[DeTomaso] 2 bolt vs 4 bolt Mains......care to offer an opinion??

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

Don't worry too much about which main caps you have. The 2-bolt cap is as 
strong as the 4-bolt; in long endurance races, sometimes afterwards during a 
tear-down you find odd wear patterns on 2-bolt-cap main bearings. Thats all- if 
something is going wrong, 4 bolt mains will not save you. If it still bothers 
you, a good shop can add 1/4" dowels to 2-bolt caps like all Pontiacs ran. And 
you're choosing wisely at 450 horses max. Thats all the stock Pantera fuel tank 
lines will support. If you sonic-test the block before the buildup, any 
blocks showing below 0.080" wall thickness can be given the floatation test. 
Finally, you need not bore most blocks that have wear only up at the top of the 
cylinders. That 'wear' is erosion above the ring contact area & does not affect 
ring seal. A simple honing will eliminate most of it and if the honed bore is 
4.004" or less, std 4.000 forged pistons can be used with no trouble, preserving 
max cylinder wall thickness. Good luck- J DeRyke



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