Cheap main girdle ?

[superstang79]

Im in the process of building my 351W. i have all the internals, just waiting on a carb/fuel pumps/oil pan.

anyway, i bought a cheap CAT stud girdle off ebay. I got it, it doesnt look bad, but im a bit leary on using it. couple of questions for the pros:

Question 1: im concerned about flatness, if it is not perfectly flat will it make a difference? i dont know the machining process, and dont know how flat it is or if it matters..

Question 2: should i use the studs/spacers/washers/nuts that came with the kit, or buy ARP?

Question 3: should i return the damn thing and take a hit on it? or use it and risk damaging something?

Question 4: is anybody using one of these things? opinions?

Thanks guys--

Andy

 

[281pony]

sounds kind of like a pos to me.

i wouldnt use anything that would bring up thoughts of damaging your engine. i have a little engineering experience, and it isint all that complicated to keep it flat assuming it was a cnc machined piece?

i would return it and get something that is definately good quality.

 

[illwood]

i wouldnt use anything that would bring up thoughts of damaging your engine. i have a little engineering experience, and it isint all that complicated to keep it flat assuming it was a cnc machined piece?

I'm not arguing that it's a cheap piece and you'd be better off returning it, but from an engineer / machinist standpoint on the keeping it flat, if the part was cut from a piece of off-the-shelf bar stock and was then cut to be a stud girdle (lots of material removed), then internal stresses in the steel would be relieved and cause it to warp. Damn steel will relieve itself all over you

So even if you cut it flat on a CNC machine, when you take it out of the fixture, it could still be a potato chip when you remove it. The correct (i.e. most expensive) way to make them is to stress relieve the material first, cut it, then re-heat treat it if necessary.

Hope I didn't go too much O.T. here guys, but CNC machining is a bit of a specialty for me.

 

[281pony]

i just have experience in a highschool course i was in this year using basic machines and some experience on a dyna.

we only used aluminum, 6061 mainly and never had it release stress after removing it from the clamps/fixtures.

either way though, it sounds like a pos to me.

 

[txplayboy001]

Well, cheap would be the key word here. I have learned my lesson with cheap parts. I would take it to your local performance shop and let them take a look at it. Be sure to ask them to be honest with you, as they would probably tell you its no good so you would buy a new one from them.