Sorry, no; about the only one I don't have a alum or steel plate for. The deck and cylinders are pretty thick, so hardly any deflection.

Are you saying it should be safe to NOT use one. Also can anybody tell me if the marine heads use different valves than GM 8.1 trucks? If not the same anybody have the valve replacement part numbers for SS and Inconel. And maybe a few venders with them in stock as well.

Thank you all for the help I'm not trying to be cheap just cheaper than new drop in's or 525's

1 last thing what is the hp potential of factory crank. I'm sure I will not be close to it just checking

I asked Ray at Raylar (2 years ago) about the crank...I was told 750-800hp; he told me not to worry, at my power level (625-650hp)

Thats what I heard from Dustin too.

Get above the 800 with the stock nodular will break. Raylar, tried to tell me the stock would break at the snout where the pin is that indexes the timing gear. Found out from my crank expert all the diesel cranks are drilled the same way for round pin. They are drilled preventing stress risers, with a step. The diesel guys weld the gear to prevent shearing the pin in high HP applications.

Thanks MER performance very helpful lead you gave me

Would there be any disadvantage, or any reason that you couldn't use 6.385 lenght rods and the correct bore BBC pistons with the correct compression height for the block to build an 8.1 and overcome the top ring land weakness of the factory style piston, and forged versions that are set up the same way?

I recently purchased the off the shelf Wiseco pistons for the 8.1 and discovered they made the top ring land thicker than the factory pistons. I'ts .300" thick in the Wiseco. The stock pistons are .200" on the top land. Both pistons have the same .180" on the second land.

Good to know. Thanks.