With the E series you have the oil pump sitting over one of the main cap bolts. There is really no way to get a stud girdle to hold onto this one bolt. So if you put the stud girdle on to hold onto the other 13 bolts, that one bolt under the oil pump is the weakest link.

It is for this reason it is no point going overboard on the stud girlde for the 13 other bolts when there is that one weak link.

So basically I am just using the early one piece AU girdle with the spacers and using AU head bolts. I am not bothering with studs but may graft a windage tray on. As mentioned previously I did think about using the BA girdle with the windage tray bolted ontop of the AU girdle but thats out the window now because of that one weak link.

Nevertheless the plan is still around 650 rwhp with this engine as alot of others have achieved this with no problems with main caps

so ur not even going to use head studs now?

how long till this engine makes it into the ed?

Sorry, my error in my last post. That was meant to be " using AU main bolts".
Yes I am still using the 1/2" head studs. Those head studs worked out really well.

Re: time frame for this engine. Its coming together but I have heaps of work on ATM so its a bit slow getting things back on the road.