I couldn't help but wonder what the solution was going to be if they were hitting the stud. I would
have guessed that they would have plenty of clearance with only 0.555 lift, some cams are going to
be in the 0.600 to 0.700 inch lift area. Some thought must have been given to their design in this
area, they are for this kind of application after all. Alas, it's always a good idea to check this
clearance ...... Thanks Love302Chevy !!!
Next was trying on the Harland Sharp girdle to see what problems this might create. Now if you
don't might threading a needle this would fit, but it would have been too easy to be off by just 1/16
inch. The thicker valve cover gasket was a help, so if you are contemplating a girdle, then a thick gasket
might buy you some room.
The needle that had to threaded was created by the oil baffle on top and the rocker on the bottom.
By grinding the baffle, I gained 3/16 inch more clearance. But to do this also created a minor problem
as you can see below. I had to grind thru the 180° bend to gain the 3/16 inch more clearance, but this
also made the baffle come apart.
Well I think the photos will tell the rest of the story.
On top was the baffle ....
And on the bottom restricting position of the girdle was the rocker.
Notice how the pic is different than the actual girdle. The bolts are not Allen and they
are not recessed.
So the one question I had when buying the girdle was ..... did I need special poly locks. It seemed to
make sense, but since there was nothing telling me any of the documentation I couldn't be completely
sure. So if you are like me and buying a girdle for the FIRST TIME, then YES you will need poly locks
designed to work with the girdle. Some manufactures supply the locks as part of the girdle and some
don't. Just be aware when purchasing a girdle.
