kiggly 6 bolt girdle on a 7 bolt??

[crash89]

Ok guys I kinda figure this is a pretty much newb question but I want to make sure before I go and buy something expensive that isnt compatable with the motor. OK, so heres my delima.. I have just a 7 bolt block, cylenders are in fantastic shape. No ridge, can still see honing marks, may have been previously machined. Now I heard that if I dont have the original girdle that came with the block I have to get the mains align-honed?! Im totally alright with that, but my question is, essentially since the 6 and 7 bolt cranks are the same except the obvious 6 and 7 holes. Couldnt I buy the Kiggly main caps and girdle for my 7 bolt?? Im on a path of doing things the right way the first time with this build. If I have to Ill go the junkyard and pull off a 7 bolt OE girdle and have IT align-honed with the block..

 

[delta448]

The girdle is not intended for use on a 7 bolt, whether it will fit or not, I'm not certain.

The reason the girdle is a good idea on a high powered 6 bolt is because the 6 bolt has 3 separate main caps, and the center (thrust) journal is not braced to anything other than the two bolts that hold the main cap on.

A 7 bolt engine has a one-piece main girdle. All the main caps are tied together in one solid chunk of metal.

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[crash89]

Well, I didnt know that the 6 bolt had a 3 piece mains. Learn somethin new everyday it seems. So you would suggest just going out and buying a used 7 bolt girdle from a junkyard? Im really trying not to chase my tail with this build like I did with my spyder by skimping out on cheap parts. And Im trying to get the most reliable yet cost efficient build for my budget ya know..

 

[delta448]

Im trying to get the most reliable yet cost efficient build for my budget

If you really want to save money on the build, buy a used 6 bolt engine from the junkyard and swap it. You'll have less headaches and less cost. I usually don't promote the notion of swapping in a 6 bolt, but in this case it would be much more cost effective, -unless you need to upgrade internals anyway, like if you plan on making over 450whp.

Align honing usually isn't all that cheap to do, and stealing the girdle from another engine to have it machined (and thereby weakened slightly) would make less sense than just using that other block which already matches the girdle.

Another option you might consider is a 7 bolt 2.4 4G64 swap. It can possibly be done with less investment than building the engine you already have, although it probably wouldn't be an all-out build for a budget oriented price. Most of your 63 bits will swap directly onto the 64 block.

 

[donniekak]

You can find another block cheaper than getting yours fitted for a new main girdle. A line hone cannot remove enough materal to match a different girdle to the block, think about trying to hone a block .040" over with a hone. It must be line bored, a very expensive procedure that most machine shops don't do, and most of the ones that do, are domestic only shops.

 

[crash89]

If you really want to save money on the build, buy a used 6 bolt engine from the junkyard and swap

That thought had crossed my mind when I fist bought the roller because the guy that had it planned on doing that to the car in the first place. But, now Ive almost got 900$ in internals sitting in my room for a 7 bolt so Im kind of committed to a 7 bolt.

I have a couple spare 7 bolt blocks laying around in storage but 1 the cylinder wall is toast from when I threw a rod in my previous motor, and the other had a balance shaft belt break. I dont know the extent of the damage internally to that one since I havent tore the motor down yet. What is usually the damage with a broken bs belt? It didnt break the timing belt or jump time from it. I may be able to use that block for this build instead of the one Ive got.

 

[delta448]

What is usually the damage with a broken bs belt? It didnt break the timing belt or jump time from it. I may be able to use that block for this build instead of the one Ive got.

Usually when the BS belt goes, it's nothing major unless it gets into the T-belt, but that is what usually happens when one breaks. Once it gets between the crank sprocket and the belt, either the engine skips timing or the T-belt snaps. Check that your spare block still aligns all timing marks after every 6 revolutions.

I think it's time to tear down this other block and build it, just you'll probably want to do a BSE. You may find that the front shaft is seized, if so then that's probably a B shaft bearing that failed. It's unlikely you'll find any issue with the rear shaft in this case, as any issue there and the T-belt most likely would've been thrown, de-toothed or snapped since the T-belt drives the oil pump and the rear shaft is driven off of the oil pump.

If you're planning to install aftermarket engine internals, everything's going to have to come apart for machining. Just be organized. I can't stress that enough. When it comes time to assemble you'll be very thankful you were. Use all new gaskets and seals and don't re-use the stock head bolts.

 

[crash89]

Use all new gaskets and seals and don't re-use the stock head bolts./QUOTE]

Didnt even think twice about that! Already had ARP hardware on the list. Im also thinking of just buying all new hardware, Ive got so many misc nuts and bolts itd be hard to remember which ones when where. Anyone have a good place to buy all new engine hardward? Such as waterpump bolts, oil pump bolts ect ect..