Steel Caps or Girdle (Which is Stronger)

[Race Jace]

this mod is not as simple as it seems. you can't just put these bushings in where ever you want. they have to be precisely installed and the block has to be precisely machined to match. you have to calculate the exact amount of press the block places on the cap and make sure the dowels are in the correct place to make this happen. the factory counter bores in the block do not line up the the threaded portion of the block either. they are not concentric like you would think. We had to set up the block in a CMM install precision threaded inserts and measure the position of the main threaded holes, make a blueprint of this along with the exact location of each cap register (these vary with each main) and then calculate where we needed to machine the new counterbore in the block then mirror that to each cap. not easy even with the correct equipment.

If you did not have to worry about the register in the block lining up and if the counterbores were concentric with the threads it would have been easier.

and after all this work it just cracked the main webbing right down the center of the threads. This was a sad day when we discovered this.

this block was leaned on heavily. a more moderate HP level it might have not cracked.

 

[Race Jace]

here is a little trick to make the mains quite a bit more solid. Bottom tap the main holes. place a 1/4" steel ball in the bottom of the hole. then install the stud and torque the stud in the hole on top of the ball . this makes the stud/block one solid piece and seems to help make things more rigid. I wish i could take credit for this idea but Jennings Racing engines that is local to me is where i got that idea from. We picked their brain several times on how to get these things to hold together. Another big help has been the RMB (Rear Motor Brace) that we developed. eliminating that rotational load and all of those twisting forces placed on the block makes a tremendous difference in longevity.