Are there any drawbacks to the block guard on open deck Hs?
Seems to me this is a great idea as the water jacket stays intact just below the guard, while the absolute top of the block is strengthened. Only drawback I could conceive is the extra couple MMs of aluminum at the top of the block could raise temps right at the combustion dome, but no worse than a closed deck block?
Anyone heard of bad experiences with a block guard?
This is assuming no resleeving of course.
Thanks

 

It really depends on which type you choose. There are ones that allow little to no flow space for coolant and you should stay away from those. Here's a good one stolen from Golden Eagle's web page...

http://www.goldeneaglemfg.com/lefttop.jpg

You can also stud as well, which is a good option since it doesn't put all the stress at one end of the cylinder.