[GOSFAST]

Just a tip, we were never comfortable with that main strap setup. The center main section of these blocks is an extremely weak area. It doesn't take much to literally rip it out of the casting. If you examine the block you will see what I'm saying.

It is already tensed up by the main bolts/studs. It sees much of the internal stresses of the rotating ass'y. While the 4 center cylinders are in the firing cycle the loads are extremely high on that main, moreso when it is on a blown platform!

This "strap-the-caps" deal was a fairly common procedure years ago on the Chev's also, never agreed with it back then on those either.

The best way to add add'l support to that entire area is a "girdle" that straddles the center cap and ties the block together at the pan rails. We've done many this way, unfortunately I have no more of these girdles in inventory. If you talk to your builder he MAY be tempted to give it a try, making it from scratch?? It is a little time-consuming but not that difficult, it could be made on a conventional Bridgeport!

While we were using these, the way we programmed the part, it wasn't necessary to either line-bore OR line-hone, we made it fit minus both these procedures. Worked really well.

(Add) It also allowed the stock pans to remain, no pan modifications at all.

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Here's a shot of the pattern only, it is as thick/wide as the center cap and the side bolts did not hit any water! It was a nice setup at the time for us. I had made about 20 of them, used most, eventually sold the others.