A question regarding engine girdles, but first some background.
When I embarked on my Road Runner rebuild project I decided that the engine would be a stroked 440. I was aiming for something in excess of 500 HP. My mindset was I wanted a strong running engine that would stay together, and I wanted to build it right. (Yeah, I know you can explode any engine if you try hard enough, LOL.) So, as part of the build I installed a girdle.
Fast forward to dyno day - my goal of 500+ HP was achieved: 574 HP @ 5600 RPM & 632 Lbs Ft torque @ 3700 RPM. This was more than any of us expected from the parts we chose. As Marc Viau, the person who supplied most of the internal parts and assisted me in building the engine, said about the engine as built - "Overbuilt for the street and under built for the track." (see the build thread "(Yet another) Road Runner build" in the Car Builds (Progress Threads) forum for complete details.)
I've heard the opinion that on engines of less than 600 HP girdles aren't really necessary, but they don't hurt. Which leads to my question, was installing the girdle in what is basically a high horsepower street engine a good idea or over kill? On a build such as mine, is spending the time/money/necessary machining well advised or not really needed?
When I embarked on my Road Runner rebuild project I decided that the engine would be a stroked 440. I was aiming for something in excess of 500 HP. My mindset was I wanted a strong running engine that would stay together, and I wanted to build it right. (Yeah, I know you can explode any engine if you try hard enough, LOL.) So, as part of the build I installed a girdle.
Fast forward to dyno day - my goal of 500+ HP was achieved: 574 HP @ 5600 RPM & 632 Lbs Ft torque @ 3700 RPM. This was more than any of us expected from the parts we chose. As Marc Viau, the person who supplied most of the internal parts and assisted me in building the engine, said about the engine as built - "Overbuilt for the street and under built for the track." (see the build thread "(Yet another) Road Runner build" in the Car Builds (Progress Threads) forum for complete details.)
I've heard the opinion that on engines of less than 600 HP girdles aren't really necessary, but they don't hurt. Which leads to my question, was installing the girdle in what is basically a high horsepower street engine a good idea or over kill? On a build such as mine, is spending the time/money/necessary machining well advised or not really needed?
