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Thread: Block main girdle

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2000
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    Montana
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    6.2/6.5 Main Cap Stud Girdle Kit
    By Rick Pruit & TDP Staff

    http://www.thedieselpage.com/reviews/rickpruit.htm

    Product Review: Some 6.2/6.5 engine blocks have developed cracks that originate from the outer main bearing bolt holes. The Stud Girdle Kit from Diesel Services Group was designed to help solve this problem. By joining the center three main-webs together, dynamic forces are better contained and the studs eliminate the spreading force put on the block while torquing the main cap fasteners.

  2. #2
    TurboDiverArt Guest

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    This is nice. In the Buick racing world many people have used block girdles with great success. It's allowed people to push the stock block WAY past the design expectations. There are people pushing their stock blocks close to where my stage motor is running.

    The Buick design is different in that all caps are tied together and also into the oil pan mating surface.

    I assume to install this 6.5L version you need to pull the motor? Guess it would be a pipedream to be able to install it from under the truck.

    Thanks,
    Art.

  3. #3
    Dezman125 Guest

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    Art
    I just got my girdle in the mail on Fri.If you can get your pan off you'll be able to install it. Lots of room on my truck,K3500 old style body.

  4. #4
    TurboDiverArt Guest

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    Originally posted by Yukon 6.2:
    Art
    I just got my girdle in the mail on Fri.If you can get your pan off you'll be able to install it. Lots of room on my truck,K3500 old style body.
    I can barely get to my oil filter so I don't hold much hope for being able to get the pan off. I just want to know why I keep buying vehicles that are such a PITA to work on....

  5. #5
    Craig M Guest

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    Yukon 6.2

    Please inform us all how long it takes you to install the girdles, and who from and how much the kit cost.

  6. #6
    Dezman125 Guest

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    Craig
    I got them from Diesel Service Group, They are a Dieselpage advertiser.They have a discount for members.
    Looking at the kit i would say that it would take about an hour longer than takeing the pan off and reinstalling it. Right now my engin consists of a block,crank,7 pistons+rods.If i had known i would be in this deep i would of pulled the motor. Long story [img]smile.gif[/img]
    I would change the rear seal while you had the pan off.
    If you have room to get the pan off easy,istall should be a snap

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    TN
    Posts
    137

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    I think the main improvement is the ARP studs for the caps, there worth the money. The ARP greese is critical to getting the torque correct.
    74 Pontiac Firebird 462 CI 650HP @5200<br />95 3500, Custom AVANT 6.5TD, Heath Chip, FSD, Turbo Master (set to 12PSI), Gear Drive, EGT and Boost Instruments, Heydon Fan Clutch, I love it...

  8. #8
    Craig M Guest

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    My engine is currently sitting in the garage hanging from a chain fall. Access to the oil pan in unblocked by any suspension members. Engine has been sitting for a few years, no mileage on it. Was not planning on replacing the seal but could if necessary.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL USA
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    Does anyone else have any concerns about this thing? Looking at the pictures, is appears to be entirely powder coated. I would think the last thing you want is a powder coated piece of steel as a main cap washer. There's a reason ARP uses hardened washers. Its so they don't compress under load. The same can't be said for powder coated steel! I would never use anything that soft in a critically torqued assembly. Plus if the girdle is strong enough to keep the block from cracking, could it also maybe tweak the main cap alignment? So maybe one should align bore the block after fitting the girdle? Finally, is it wise to use two types of fasteners - with different expansion rates, clamping loads, etc. - in one main cap? Just my two cents...
    Bobbie Martin
    1995 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 6.5 TD 2WD- DB2 mechanical fuel injection
    GEP Optimizer 6.53 Detroit Diesel Power
    6.53L, GEP Block & Heads, .020 over, ARP studs, DB2 Inj. pump, GM8 Turbo w/TurboMaster
    K47 Airbox with K&N filter, 3" mandrel bent exhaust, 2ΒΌ" Crossover, Mann ProVent
    HO Water Pump, Hayden "Truck Fan" Clutch, 21" 9 blade Duramax Fan

    No PMD, APP, CDR, optical sensor or vacuum pump!
    Author of The DB2 Conversion Guide
    Click Here to Email Me

  10. #10
    tom.mcinerney Guest

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    Good comments, Bobbie. Many aftermarket devices employ faddish finishing techniques to generate sales. Here, how much rust will there be in the oil pan area?! Probably good idea get rid coating beneath fastenings.
    And then, does it work, does create other/more problems than solves?
    I'm tempted to try 'em ; i'd like to ask Dr Lee and others their opinions....

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    BigStoneGap VA. USA
    Posts
    68

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    It's possible that the girdle is made like the windage tray on some of my drag engines. The studs are torqued to the proper spec,then the girdle goes on then another set of nuts to hold it in place. In all the motors I have built with studs in the bottom end or head area they have not had a mixture or studs and bolts.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Gautier, Ms USA
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    465

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    Odee if only as a windage fit then I think the strength addition is just in the new studs, now if the bridging between the 3 caps is intergral to strengthening the design I think the whole assembly has to be torqued up to be of benefit.

    Alarm bells went off in my head also with the paint and what appears to be carbon steel, now if this were made of a quality unpainted stainless looks like it might have some merit, But I think probably the real benefit is in the better studs.

    My initial impression/opinion anyway based on what I see in the post nothing other than that for my opinion.
    Tim, 98GM K1500 6.5TD(L56/L65), Heath PCM,3.73 gear,4L80 tr,4" exh,Amz air filt&dual oil flts, Heath remote FSD, TDO-7 clone turbo, Heath fan clutch,mandrel crossover, pilar gage BST/EGT/TRN, remote elec fan tran cool,alum trn pan

  13. #13
    tom.mcinerney Guest

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    So,ah,Bobbie(and any other interested observers). How would you feel about this contraption if:
    1- The coating was removed from fastener area.
    2- Both main cap fasteners become ARP studs. This might be tricky, because the bolt-shank diameters may 'center' the caps, i suppose.
    3- It's determined that the thing is just machined from cold- or hot-rolled angle, OR has been engineered with respect to hardness and thermal expansion.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
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    Feeniks, Aridzona
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    1,114

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    Tom, those are all great suggestions. An issue that may come up with item 2 is that if you replace the inner bolts with studs, the block should be line honed. The extra clamping force of a stud in the inner location will distort the cap slightly and can cause bearing problem if the block is not honed.

    These look a little light for the application. Trick Flow makes an awesome girdle for small block Fords. It is a single machined unit. That is the type of design that I would really like to see for our engines.

    1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer...new 6.5 in process...diamond block, 18:1's, other goodies...


  15. #15
    CleviteKid Guest

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    Rick can correct us, but my examination of the photos in his article leads me to conclude that the girdle goes right against the cap, and the 12-point nuts hold everything together.

    If that is the case, then I agree that any coating should be removed from both sides of the girdle around the stud holes.

    There is no issue of different types of fasteners - all steel had about the same elastic modulus and the same thermal expansion coefficient, and having a longer stressed length is actually beneficial for maintaining preload under variable conditions.

    Dr. Lee

  16. #16
    Dezman125 Guest

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    Installed my girdles tonight,took about 35 min,after i spent about 5 min per girdle removing the coating on a wire wheel.
    Everthing fit nice,no clearance problems,just like DSG's gears.

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