Not being a machinist, I'm curious why you need to have the main caps align honed when switching from bolts to studs, considering the caps fit into the main registers and the hardware is just there to strap 'em down. Yeah, I know, that's an over-simplified view... but still.
Brad , I'm pretty sure haven't looked at the spec in some time, that the studs use a higher torque spec, this is what distorts the main bore and caps.
That said I did put studs in and didn't have the bottom end touched. I assembled the engine, crank spun freely, but I never ran it. Since then that mistake on my part has been corrected on the subsequent build using the same block, but I also changed the main caps to ductile pieces.
