OK, I am going to use one for the first time. Maybe it is like ford chevy thing but I would like to know if possible which (if any) are the best ones to use. BBC merlin head(for now). Crane, Comp or? TIA

I have the gold-colored crane one thats a bunch of different parts and sorta a pain to set up, but I have to say I am sure its key in keeping my solid roller in place. The lash hasn't moved at all since I reluctantly (and kind of regrettably: extreme paranoia of catastropic engine failure, even with Isky Red Zones and proper springs) went solid roller, and this is with about 15 (not a huge number but..) 1/4 runs and 1500 street miles.
Its the same one I've used since day one, and the engine builder recommended it since I have a taste for higher lift cams no matter what sort of lifter is under them.
This is just my _novice_ opin, but for what they cost, and if you take the time to properly set it up (I added it after the engine was finished the first time), its well worth it. I have never (and will never I think!) had a cam with pretty well above .600 lift in the motor.

I don't know if I would bother if I was using a non-high lift hydraulic cam, or even with a low-lift, big duration solid cam. Just my opin..
I need like an advice waiver form or something..
Also, whats TIA stand for? thanks in advance? Just a guess there too..

Matt

I have the comp cams setup with a solid roller and have only had to adjust one or 2 valves each time I checked it (a couple of thousandths). This is on stock style closed chamber heads. On my other car I have Canfield heads and when I called them to order a girdle they said they farmed them out and the quality went to crap and it would be over 2 months before I could get one :(

J

What are your intentions with the motor? cam lift? Unless you get real radical I don't think you need a girdle. There are folks out there running upwards of .650 lift without a girdle. I shift mine at 6000,been to 7 in the water box and usually just lash the valves 2-3 times a year,without running a girdle @ .550 lift.

Street/strip 680 lift. What I have read says 500+ open pressure you should be running a girdle. It will se 7k a number of times.
Thanks,

So, you guys are saying I got to be crazy running a .714 lift roller without a girdle? graemlins/clonk.gif I was definitely going back and forth on this issue while building my motor. I have all the good Isky springs, lifters, AFR heads, ARP rocker studs Comp Steel roller rockers. The deciding factor was I found out GM does not have or reccomend a girdle on their 720 HP 572. That cam is basically the same as in my 540. You know, they dynoed that motor at wide open for about a week!! So far mine has survived 13 dyno pulls, lots of street running and some freeway blasts. I'm still open on this issue though!

I don't think your crazy, but it's pretty cheap insurance, especially if you think about how much your studs have to be screaming for mercy with that cam, I am sure they are flexing pretty good. I also think it makes lash adjustments quite a bit easier, and IMHO is part of the reason I have to do it less frequently.
With my 1.75 rockers the lift on my cam is like 656/660 or something very close to that (forget off the top of my head) and the guy who did my engine the first time said he likes to use a girdle on anything .650 lift or higher. I didn't intall it right away, but I bought one after I got the engine and put it on. I've re-used the same one for 3 cam swaps and one engine teardown. My rev limiter is at 6800, and I now intend to keep the engine at 6500 or below, the builder said 6200 was fine for a max, but the chassis dyno had a little flat run from 6300-6500 then dropped at 6600. So its not even a screamer of a motor.
I don't see how it could hurt, to put it that way. I don't know if its alot different with rollers vs flat tappet solids, but I basically haven't had to touch the lash on my cam at all. I actually called the guy who did it and he said once it takes a settle, which he said it basically did on the dyno (for about 5hrs of all-out runtime), that I shouldn't expect to have to actually set anything more than one or two settings every 5k miles. I don't even drive that a summer, so for me its looking like its going to be check it at the start of the summer, and at the end, and maybe once in the middle if I'm nervous (which I am, first time with a solid so).

My .02.

I think I looked last night on jegs and the crane was like 160 or 170$, unless I was looking at the wrong part.
It's just an insurance policy and ease of use device for me.

Matt

I never ran one until I switched to a street roller setup a couple months ago. With only about .570" lift I'm sure it's overkill and not needed for valvetrain stability, but it sure is nice knowing that my poly locks have not and will not loosen up on their own. Now I know that any significant change in lash on any cylinder is a wear issue and that I should probably look hard at the lifter . . . I drive mine a LOT on the street and am curious how the new Comp HPPO SR lifters hold up.

A stud girdle is very good insurance. Make sure you check with your head manufacture to see what you need for a proper fit. Different after market heads use different stud girdles.

After seeing most stud girdles on the market i can tell you that Brodix makes the best one i've seen and is far and away the easiest to set valves with. It will also move from one type of head to another without having to buy a different one such as some of the aftermarket head manufacturers try to sell you on. As long as they use the 24 or 26 degree valve allignment on 4.84 inch bore centers i have yet to see one this girdle won't fit. The Brodix only requires loosening one locking nut on the bar for each stud and is very simple to set.

Jomar

i use the dart stud girdle on my blown bb with merlin heads.its the ones my engine builder likes the best