Paul, With reguards to nitriding, it is very thin at about .0005 in on
average. If you cut the side plate at all you remove the nitriding. Lots of
the car guys run without it then they grind the side plates. They do replace
or regrind them often though. Bill J.

The need to do this is rather rare in an aircraft use for some strange reason
but the side plates can always be re nitrided and re lapped.

Tracy went 650 hours on a junkyard engine and the side plates
were still in good shape. Maybe it was the Marvel Mystery Oil :-)

Paul Lamar
 
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