Wanna be Dart block

machine shop tom · Post by **machine shop tom** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:24 am

spoolintruck wrote:I found that other thread and nothing in it is very conclusive! Even if this block isnt as good as a dart, but a copy shouldnt it stand to reason that its almost as tough as one? I dont need to push the limits of a dart block 2500 h.p I was shooting for around half that.. I am looking for someone that has first hand experience with these. NOT hearsay, or assumptions.. Again any REAL help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Go ahead and buy it and run it. After a while, tear it down and see how it looks. That way you can be one of the first here to have first-hand experience at running one.

Let us know what you find at that point.

tom

spoolintruck · Post by **spoolintruck** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:48 am

machine shop tom wrote:
spoolintruck wrote:I found that other thread and nothing in it is very conclusive! Even if this block isnt as good as a dart, but a copy shouldnt it stand to reason that its almost as tough as one? I dont need to push the limits of a dart block 2500 h.p I was shooting for around half that.. I am looking for someone that has first hand experience with these. NOT hearsay, or assumptions.. Again any REAL help would be greatly appreciated!!!
Go ahead and buy it and run it. After a while, tear it down and see how it looks. That way you can be one of the first here to have first-hand experience at running one.

Let us know what you find at that point.

tom

Thats actually the best advise so far.. As of now i am still trying to figure out if its an RPM block, PBM block, Some other junk no name, or a procomp block.. I still have no idea.

n2omike · Post by **n2omike** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:01 pm

Usually when somebody makes a post like this, they have already bought the item, and are looking for somebody to say it's OK.
Either that, or they pretty much committed themselves to it, and don't plan on backing out.

"Cheap" is a quality overcoming many faults.... but engines and machine work are two things that the above law rarely applies to.

It's a Chinese block of unknown quality.
It may work fine for a while.
It may blow up in the first minute of operation.
It may run just fine for a long time.

Point is, you can't count on it.
You may save $500 or so on an $8k engine by going with the cheap block, but is it really worth it?
Not for me. I'm not risking all the rest of the engine parts by taking a chance with one of those.

Good Luck!

spoolintruck · Post by **spoolintruck** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 3:31 pm

Found out its an RPM block. Does that help?

Mpcoluv · Post by **Mpcoluv** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:01 pm

RPM international makes a lot of the private labeled rods and cranks for other folks.
You will just be rolling the dice with that block until those are proven to be good or bad by use.
Just remember that a block is what holds all the spinning bits into alignment.

n2omike · Post by **n2omike** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:43 pm

spoolintruck wrote:As of now i am still trying to figure out if its an RPM block, PBM block, Some other junk no name, or a procomp block.. I still have no idea.

If it's not a Dart, World or Ford Racing block.... it's CHINESE.

RPM, PBM, Pro-Comp, etc are all companies that buy junk from China and put their name on it.

Some people will risk a $8,000+ engine in order at a "chance" of saving a few hundred dollars. If that's you, then go ahead. Let us know what happens.
Of course, your results won't be conclusive, as Chinese parts aren't the most consistent.
One might have good metal, but have horrible core shift.
One might have crap metal, but have little core shift.
One might have good metal, but horrible machine work.
One might have crap metal, horrible core shift AND bad machine work.
One may actually have everything within decent tolerances.

Metal quality, core shift and machine work ALL have to be good, or you've got a boat anchor.

Roll the dice... or buy a Dart and KNOW you are getting a good piece.

Good Luck!

hitchcock · Post by **hitchcock** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:40 pm

If you done want to spend the money on a dart block that is totally understandable. But you would probably be better off using a stock G.M. block and invest a fair amount of money in GOOD QUALITY MACHINE WORK,(that goes a long way in the name of relaibility) and be much better off than the block in question. Lots of gen IV V and VI blocks are pushed to 800-1000 hp with great sucess.

spoolintruck · Post by **spoolintruck** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:25 pm

hitchcock wrote:If you done want to spend the money on a dart block that is totally understandable. But you would probably be better off using a stock G.M. block and invest a fair amount of money in GOOD QUALITY MACHINE WORK,(that goes a long way in the name of relaibility) and be much better off than the block in question. Lots of gen IV V and VI blocks are pushed to 800-1000 hp with great sucess.

I really dont think i'd be very well off buying a GM block, when i have a ford and am running a windors based for small block ford.

ap-engines · Post by **ap-engines** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:12 pm

Ford Performance Solutions.... Yes these guys are paired up with RPM. They had a block at PRI last year. I spent a fair amount of time looking at it. I have worked on SVO and Ford Racing blocks exclusively for the past 17 years. I still wonder how this company uses "Ford" in their name when they are knocking off "real Ford" blocks. It is not a copy of a Dart, it is a copy of a SVO "G" block from 10-12 years ago. The guys at the PRI booth offered me a block, H-beam rod, forged crank (stroke of my choice) and forged pistons for $1600.... If it sound too good to be true, it usually is.

Ford Performance Solutions also sells knock off D3, C3 and SC1 heads.
The back of their catologe offers "Reverse Engineering Service".

I thought it was awful bold of them to offer me a "deal" on Knock off Ford Racing parts considering I still had my blue uniform on with "Ford Racing" on it.

SMITHBERGRACING · Post by **SMITHBERGRACING** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:32 pm

ap-engines wrote:Ford Performance Solutions.... Yes these guys are paired up with RPM. They had a block at PRI last year. I spent a fair amount of time looking at it. I have worked on SVO and Ford Racing blocks exclusively for the past 17 years. I still wonder how this company uses "Ford" in their name when they are knocking off "real Ford" blocks. It is not a copy of a Dart, it is a copy of a SVO "G" block from 10-12 years ago. The guys at the PRI booth offered me a block, H-beam rod, forged crank (stroke of my choice) and forged pistons for $1600.... If it sound too good to be true, it usually is.

Ford Performance Solutions also sells knock off D3, C3 and SC1 heads.
The back of their catologe offers "Reverse Engineering Service".

I thought it was awful bold of them to offer me a "deal" on Knock off Ford Racing parts considering I still had my blue uniform on with "Ford Racing" on it.

That should sum it up for you (spoolintruck). The typical you pay for what you get.

hitchcock · Post by **hitchcock** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:37 pm

hitchcock wrote:If you done want to spend the money on a dart block that is totally understandable. But you would probably be better off using a stock G.M. block and invest a fair amount of money in GOOD QUALITY MACHINE WORK,(that goes a long way in the name of relaibility) and be much better off than the block in question. Lots of gen IV V and VI blocks are pushed to 800-1000 hp with great sucess.

Sorry I was off a hair on that one. I'm so consumed with my own stuff I forgot we are talking about another breed here. But, if you really wanted to up the ante ther is that bbc stuff...

Mpcoluv · Post by **Mpcoluv** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:07 pm

I see prices for around $1500 for the RPM MAXX 351W block.
That is just too close to the price of a dart/world/svo block to take the chance in my opinion.
Here is a much better deal
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-Dart ... ccessories