TIL a guy in Dallas runs a 2 bolt main block to 7,000 rpm and it holds up

I was reading an engine build thread on a forum I lurk on and this machinist from Dallas said he has been running a 2 bolt main 350 with stock caps to 7 grand for two seasons of circle track racing. I always figured you needed splayed 4 bolt caps once you spin past 6,000, so that surprised me. His point was that a good line hone and ARP studs matter more than the extra bolts, and he budgets 40 hours on block prep alone. He said most guys blow up because of junk machine work, not the cap count. I have a 383 on the stand right now and I am half tempted to try it his way. Anyone here actually run 2 bolt mains at high rpm and live to tell about it?

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the_miles13d ago

The part I want to know is what his line hone numbers looked like before and after, because that is the whole ballgame right there. A stock cap that is aligned good and clamped with studs can take way more than people give it credit for, but if the bore is off by a thou the cap count will not save you. Did he say anything about main bearing wear over those two seasons?

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