i guess the bottom line is using bracing or girdles is up to the person building the engine, but you are taking your chances with what is coming out of too wong foo's factory now-a-days. your dodging a bullet anytime you get over 5K with these engines and they don't blow. remember that besides the "weakest link" arguement, these engines were designed to mow your grass or split logs. even tho some will argue that the LO206 is a racing engine, it's origins are still cutting grass and splittin logs. the parts we use are better, yes.....but like flash says....if you use it to protect yourself and others, then use it....but if you decide that it's a folly to use a girdle because you never had a jug pop off, then don't use it....but mark my words, unless you have access to an x-ray machine and lots of money to get a nice solid, stable block....you will eventually get one of them that won hong lo missed that has a nice crack just for you...i'm giving up about 35 pounds to everyone else, so i don't think that less than half pound of bracing to try and keep my motors together is going to kill me....
Bracing the block??
- Thread starter W Lindsey
- Start date
Bumping this old post for Winston's cool bracing
As far as sheet metal is concerned, it's all in the shape. Flat pieces of sheet metal could resonate and cause trouble, but all it takes is bending each edge one way or another and you've got a channel shape which is much stronger.
I don't think the cracks are flaws in the casting, but the casting itself is so thin I'm positive that the cylinder is resonating forward and back causing stress cracks to eventually form at the base of it.
As far as sheet metal is concerned, it's all in the shape. Flat pieces of sheet metal could resonate and cause trouble, but all it takes is bending each edge one way or another and you've got a channel shape which is much stronger.
I don't think the cracks are flaws in the casting, but the casting itself is so thin I'm positive that the cylinder is resonating forward and back causing stress cracks to eventually form at the base of it.
It is that but also the twisting of the block... As the the chain climbing the sprocket up and to the left... I have taken the motors off after some hard racing, and some blocks rock back and forth or side to side or diagonal...
I believe it is the twisting motion that makes the blocks work harden, contributing to the block cracking at the weak spots...
I believe it is the twisting motion that makes the blocks work harden, contributing to the block cracking at the weak spots...
TCD Racing
Member
Brad Hill does a heck of a job bracing.