modifying a stock block....
 

moddifying a stock block.... Bear with me on this......

I have a 302 windsor block that iam wanting to play with as a side project. so i have some mods iam wanting to do to it, and they are as follows. 1. i know that the lifter valley is a little week so what is to prevent one from completly welding in some cross bars in the main web area to strengthen this area by adding some high strength steel supports all the way acrossed the valley? 2. The cap walk issue, couldnt one just order some totaly flat bottom aftermarket splayed caps from http://www.prwonlinestore.com/index....amp;ProdID=438, the picture is inacurate as the pic is a 4 bolt, and the 2 bolt one is flat all the way acrossed, also buying a 3/8 inch main stud girddle, arp main stud kit, mocking it up with the crankshaft in the block, then completly welding the caps to the main girdle essentially binding them all together creating a totaly solid cap/girdle assembly that would totaly eliminate cap walk? Why would doing these things be bad? Or does it all sound like agood idea?

RE: modifying a stock block....
 

anybody?

RE: modifying a stock block....
 

I'm no rocket scientist, but I would say welding the caps to the girdle will be the worst mistake one could make. I can't see how you could weld it on there and it not mess it up. It would create alot of stress on your caps when you torqued them down.The intense heat of welding really pulls and pushes the iron around. I'm sure if you spent the time and money it could be done, but I would try it on junk iron before I did that to anything that was usable. It would have to be line bored again to make sure you were in the good.

RE: modifying a stock block....
 

I think its a bad idea......

RE: modifying a stock block....
 

the metal will not contract and expand if i do small areas at a time, i dont really see to bid of a downside to doing it, it would greatly strengthen the block up, even just welding supports into the valley area and not welding the girdle to it would greatly strengthen the block, thats where they start to split right? in the lifter valley?

RE: modifying a stock block....
 

I'm with him !!!

RE: modifying a stock block....
 

as am I

RE: modifying a stock block....
 

my buddy is wanting to run a forged 302 with 11-1 comp with a 400 shot a few times at the track, just trying to make it hold together for awhile and dont want to go dart ;-)

RE: modifying a stock block....
 

400 shot... LMAO

RE: modifying a stock block....
 

11:1 compression + 400 shot lmao