440 Source stud girdle…how close to completely flat is good enough?

[TexasRoadRunner68]

I have toyed with this thing for a while. I leveled it with a straight edge, and once the bolts were torqued the middle part of the girdle was pulled in a bit on some. I spent a while torquing them down, measuring, trying a different shim and then remeasuring. It’s not perfect…but it’s pretty decent.


Good enough? Or is this actually important? These probably look like bigger light gaps in the photos. They seemed decent…but once you got the right angle you could still see some light in areas.

 

[Rebelrouser]

I have toyed with this thing for a while. I leveled it with a straight edge, and once the bolts were torqued the middle part of the girdle was pulled in a bit on some. I spent a while torquing them down, measuring, trying a different shim and then remeasuring. It’s not perfect…but it’s pretty decent.


Good enough? Or is this actually important? These probably look like bigger light gaps in the photos. They seemed decent…but once you got the right angle you could still see some light in areas.

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I believe it is flat enough, been a while but as I remember there are shims that go between the girdle and the main caps. When it is torqued down it will be level and there should be some preload put on the caps. I always used just silicone sealant under the girdle and on the oil pan to eliminate as much flex as possible in the plate.

 

[ruffcut]

Seems flat enough. I used very sparingly Right Stff Gasket Maker between block and girdle and then on the pan. No leaks! After many times with silicone. Silicone will push out as the Right Stuff will stay better IMO. ruffcut