Blocks from Summitt or Comp. Products

cmus10

Member
Did a search didn't see anything on this subject.
Looking for opinions. Not a Dart block but, for someone on a
budget might be an alternative???.
 
your local salvage yards, and local machine shops, might have a few fairly low mileage engines from salvage yard wrecks, you could at least look around before deciding on ordering a refurbished block from summit, as you might find a real bargain deal occasionally.
KEEP in mind any used block will require careful and detailed inspection and careful cleaning, inspection, new freeze plugs bearings and more than likely a bore and hone, possibly a line hone, etc. AND remember you might also get a deal from a local machine shop,on the required machine work, its not at all unusually to have $800-$1200 in machine work required AFTER you buy a block, and the stock OEM casting is FLIMSY compared to the DART BLOCK,
thats why the DART blocks, with much thicker castings, and with about 90% of the machine work already done are a good value, in fact Ive rarely had the machine work required once added to the engine block cost NOT exceed $1000, with the cost exceeding $1200 rather common,if it needs to be line honed, bored, decked, etc. so the DART block is really the smart way to go if you don,t already own a decent block, and if its already .030 over bored, the dart blocks always going to be the smarter and possibly, in the long run, cheaper route than machining the OEM casting
yes almost all the time everyones damn reluctant to spend the cash on a DART block
, (the first time they build a serious engine)
but after you get done with the machine work costs, at your local machine shop, and realize what you spent on a stock SBC OEM block,
and get a detailed report showing the exact meassurements on the stock blocks bore wall thickness and total the bills ,
you had to pay out, youll have a far different perspective on the cost of that dart block


http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/precision-measuring-tools.1390/#post-68861



http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ing-to-partially-fill-coolant-passages.14545/



http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/chevy-big-block-vi.9857/#post-37553

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-150100/overview/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/drt-3 ... /overview/

http://www.jegs.com/p/Chevrolet-Perform ... 5/10002/-1



viewtopic.php?f=51&t=976
 
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grumpy is so right on this, I am another new engine builder ripping my hair out with stock block blues. do yourself a favor and just save up for a dart block if your going to make some large horsepower.
 
Most of us learn by making mistakes, and you can be sure I made my share, and learned a good deal from each,
the first really serious SBC engine, back in the 1970s I built forced me to learn all about how crooked , and back-stabbing the machine shop I was dealing with at the time was.
I dropped off my nearly new 350 block and asked them to deck it 10 thousands, add splayed main caps , line hone and install new cam bearings and freeze plugs,
I was given a written estimate for a total of $480 for the work, which I foolishly paid up front, and told it would be 3-4 days.
a couple days later I called to see if it was ready to be picked up...they had not done much yet, but promised, it would be done in 3-4 days.....2 weeks later I get a call,
and the counter gal says were done, come pick it up, I was billed $870 -$480, or $390 MORE,
and they obviously billed me for decking the block which they had not done as you could easily still see the old gasket dis-coloration on the block,
not only that, the splayed main caps had obviously not been line honed,as they showed no honing marks, I pointed those little discrepancy's out ,
and was told if I wanted my block back the cost was $390 regardless.. I foolishly paid, got my block and left as I knew I was already out $480
I rarely build or suggest any serious 450 hp, plus SBC be built on a O.E.M. block


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I can't really call myself an engine builder but when I do one for the Vette the first thing I buy will be a Dart block and a Forged lower end period. Possibly choice # 2 would be a shortblock from Ohio Crankshaft with the Dart Block and I think the last time that I priced it out it made more scence to go the Ohio Crankshaft route I could buy one ready to go quite a bit cheaper
 
when i started this was suppose to be a mildly warm 383 that a stock block would be sufficient, builders creep sets in and im potentially 100 hp over my original build. at least I get good advice here!
 
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