Is it hard to install the Z10 Girdle when the engine is in the car? Im thinking of just holding it off till after I rebuild the engine, so I can get it built.

 

No, it isn't difficult.......as long as you don't get oil in your eye
Do you need it right now? Holding off until the rebuild could be a good idea IMO.

 

just a small newbie question. Whats the block girdle for?

 

I just wanna get the engine rebuilt and need some more parts, but I want to start the rebuild as soon as school is over so I can then save for more turbo parts to finish this project and start boostin

 

It is used to prevent "crank walk", i.e. to brace the crank in high HP engines.
The ITRs and GSRs come with it standard and any B series engine can use the B18C series girdle with some modification (GSR oil pickup, windage tray, machining the girdle, possibly new oil pan, and GSR main bolts). Z10 also makes a pricey, shiny one.

Ben

 

do it right. Do not just bolt the girdle on. Go to a machine shop, take the girdle and have them dowel it to the main caps, like a GSR or Type R.

The girdle must be doweled to the main caps to work properly. I designed the z10 girdle, and after testing, this is the truth, contrary to what many say.

 

hey geoff what complications can one face if the girdle is not doweled in? will it be a case of "does more harm then good"?

 

Is yours pretty much a bolt on with the LS? I have purchased the stuff that you said I needed on your site. Also bought the girdle from you guys.. OR am I going to need machine work done still?

 

I would also strongly recommend that you have the mains align honed with the
girdle in place otherwise the mains can shift and cause uneven bearing wear
or even cause a bearing to spin.

 

First of all i no longer work for z10, even tho i staretd z10. I no longer have *anything* at all to do with them. The girdle is my design, and even tho they say it is a bolton it is dangerous to just bolt the girdle onto your engine. With that being said...

What you need to do to properly use the girdle, is to take the girdle to a machine shop and have them machine dowels into both the girdle AND the main caps. The dowels to use are the ones from the ITR or GSR. They are special order items, and if you look at the parts picture on a gsr layout at your dealer (TypeRparts.com isa great place, mike K is a good guy) you can see the dowels on the main caps. The machine shop will drill into the main cap and into the girlde and insert the dowels in. The girdle will move around if it is not doweled. This can cause a spun bearing or uneven bearing wear, as steve accurately said.

Next you need to have the main caps torqued down with the girdle in place. Torque the main bolts to GSR spec, not LS. now have the machine shop align hone it. The girdle places uneven forces on the main caps and it needs to be align honed or you could possibly spin a bearing.

do this stuff and it will work right. If you dont want to do it all, id rather not even run a girdle.

***not from z10*** *** i have nothing to do with z10***

 

ok, I get what your saying, but why the hell dont they tell you that on thier sight? I dont think Im gonna use a girdle, if it requires that much machining, that would make the cost even higher and I just dont have the money for that now. Do you think my block will be fine without the girdle, running 12psi daily and 15-20psi on the track? My block will be sleeved with forged pistons/rods. Thanks for your help!

 

its been proven that these block do not *need* a girdle. THe girdles are great in revving over 9k, this can be seen becuase the middle bearings wear more on lsvtec/crvtec motors.

My opinion? Get an old b18c, resleeve it and you have the ultimate block right there.

 

 

I am in a small dilemma, I am about to build, and prolly will go LSVT... I am going built bottom end, but not sleeved (yet), tapped in blockguard with a 8K rev limit. I have been trying to decide whether to put this girdle (GSR or Z10), would it be necessary on a turbo motor running 12 psi daily and 15 at the track ?
This mod is a mission and would put me over budget (again). I have an EMS to save for !

 

if you are planning for high hp and higher than stock rpm, i would advise it.

 

won't an align hone neccessitate the use of non-oem bearings?

 

So a b20vtec can safely rev to less than 9k without the girdle? Seems like more problems can arise from using the girdle incorrectly than from not using it at all...

 

No becuase at the same time you can resize the mains to use whatever bearing
you want while at the same time setting the clearances so you wont have to
check while assembling.

 

A related question- I'm adapting a GSR girdle to my LS block, I should probably incorporate the GSR dowels as well?

Thanks
Ben

 

If you got the moroso oil pan with the z-10 girdle would you then get the VTEC pickup, would that work?

 

I have a question, I am going to build an all motor LS with crower 403 cams. Now after reading geoff's reply, this girdle work seems way too much, so with the 403 cams I will be revving to 8k i think. Now I plan to be running 11:1 cr with shot peened LS rods, and all new bearings. Now if I do not use the girdle I will supposedly be "fine" but for how long? and what will be the first thing to die on me in the engine

 

are you going to upgrade your valve springs?

 

yup to the crower valvetrain

 

i am also wondering if it is going to make a big difference if the block is resleeved and equiped with forged internals, reved to 8-8500? is a gurdle really necessary?
btw it will be a ls-vtec t motor.


[Modified by the-anti-crack, 12:29 PM 4/2/2003]

 

ttt