Dart Declares War
There has been much talk in the performance community lately concerning the arrival of “bargain†performance blocks and heads from various sources. These parts generally claim to be high quality performance pieces at extremely low prices. Sometimes the sellers don’t mention much about the materials used, the quality control, or where they’re made. Sometimes they are misleading about it, and sometimes they outright lie about these facts.
At Dart, our focus is creating great engine parts, right here in the U.S.A. We usually just shake our heads and move on when we see this sort of thing happening. But once in a while we get fed up with the bottom feeders and we decide to do something about it.
This is one of those times.
Starting October 1st 2009 and ending December 31st, 2009 we will be making an unprecedented offer to all of our customers and associates.
Our Little M Sportsman series blocks, part numbers 31151111, 31151211, 31152111 and 31152211, will be available at a special $200.00 universal discount.
Our regular Little M blocks, part numbers 31131111, 31131211, 31132111 and 31132211, will be available at a special $300.00 universal discount.
ALL customers, from our biggest warehouse distributors, to our numerous friends in the racing community, to the guy building his street rod in the garage, will receive this special pricing across the board.
Our blocks are high quality, U.S. performance pieces and we know they’re a better value than these “bargain†offerings out there. We don’t need to be misleading about their quality or where they’re made.
From October to December, we are declaring war.
Our intent is to send the “bargain†blocks packing by offering you a far superior piece at a comparable price.
Why consider a questionable engine block when you can get the best? It’s a win-win.
Get an awesome block, at an awesome price – designed, cast, machined and packaged 100% here in the good ol’ U.S.A.
If you’re thinking about buying a new block… there shouldn’t be any question where it’s going to come from.
- Thanks to all our loyal customers, fans, friends and associates, from Dart.
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Originally Posted by CNC BLOCKS
Finally did the final probling of the Brand X block
Block datum points in the CNC machine are the cam and crank center line, center line of the bar through the mains and the center of the head dowel on the front of the drivers side block.
Also the block uses the same dowel holes under the fuel pump and starter area which I would say means the blocks are being machined on a track system which is used in high production machining.
One of the biggest problems with the block is from the center of the dowel pin which is the datum point, From there out to the front of the block the demension is suppose to be .845 and on this block its .865 which will move the cam a head in the block .020 and on a flat tappet cam the lobe will not last long riding on the edge of the lobe.
Now if you are using a BHJ lifter bore fixture which referances of the front of the block and going to an lifter .875 lifter bore it will leave a shadow on the rear of each lifter bore which means every lifter bore will need to be bushed even to run a .875 lifter.
The cylinders on the both sides were with in .003 front to rear.
On the even side left to right or intake to exhaust or I call this Y-axis the best was .001 worst was .0038
On the odd side in Y-axis best was .0018 the worst was .0077
Deck heights were on the even side were
low was 9.028
High was 9.038
Deck heights on the odd side were
Low was 9.029
High was 9.032
On the lifter bores we check the angles on all four corners only which should be 41 degrees.
Front lifter bore cylinder one was 40.937
Rear on cylinder seven was 41.026
Front lifter bore cylinder two was 41.020
Rear on cylinder eight was 41.014
I also used a .8425 cutter and machined down appox. .200 down on all four corners
And on cylinder one first lifter bore the cutter cut appox.006 at about 8 O'clock looking from the left side of the block which means the lifter bore was to far back and to far to the inside of the block
On cylinder 7 the rear lifter bore cut only at 12 O'clock looking from the left side of the block meaning the lifter bore was to far to the out side of the block appox. .006
On cylinder number 2 front lifter bore and cylinder number 8 rear lifter bore the cutter was only cutting at 12 O'Clock looking from the left side of the block which means the lifter bore was towards the inside of the block to much appox. .004
Running a roller cam your are dealing with direct center lines and having lifter bores of that far will change your seat to seat timing events.
The other problem I mentioned earlier was the hole through the lifter bore front to rear to and on the front lifter bore even side was the with in .003 of the Dart block but the rear of the hole dropped .0024
Looking at the 2 blocks side by side the hole in the Brand X block looks like the oil hole is 3/16 closer to the bottom of the lifter bore compared to the Dart blocks, The problem being is there is not enough material under the bottom side of the lifter bore or cam tunnel area as I measured from the cam bearing journal to the casting and its .200 different then the Dart block. Which means there maybe a chance of the lifters oil band being exposed when the lifter is on the base circle of the cam and more so a bigger problem with a small base circle camshaft.
From here the block is going to an other shop to have a brennel test done.
At this piont I am not going to waste my time check the cam tunnel for its locations as I have spent to much time all ready.
From my findings this block needs a lot of work before it could be used and if its a soft as I think it is there is no cure for that.
Material make up of the Chinese Dart look alike block
I first have to thank Leo at http://www.rlengines.com/ in conjunction with Turbocam which performed an Optical Emission Spectroscopy, I will add Leo has been working on a new anti-wear treatment TX-1 for performance components http://www.rlengines.com/tech/TX1.pdf Guive him a call for more info.
Some of the Key ingredients in cast iron to make it strong are Nickel,Molybdenum, Copper
The Little-M nickel content is 0.149, Molybdenum 0.211, Copper 0.404
Dart SHP Nickel content is 0.071, Molybdenum .016, copper 0.283
Chinese block Nickel content is 0.005, Molybdenum 0.005, Copper 0.020
Leo did the Brinell test by using the Rockwell B Scale and converting it to Brinell scale and he will back this test.
Little-M tested 200
SHP 190
Chinese block 107
I am sure the chinese blocks will very from block to block and now I see why when I had to line hone the chinese block it kept loading the stones up as it was extremely soft.
__________________
WWW.CNCBLOCKSNE.COM
A Division of Hinkson Automotive R&D
We are WD on Dart, Wiseco, JE, CP, Crower, Manley, CARRILLO, Callies, King's Crankshaft. COMP CAMS, Diamond pistons ETC.
CARL HINKSON
207-892-7215
Reply With Quote
There has been much talk in the performance community lately concerning the arrival of “bargain†performance blocks and heads from various sources. These parts generally claim to be high quality performance pieces at extremely low prices. Sometimes the sellers don’t mention much about the materials used, the quality control, or where they’re made. Sometimes they are misleading about it, and sometimes they outright lie about these facts.
At Dart, our focus is creating great engine parts, right here in the U.S.A. We usually just shake our heads and move on when we see this sort of thing happening. But once in a while we get fed up with the bottom feeders and we decide to do something about it.
This is one of those times.
Starting October 1st 2009 and ending December 31st, 2009 we will be making an unprecedented offer to all of our customers and associates.
Our Little M Sportsman series blocks, part numbers 31151111, 31151211, 31152111 and 31152211, will be available at a special $200.00 universal discount.
Our regular Little M blocks, part numbers 31131111, 31131211, 31132111 and 31132211, will be available at a special $300.00 universal discount.
ALL customers, from our biggest warehouse distributors, to our numerous friends in the racing community, to the guy building his street rod in the garage, will receive this special pricing across the board.
Our blocks are high quality, U.S. performance pieces and we know they’re a better value than these “bargain†offerings out there. We don’t need to be misleading about their quality or where they’re made.
From October to December, we are declaring war.
Our intent is to send the “bargain†blocks packing by offering you a far superior piece at a comparable price.
Why consider a questionable engine block when you can get the best? It’s a win-win.
Get an awesome block, at an awesome price – designed, cast, machined and packaged 100% here in the good ol’ U.S.A.
If you’re thinking about buying a new block… there shouldn’t be any question where it’s going to come from.
- Thanks to all our loyal customers, fans, friends and associates, from Dart.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by CNC BLOCKS
Finally did the final probling of the Brand X block
Block datum points in the CNC machine are the cam and crank center line, center line of the bar through the mains and the center of the head dowel on the front of the drivers side block.
Also the block uses the same dowel holes under the fuel pump and starter area which I would say means the blocks are being machined on a track system which is used in high production machining.
One of the biggest problems with the block is from the center of the dowel pin which is the datum point, From there out to the front of the block the demension is suppose to be .845 and on this block its .865 which will move the cam a head in the block .020 and on a flat tappet cam the lobe will not last long riding on the edge of the lobe.
Now if you are using a BHJ lifter bore fixture which referances of the front of the block and going to an lifter .875 lifter bore it will leave a shadow on the rear of each lifter bore which means every lifter bore will need to be bushed even to run a .875 lifter.
The cylinders on the both sides were with in .003 front to rear.
On the even side left to right or intake to exhaust or I call this Y-axis the best was .001 worst was .0038
On the odd side in Y-axis best was .0018 the worst was .0077
Deck heights were on the even side were
low was 9.028
High was 9.038
Deck heights on the odd side were
Low was 9.029
High was 9.032
On the lifter bores we check the angles on all four corners only which should be 41 degrees.
Front lifter bore cylinder one was 40.937
Rear on cylinder seven was 41.026
Front lifter bore cylinder two was 41.020
Rear on cylinder eight was 41.014
I also used a .8425 cutter and machined down appox. .200 down on all four corners
And on cylinder one first lifter bore the cutter cut appox.006 at about 8 O'clock looking from the left side of the block which means the lifter bore was to far back and to far to the inside of the block
On cylinder 7 the rear lifter bore cut only at 12 O'clock looking from the left side of the block meaning the lifter bore was to far to the out side of the block appox. .006
On cylinder number 2 front lifter bore and cylinder number 8 rear lifter bore the cutter was only cutting at 12 O'Clock looking from the left side of the block which means the lifter bore was towards the inside of the block to much appox. .004
Running a roller cam your are dealing with direct center lines and having lifter bores of that far will change your seat to seat timing events.
The other problem I mentioned earlier was the hole through the lifter bore front to rear to and on the front lifter bore even side was the with in .003 of the Dart block but the rear of the hole dropped .0024
Looking at the 2 blocks side by side the hole in the Brand X block looks like the oil hole is 3/16 closer to the bottom of the lifter bore compared to the Dart blocks, The problem being is there is not enough material under the bottom side of the lifter bore or cam tunnel area as I measured from the cam bearing journal to the casting and its .200 different then the Dart block. Which means there maybe a chance of the lifters oil band being exposed when the lifter is on the base circle of the cam and more so a bigger problem with a small base circle camshaft.
From here the block is going to an other shop to have a brennel test done.
At this piont I am not going to waste my time check the cam tunnel for its locations as I have spent to much time all ready.
From my findings this block needs a lot of work before it could be used and if its a soft as I think it is there is no cure for that.
Material make up of the Chinese Dart look alike block
I first have to thank Leo at http://www.rlengines.com/ in conjunction with Turbocam which performed an Optical Emission Spectroscopy, I will add Leo has been working on a new anti-wear treatment TX-1 for performance components http://www.rlengines.com/tech/TX1.pdf Guive him a call for more info.
Some of the Key ingredients in cast iron to make it strong are Nickel,Molybdenum, Copper
The Little-M nickel content is 0.149, Molybdenum 0.211, Copper 0.404
Dart SHP Nickel content is 0.071, Molybdenum .016, copper 0.283
Chinese block Nickel content is 0.005, Molybdenum 0.005, Copper 0.020
Leo did the Brinell test by using the Rockwell B Scale and converting it to Brinell scale and he will back this test.
Little-M tested 200
SHP 190
Chinese block 107
I am sure the chinese blocks will very from block to block and now I see why when I had to line hone the chinese block it kept loading the stones up as it was extremely soft.
__________________
WWW.CNCBLOCKSNE.COM
A Division of Hinkson Automotive R&D
We are WD on Dart, Wiseco, JE, CP, Crower, Manley, CARRILLO, Callies, King's Crankshaft. COMP CAMS, Diamond pistons ETC.
CARL HINKSON
207-892-7215
Reply With Quote