There is a spacer ring that bridges the open gap to support the oil ring ..
Some wild engineering went down to allow a stroker crank to be used in a standard deck height big block ..
Did think about building a high deck block, but the dollar amount was going to be up there ..
I still have a 2003 Gen VII in the shop that I thought about building for the Binder ... It's 496 cubes from the factory .. Reason I'm not building it is, it's too new. Last of the Big Blocks from GM ..
The Mark IV'S been around since 1965 and was better suited for a old truck ...
Lot more goodies on the market for them than the Gen VII's ...
BTW ... Lookie what followed me home the other day ...
3-71 Blower ... Have no clue what I'll use it for, to small for the motor I'm building ...
Bout the right size for a flathead Ford V-8 ..
Guess I'll sell it for a few C notes ..