mk e wrote:
It looks like the stuff they sell is typically about 2" alum.
What I'm trying to get my head around is ferrari makes cylinders and drops them in. They designed the head studs to put the cylinder in near perfect compression by screwing them into the main bearing webs not the deck...but I don't doubt things move when torqued....what I"m trying to get my head around is if I believe its repeatable with the slop of drop in cylinders or if the cylinder move differently and/or move in service?
The liners are raised so I guess a head gasket is required under the torque plate or for sure the deflection will be different than with a head.
Lots of work left before I get here so I have some time.
The important thing to remember is that things do move when you squeeze them, even if visualizing how isn't intuitive. An old Chevy, with the head bolt threads in the deck, pulls the bore out of round. Deep set head bolt threads avoid that, but there's still compressive stress in the bore walls; Squeezing a thin wall cylinder axially can change its ID and OD at different points in different ways.
Yes, I did use a stock head gasket when I had mine done. I also had bolt spacers so that I could use the stock head bolts with the stock torque sequence in order to make sure the block was deformed as intended.
A torque plate should replicate the stiffness of the cylinder head, but who knows WTF that is?