I understand wanting to protect your investment but doing all that monkeying around with the bottom may just create problems. Nice rods,..maybe a half fill,..good balance job and keep it below 7k preferably 62 to 65 and it will live a happy life Those 64-67 chassis are notorious for sinking there in cradle,..therether not allowing adjustment for alignment so I'd be very leary of cutting the cradle to any extent with out either a cage or a well thought out approach
Thanks, guys. I expect a full girdle to include the bottom-half of the bearing support, not something that fits over the main caps. I suppose this is a lot cheaper and easier, even if it's not what I consider a true girdle.
Rob at Precision Billet makes a billet bolt on halo. The jury is still out as to how effective a Halo really is,..but imo it has to help,..and certainly can't "hurt". With a traditional buick girdle you have to machine ALOT of material off an already crack prone main cap,...of course your putting 3/4in of billet steel back on it,..but it's not the same piece and that void between the two causes me a little concern "in theory" i know there have been lots of high hp Buick engines live and that is why it even exists,..so idk,...
Schurkey here is the picture you wanted to see? I did it this way because I was not going to add HardBlock in this motor and I can spin it pretty hard with priority oiling. This is my remedy with a modified steel pan.
After handling a gridle, feeling its mass and weight and density, I dont see how a halo really adds any more strength besides maybe just some for and aft flex of the studs. I'm actually surprise the girdle isn't made with with what I'm going to term as bars connecting between the main caps.......maybe it doesn't clear some stroke rod combos..... The halo doesn't provide any protection for downward forces produced by the piston driving down like the girdle does. It only helps in flex of the studs. This of it as if you put a tube over 1 bolt you bend and flex it alot easier than being connected to 9 others. How hard do you plan on running this motor. Ours have the pistons pan with girdle built in.......not as strong as TAs by any means. Out motor crosses the traps at 6800 and is smooth as butter, shift are 6500+ we have no block fill. We are running front plates to control the motors movement and put as much load on the motor mount area. Finishline, but a great balance job on the motor, and I'm sure it would go north of 7000 all the time, but I bracket race so there is no point in searching max at every pass
Im not sure right now how hard I will be running the engine. But one thing is very clear in my mind. I dont want to open this engine up again. ESPECIALY for something that could have been prevented if I only had done ABC, or XYZ. In all reality it will be mostly street driven, I will drive it to the track, and hopefully not trailer it home. Drag racing, and pro touring kinda stuff. also will be getting a LOT of street miles and long cruises. 600 miles one way to Reno for hot august nights. and the more I think about things the more Im leaning to putting a manual 5 or 6 speed behind it. Unless I install a hood scoop in my 65 (and to be honest I like the car the way it is without a scoop) then Im limited to intake manifolds. the edelbrock performer I have on now. And running the Holley sniper EFI. roller cam, and however far Im going to port the heads (not sure yet on that either, Im not sure if there is such a thing as too much porting, Even when done properly???) I see no reason why this engine wont make over 600 HP and similar torque numbers being a 482. If thats really the case then Im within the limits of several very respectable engine builders on this site who strongly recommend a girdle. I want to beat on this engine, (within reason of course Holley sniper EFI will control my RPM's) and know I have peace of mind that its going to give me a nive long life.
B-rock, that is the exact same reason I did what I did. I didn't ask anyone here for their suggestions because I know everyone would have their own idea. But at the end it is my motor and I want to drive across states and then get on a course track or a drag strip and run the snot out of it knowing I did everything I could, to help it live. So for that peace of mind I spent my time and money and built it the best way I know how. I live in a hot climate state and when you are driving entering a big event, you can be stuck in traffic idling for an hour. Hardblock filler was out of the question, like in previous motors. Running NMCA True Street you need to be able to cruise and that is something that's fun without worrying about overheating or any of that nonsense. Yet, you can go out there and shift it at 6800 rpm with ease. Do it right and cry only once.!
