? thanks.

-jeff

 

[86brick]

Originally posted by TurboTR
Just do the center 2 caps and be done with it. That will take you as far as you will ever go with the stock block. IME the stock caps can break surpringly easily.

TurboTR

I have personally seen a few guys down here run 10's with stock caps and no girdle without problems and one guy (Orlando) has even run 9.98 @132mph with the stock caps (again no girdle).... Based on that I think for a guy that just wants to run 11's it might be a bit of overkill to invest in Billet center caps and/or a girdle... Then again if you have the motor out and are going to rebuild it I guess you might as well invest the little bit of extra money for the added piece of mind...

 

[TurboTR]

So Orlando does not have the steel caps eh?

TurboTR

 

[86brick]

Originally posted by TurboTR
So Orlando does not have the steel caps eh?

TurboTR

Yep no steel caps, all stock... He didn't even pony up the money for the ARP rod bolts! He's the type of guy that likes doing more with less

 

[TurboTR]

Jeff- sent you mail.

Of course there will always be exceptions, but the caps can even break in the 12's (ask Ken M . Go ahead and do it now, while the engine is apart.

TurboTR

 

[CPAKCP]

Jeff,

Check with Tim if you want to go with the steel caps. T's Machine Shop should be able to do the work. He has worked on both mine and Mike's motor. We both have the two center steel caps. Another machine shop did the original line hone, if I remember right T's touched mine up.

I brought up the girdle, as I thought it would require less machine work, and there fore be cheaper. I might be wrong. My chip burnner in CA is building a TSM 109 motor, only using the girdle. I think he is using a steel crank and rods. The TSM winner at the Nats(racing Jason) only uses a girdle.

Who knows, the next time my motor comes out I may go to both

I wouldn't make any fast decision, your a good mechanic you can always pull the motor out again after you get done with college. Who knows by then you might be a rich engineer, and want to install a TA motor

Good Luck

 

[TheDoughboy]

I did ARP main studs and the #2-3 caps when I had my motor done. I'll never go fast enough to need more than that.

HTH,

Ron

 

[J Banning]

Originally posted by 86brick
I have personally seen a few guys down here run 10's with stock caps and no girdle without problems and one guy (Orlando) has even run 9.98 @132mph with the stock caps (again no girdle).... Based on that I think for a guy that just wants to run 11's it might be a bit of overkill to invest in Billet center caps and/or a girdle... Then again if you have the motor out and are going to rebuild it I guess you might as well invest the little bit of extra money for the added piece of mind...

I've been running in the 10's since October of 2003. I figure I have about 30 runs between 10.75 and 11.15. I have stock main caps AND bolts. I don't detonate the motor and try not to spin it past 5,900 RPM. There are about 250 passes on this short block. I've replaced main/rod bearings once and had the non-turbo crank polished at the same time.

However, I would recommed going to main studs and the two center billet main caps if you were going to go into the 10's.

 

[TurboTR]

Don't let this happen to you

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=150457&referrerid=430

TurboTR

 

[fast eddie]

I have the front three done on my low 11's high 10's build.
not that much more money for the front $75 bucks
Ed

 

[boostedLC2]

Hey Ed,

Who did you get to do the block machining when you replaced the main caps?

Thanks,

Jim

 

[fast eddie]

Automotive Machine,dose all bruces work {Aggressive Performance}
Ed