I have been hearing so much that any type of girdle has its drawbacks, on the other hand they make things stronger, last longer, and so forth.
Main cap - I have heard that they can make the configuration stronger than some 4 bolt blocks out there, that they can decrease main cap walk. Also I've heard that they can add some bad harmonics throughout the caps and induce a spun bearing. On another note, I've heard that the material that the main cap girdle is made out of has a big impact on the strength or effect the girdle has (weather is it aluminum or steel, ect.). Some say that in the end the girdle has contributed to the eventual cracking down the center. Others say that all it really does is hold things together when it's all said and done and is laying in two pieces in your engine bay.
Lifter valley girdle - I haven't heard a lot about this until as of recently. The main deal I have with it is the makers of this act as though nothing is there in between the "V" or valley of the block and this is the reason it splits down the middle. To me, does the lower intake manifold not act as a big help due to its natural design and placement? At this point, does the lifter valley girdle make it that much more better. On the flip side, everyone knows the block cracks down the middle. The makers of these things claim that it starts at the top where most of the stress comes from the cylinders during the power cycle. So this makes sense since with each power stroke, I know as well as most others do here that each combustion is basically trying to blow the cylinder heads off the block (it's the fact that they don't that makes the piston go back down the bore and create power) so basically this wants to rip the block apart. Okay, but many say that the cracking starts from the bottom where the crank resides and moves upwards. In that case, what good is the lifter valley girdle?
Rear axle Bearing cap girdle - This one has personally been in my opinion just like an add-on. There is the usual "will extend ring and pinion life", "will make your differential run cooler" but also people say it makes it that much more stronger. Okay so it adds some support, but I have heard people say that if you are at the power level where your bearing caps are ready to blow themselves out of the pumpkin, what good is that casted piece of aluminum back behind them? So install says that you just snug the bearing cap supports down and don't crank on them - in this case if we are talking about 500 ft/lbs torque from the engine and a steep gear ratio, can just "snugging" something down rival the force of all this monsterous torque back there?
So here are the questions I pose, What works well and what doesn't, what is fact or BS, and of what does work, what designs, materials, or special installation methods are the best?
Main cap - I have heard that they can make the configuration stronger than some 4 bolt blocks out there, that they can decrease main cap walk. Also I've heard that they can add some bad harmonics throughout the caps and induce a spun bearing. On another note, I've heard that the material that the main cap girdle is made out of has a big impact on the strength or effect the girdle has (weather is it aluminum or steel, ect.). Some say that in the end the girdle has contributed to the eventual cracking down the center. Others say that all it really does is hold things together when it's all said and done and is laying in two pieces in your engine bay.
Lifter valley girdle - I haven't heard a lot about this until as of recently. The main deal I have with it is the makers of this act as though nothing is there in between the "V" or valley of the block and this is the reason it splits down the middle. To me, does the lower intake manifold not act as a big help due to its natural design and placement? At this point, does the lifter valley girdle make it that much more better. On the flip side, everyone knows the block cracks down the middle. The makers of these things claim that it starts at the top where most of the stress comes from the cylinders during the power cycle. So this makes sense since with each power stroke, I know as well as most others do here that each combustion is basically trying to blow the cylinder heads off the block (it's the fact that they don't that makes the piston go back down the bore and create power) so basically this wants to rip the block apart. Okay, but many say that the cracking starts from the bottom where the crank resides and moves upwards. In that case, what good is the lifter valley girdle?
Rear axle Bearing cap girdle - This one has personally been in my opinion just like an add-on. There is the usual "will extend ring and pinion life", "will make your differential run cooler" but also people say it makes it that much more stronger. Okay so it adds some support, but I have heard people say that if you are at the power level where your bearing caps are ready to blow themselves out of the pumpkin, what good is that casted piece of aluminum back behind them? So install says that you just snug the bearing cap supports down and don't crank on them - in this case if we are talking about 500 ft/lbs torque from the engine and a steep gear ratio, can just "snugging" something down rival the force of all this monsterous torque back there?
So here are the questions I pose, What works well and what doesn't, what is fact or BS, and of what does work, what designs, materials, or special installation methods are the best?