Do i really need a main support girdle???

[juiced_94gt]

I dont want to buy a new oil pan, my 331 with AFR 185's anf a TFS stage 2 cam will be a street car only, wont get pushed hard all the time, just maybe the occasional stop light battle and freeway top out but nothing major, it might get a small shot of just in case juice, wil i NEED a main support??? what are the advantages??? it's just a hassle for me at this point as the motor is all put together and just needs to be dropped in and tuned. Or what main supports have you guys used with our stock oil pan???

 

[BlackVert]

it helps keep the main caps from moving. that in turn helps keep the crank where it is supposed to be. that helps it live longer.

i think it is probably more important in really high horsepower and high rpm cases. for me, it was part of the kit the guy sold me, so i just included it because i had it, but i am not making so much power, and i am not running high rpms very often, so for me, it will be a saftey measure more than anything else.

 

[cbarr300]

does it make it safer? sure

but if a block's gonna crack....it's gonna crack


of course...I can't really say anything accurate because I've never used one

 

[juiced_94gt]

does it make it safer? sure

but if a block's gonna crack....it's gonna crack


of course...I can't really say anything accurate because I've never used one

Humm, you have a pretty stout combo, with no girdle, how is it holding up?? how many miles have you racked up??

 

[Stanger007]

The tech articles I have read on them say that they add a bit of strength to the block but like cbarr said, if the block is gonna crack, it's gonna crack...

the girdle will keep some of it together and may save some of the surrounding parts from getting wiped out in the process.

Wes

 

[gcomfx.com]

My engine builder said he wouldn't consider NOT putting one in there. As stated, it can help save other parts and give you that little extra stability and strength. We are after all talking about a lot of money invested.

Hopefully I never find out IF it was a good investment.

Oh, and my builder is adding a tubing guide in the block for the dipstick. It'll help it go around the girdle and not into the crank as my first dipstick did.

 

[kck6894]

I ran my car without one for a while. Without it the main bearings and caps were in bad shape when we pulled it apart. It allowed the caps to walk back and forth on the block and ate the bearings on both edges. It also ended up cracking my crank.

When I installed mine I modified my stock pan to work with the girdle. We just pounded it out till it fit and welded in some baffles. Worked for a long time until I changed to a new block.

 

[Jesse Lewanski]

If your running a 331, and you value your setup, I'd spend the extra money and get one, It can't hurt,......but It MAY help if things go south all at once in the motor

 

[juiced_94gt]

I ran my car without one for a while. Without it the main bearings and caps were in bad shape when we pulled it apart. It allowed the caps to walk back and forth on the block and ate the bearings on both edges. It also ended up cracking my crank.

When I installed mine I modified my stock pan to work with the girdle. We just pounded it out till it fit and welded in some baffles. Worked for a long time until I changed to a new block.

What girdle were you running? and why did you weld in baffles?

 

[juiced_94gt]

I will put in a main girdle if i can make it work with the stock pan, which ones will i only have to slightly modify the pan with?

 

[SQUEEZE&STROKE]

My stock block 331 made 407 RWHP and I shifted it at 6800-7000.

I drove probably 5K miles with over 100 track passes and multiple "passes" on the street

I had a girdle on it. When I took it apart the bearings were in GREAT shape. Plus, I never broke it, so yes, USE ONE.

 

[cbarr300]

my combo is holding together extremely well. I had the engine apart about a month ago and all the bearings were in excellent shape. I had about 13000 on that motor with multiple track passes shifting at 6200. I also ran a rather conservative tune...so that may have had something to do with it

but like I said, I've had no personal experience. It seems to me that while everything's apart, you might as well spend the extra bit of cash...if nothing else for piece of mind. I decided not to add one when reassembling my motor..because..well....it wasn't broken...so I didn't fix it.

Like others said...it could save your surrounding parts if something ever goes bad.


to sum it up...if you got the dough, might as well make the pizza....ok...so that was a bit corny. But you get the point