[455T/A]

77TA I live in PA and if you are around here somewhere I can lend you one. If you live too far away ask you machinist if he can borrow one from a competitor, we do that all the time out here. It works out well for everyone.

[PONTIAC DUDE]

I do have to agree with 77T/A's builder to an extent. On a stock or mild street motor a person will not notice a difference. After 15,000/20,000 miles it's a moot point. I run into people on a certain budget with stock or mildly modified engines and offer them the option as it does take more set up time and cost is more. They have been building engines since the 1800's and have logged 100's of thousands of miles on engines without torque plates. Cast rings and torque plates? Another area of overkill I feel for stock type engines.
Now the higher horsepower and race engines are a different story, especially with better moly and tool steel rings on the market.
But if the dude wants to put the money in my pocket, it's his nickel.....but I will tell him the pro's and con's relating to what he is building. What his benefits will be for what he's building.
Now. I won't build a race motor without using one as I have seen up to .0025th's out of round at the top of the hole.
I have also rehone various brands after a race season and noticed a out of round condition too. So who's to say what happens after miles or laps and heat and wear is put in the engine. But it's good to start on the right foot. LOL
BTW: Always torque the mains as using a plate without doing this (The bottom end is not well supported in a Pontiac especially)also causes an out of round condition in the lower part of the cylinder and makes the oil rings work harder.
Nascar even flows water at the temp their running and installs the oil pump and outside mounted hardware. So you can just go totally nuts when it comes to all of this. LOL.
Another food for thought: Why use a steel torque plate on an engine if your using aluminum heads.....There "is" a difference in the degree of out of round created. Especially in thinner cast blocks. Been there, done that. Whew.....I'm tired. Hahahahaha.

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N.O.S. is like American Express.....You don't leave home without it.
"Keep the Pontiac engine breed pure, No mutts allowed"
http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/pontiacdude428

[This message has been edited by PONTIAC DUDE (edited 10-17-2001).]