That looks like the CAT girdle. You will get a lot of people expressing negative opinions concerning this girdle.
I am in the process of building up a short block using this girdle. I think it's a good deal for the price and in my particular case the girdle fits well enough.
The quality control is not going to be as stringent on this item as some of the higher priced alternatives so your results may vary but all of my holes line up (some of my oil rail holes are a little off center but still work)
The girdle is fairly flat. Checked on a machinist's granite plate the entire girdle is within .002 except for one corner that is out .007 away from the block. In my particular case this is not an issue since it is outside of the bolt holes.
The fasteners included are not the highest quality according to some folk's tests. Since I'm not made of money I plan on using them. Call me crazy but I think they will be ok. I could darn well be wrong.
There are no instructions. Actually there are but they don't apply to this particular girdle at all. So you'll have to do some thinking to understand how to install it properly.
The shims included are pretty much going to be almost worthless. IIRC they are about .058 thick. That would be fine if the pan rails were precision cut from the factory but they are not. In my case I used shim stock from work to get my clearances right. I also had my pan rails decked on the block
Other complaints about this girdle include:
A design that is leak prone (I will be running an evac system so I am not worried about this).
Inadequate area for oil drainage at the rear main; there are three holes vs a slot (again, evac system I believe will help in this regard)
It is made overseas (China?) - I sympathize with this. I wish things were different, but the reality is that almost nothing is made in the USA anymore. Making a girdle purchase the symbolic ground you choose to hold is like using a bucket to try and save the titanic.
In conclusion, the most popular alternative(s) are obviously much higher quality. The vendor provides excellent instructions and product support. However with those benefits comes a hefty price. If money does not concern you, I would highly suggest going with them. For people like me who would otherwise have this girdle or none at all, this is an attractive alternative.
