Any Quality Difference from Main Girdle To Main Girdle?

'88Cobra · Dec 19, 2005

I'm buying a new bottom end main girdle for my Five-O and have got three different prices, being $200-Moroso, $300-Canton, and $400-Ford Motorsports. The first two are steel and the last one is aluminum. Anybody have any preference for a main girdle? And I'm confused why the one from Ford is the most expensive when it is made out of aluminum. Wouldn't the steel ones be stronger? Any help on this subject would be much appreciated because I want to order one asap. Cheers!

Michael Yount · Dec 19, 2005

Most will tell you that any of the bottom end girdles are pretty much a waste of your money if you're using them with a stock late model 5.0 block. The weak link is the block itself -- and the girdle won't do anything to strengthen it. Consequently, they're generally viewed as a piece that MIGHT help keep some of your broken rotating pieces pretty much in the same place when the block lets go.

I'd spend my money elsewhere...probably not the answer you wanted. But sometimes we have to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

'88Cobra · Dec 19, 2005

No, that's not the answer I wanted to hear, but nevertheless if I can save my money and spend it elsewhere thats fine by me. Its not like I'm anywhere near block splitting horsepower anyways. I just know that the 302's are known for breaking crankshafts and I figured that a main girdle would help keep my bottom end more rigid and less likely to fail?

'88Cobra · Dec 19, 2005

Anyone?

timewarped1972 · Dec 19, 2005

well you can snap a crank but it not be the fault of the mains.......thats why they have cast and then billet cranks.......if your not running that much power don't worrry about it....spend the money on good strong fastners instead you'll be better off......like arp rod bolts, main bolts or studs, etc.....

Mike92GT · Dec 19, 2005

I have the DSS main support in my car, and it's aluminum. Check out www.dssracing.com for more info on it. I believe they make the Ford Racing main support as well. I've heard that aluminum is better because it absorbs shock better then steel, or something like that. I've also heard that steel is better because it expands / contracts at a rate that is closer to that of the cast iron block. Either one should be fine

CoupedUp · Dec 19, 2005

The main purpose of the girdle is to keep your main caps from walking under load. Even a build under 400fwhp can cap walk.
By tying all the main caps together they don't move under load and it stabilizes that aspect of the rotating assembly.

The aluminum is better in that it will absorb harmonic vibrations much better than steel. The steel is stronger yes, but at the point where an aluminum girdle isn't sufficient is at a power point where you shouldn't be in a stock light cast block anywayz.

I think the girdle is worthwhile just in it's stabilizing aspect alone. If you're on a tight budget, then pass on it.

Michael Yount · Dec 20, 2005

88Cobra - Cranks do break in these engines - but almost always it's the block that broke first -- and then took the crank out.

EMW150 · Dec 20, 2005

My theory on main girdles is... they can't hurt. Aluminum or steel, I'd run one. Just have your machining done with it in place and torqued.

Sicarius428 · Dec 20, 2005

If you are set on getting one, get a steel one. The expansion rate will not push your mains apart as much as an aluminum one will. The stock block will almost always go before the crank will.
Kevin

bubba-dough · Dec 20, 2005

I have a Canton on my 347 but I only paid like $200 for it.

CoupedUp · Dec 20, 2005

Sicarius428 said:
If you are set on getting one, get a steel one. The expansion rate will not push your mains apart as much as an aluminum one will. The stock block will almost always go before the crank will.
Kevin

Damn Kevin, what kinda oil temps are you running ?

Sicarius428 · Dec 20, 2005

Lol. It's just a thought because aluminium absorbs heat a whole lot easier and expands a lot more. Especially if you run it hard.
Kevin

ike34 · Dec 20, 2005

Not to steal your thread or anything but, would a valley girdle be worth it?

CoupedUp · Dec 20, 2005

ike34 said:
Not to steal your thread or anything but, would a valley girdle be worth it?

You'll get more hits by starting a thread ...

65ShelbyClone · Dec 20, 2005

CoupedUp said:
You'll get more hits by starting a thread ...

Or better yet, doing a search. This was covered in the last two weeks.

bluevenom867 · Dec 20, 2005

Yea, I got one...

CAT sucks

I know from experiance.

408stroker5.0 · Dec 20, 2005

There are so many different opinions and theroies' on main cap girdle's. MYount makes a good point up top as well as CoupedUp. I've always felt the main purpose of a Main Cap Girdle was to tie the Main Caps Together and help Prevent Cap Walk....If you can afford it I think it's a great buy. Also always try and upgrade to ARP Main Studs on any engine build whether or not your using a main girdle. If you do decide to go with a girdle on your engine build stay away from the cheap ones such as CAT(Yikes) or any other cheap $80.00 Off Shore brands. DSS, Canton, Ford Racing, Probe etc. etc. just to name a few make decent girdles. I'm running a Probe Chromeoly Steel Setup on Mine and it was a well constructed piece. No problems with fit except with oil pan interference which some massaging with the hammer fixed...mostly the design of the oil pan was at fault...which brings me to another note. I'll never buy a Milodon pan again. I wont get into details but it fit like crap, and was very poorly constructed. Should have got a Canton.

Shon

bluevenom867 · Dec 20, 2005

408stroker5.0 said:
Should have got a Canton.

Or a Moroso

txstang84 · Dec 20, 2005

I'm with EMW on this one, can't hurt, either way. If you look at all the pix of where the stock roller blocks crack, then it makes alot more sense; majority of the time, the crack propogates from where the main cap bolts go up into the webbing-which is thru-tapped...then right up throught the cam journals, and into the lifter valley. If you look at the older (pre-'74) blocks, they all have blind tapped bolt holes in the mains as well as the deck, plus the architecture in the webbing is totally different. Instead of the meat of the webbing being shifted off to one side (if you took a cross-section of it, it would look like an "L") of the beam that runs under your main caps as in a new style block. The old blocks are centered in the beams...creating a "T" shape-much more structurally sound design. If you don't mind either using a flat tappet cam, running $400 lifters with a factory style roller, or having a small base circle cam with stock style roller lifters, then I'd say go with an old style block, and throw some milodon, or pro-gram engineering main caps on it, stud the mains-instead of bolts, and go from there. The only reason I'd say go with studs is that they transmit virtually no twisting distortion into the block (another cause of stress fatigue), and they typically have better clamping force than bolts. Besides people were running 10's on those blocks long before the FI 'stangs were a glimmer in Ford's eye. Also, you would be well served to go with a 28oz bottom end as opposed to the stock 50oz...less weight outside the block swinging around putting stresses on the front and/or rear main cap.

...just my 2 cents.

Any Quality Difference from Main Girdle To Main Girdle?

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