I dont really see too many tech posts floating aorund here, so im gonna start contributing some…Lately we have been selling quite a few block girdles and we sell what i feel the to be the nicest one available, the ERL girdle. Here’s a tech email i recieved from them, and to be honest alot can be learned from this. We also sell quite a few of their sleeved blocks, and this also gives you an idea of why an Align Hone is so important regardless of who sleeves your block. Even if its not goint to be sleeved its a great thing to check(main cap alignment) as many blocks from the factory will twist as time goes on. This is something that could be the difference in your rebuild lasting 6000 miles instead of 60,000. Premature bearing failure and broken oil pumps can easily be caused by mis-aligned mains.
"The Billet CNC ERL Performance Girdle will fit under a GSR (B18c) factory
pan or the Moroso aftermarket. Use the GSR oil pick-up. This eliminates the
header, ground, etc. clearance issues by lowering the whole pan with a
plate. The girdle is a truss design (ie. bridge, ceiling truss,etc.) which
is many times the strength of a flat plate design. Just as you box a frame
to increase it’s strength, The girdle boxes the main bearing caps to
strengthen and reduce bearing movement (Honda did this on the newer F23 and
went to a full split case on the K and F20 motors). We have discovered by
inspecting hundreds of blocks and wear patterns on the bearings that they
shift as they stress relieve (and if you notice Honda opened up the #3
clearance over time). Another troubling discovery is finding stress cracks
particulary on the #1 journal on previosly boosted motors. The cast in
sleeve is a major structural member in the block design and when you remove
them, the block is weakened. This is why we always align hone every block we
do. Benefits; It reduces the movement of the main journals and elimenates
cap walk. Cap walk occurs when you over power the retaining ability of the
main bolts (and more importantly the aluminum threads)and the cap is forced
off it seat(the block) by high cylinder pressures, clutches,etc… The girdle
with its truss design uses the surrounding main bolts to aid the bolts of
the cylinder under pressure (one fires at a time). Another benefit of
maintaining the main bearing alignment is that as the crank rotates the oil
feed holes in the mains for the rods maintains an even flow, rather than the
bearing working as a wiper at the area of small clearance caused by
mis-alignment. This gives more uniform oil flow to the rods. It requires a
special ARP stud kit and instructions with the proper proceedure for seating
studs in an aluminum block. It also comes with 10 hollow dowels for the
girdle. ALWAYS ALIGN HONE AFTER INSTALLATION OF ANY GIRDLE OR EVEN GOING TO
MAIN STUDS!! "
If anyone has any questions, id be more than happy to answer em. Remember this is a good thing for all blocks seeing as how it ties all 5 mains together, not 3 like the gsr and other aftermarket girldes.