Doweling main caps

[DylOrr]

I'm doing an engine build and im wanting to dowel main caps on the block. The machine shop that does all my work, as well as all my local engine machine shops, dont have the tooling required to do it. I have a couple local machine shops that are confident they have the required machines to do it correctly and keep them true, but they arent engine machine shops, they are more of an industrial style machine shop. I guess my question is would it be worth trusting somebody like this to do it, and also, how deep in the cap and block are you all that have done this having them machined and what size of dowels are you using? Thanks

 

[JoshH]

I have never had dowels cut in a block, but the rear main that holds the thrust bearing has dowels from the factory. I would just have them mimic those and use factory dowels if I were going to do it.

 

[Madspeed]

QMP racing engines in Chatsworth California Is where you should go. Brad has more cnc equipment than you care to shake a stick at and he knows exactly WTF hes doing. I cant tell you who but a VERY well known diesel aftermarket company in southern California uses him. Ive known Brad for over 20 years its either perfect or GFYS :thumb:

 

[DylOrr]

I have never had dowels cut in a block, but the rear main that holds the thrust bearing has dowels from the factory. I would just have them mimic those and use factory dowels if I were going to do it.

Ive heard a lot of people say they do it to all builds and some say they have never done it. I would assume that everybody has different reasons. The engine is getting a billet crank so i want to do everything right to protect that hunk of cash sitting in there. Do you usually run billet main caps in a build like this? Billet mains are the same cost as doweling the mains. Im just not sure which would be the best option.

 

[DylOrr]

QMP racing engines in Chatsworth California Is where you should go. Brad has more cnc equipment than you care to shake a stick at and he knows exactly WTF hes doing. I cant tell you who but a VERY well known diesel aftermarket company in southern California uses him. Ive known Brad for over 20 years its either perfect or GFYS :thumb:

Yeah i figured there was a number of people away from me that can do it and have done it hundreds of times. Even though i hate to rush builds, id like to have it done by the end of march and i dont see that happening if i have to freight it out.

 

[Bdsankey]

Yeah i figured there was a number of people away from me that can do it and have done it hundreds of times. Even though i hate to rush builds, id like to have it done by the end of march and i dont see that happening if i have to freight it out.

Mine aren't doweled. Factory caps as well. ARP studs torqued to SoCal's recommended torque and it hasn't given me any fits yet. I'll know when it comes apart this coming winter just to see how the bearings are.

 

[DylOrr]

Mine aren't doweled. Factory caps as well. ARP studs torqued to SoCal's recommended torque and it hasn't given me any fits yet. I'll know when it comes apart this coming winter just to see how the bearings are.

Ive never doweled one myself either, but the end goal for this one is 1500-1600 on nitrous. I wouldnt worry about doweling/billet mains under 1k.

 

[Bdsankey]

Ive never doweled one myself either, but the end goal for this one is 1500-1600 on nitrous. I wouldnt worry about doweling/billet mains under 1k.

Well I'm planning on a 480/96/1.10 T6 this season with a single 0.120 solenoid. Time to see how the stock mains like it. Hoping you find a good machine shop in the area to dowel them so I can just take mine there next winter haha.

 

[Chevy1925]

Ive never doweled one myself either, but the end goal for this one is 1500-1600 on nitrous. I wouldnt worry about doweling/billet mains under 1k.

what block are you using? doing all that to the bottom end wont help much if its an earlier block where its going to move around anyhow

 

[DylOrr]

what block are you using? doing all that to the bottom end wont help much if its an earlier block where its going to move around anyhow

Its a brand new block from gm performance. Lml based. Pn 12651877

 

[JoshH]

Ive heard a lot of people say they do it to all builds and some say they have never done it. I would assume that everybody has different reasons. The engine is getting a billet crank so i want to do everything right to protect that hunk of cash sitting in there. Do you usually run billet main caps in a build like this? Billet mains are the same cost as doweling the mains. Im just not sure which would be the best option.

I have had SoCal build two engines for customers with billet cranks. Both also received billet mains and girdles with ARP studs. One was an LBZ block, and the other was a half filled LML block.

 

[DylOrr]

I went ahead and ordered a set of billet mains earlier. I am probably just gonna throw it together without doweling them, theres enough of them out there without dowels that i would assume it will be fine. I hate to have somebody do it and worry that it isnt right. I see the benefit of doing it, im just not sure its worth the cost, especially if they do it wrong on a brand new block. Thanks for the advice guys

 

[ikeG]

I would do billet caps and a girdle before dowels. We've spread pan rails of the block before using billet caps and no girdle.

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[DylOrr]

I would do billet caps and a girdle before dowels. We've spread pan rails of the block before using billet caps and no girdle.

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Thats the game plan! I already was planning on a gridle and have it ready to go. The billet mains will be here tomorrow and its off to the machine shop :thumb: