I'm in the market for an aftermarket block. I'm on the fence between the Dart Little M, the World Products Motown and the Chevrolet Bow Tie Sportsman. What's the difference? Is there such thing as a better block? What kind of power will they hold? I'd like to bolt up some accessories.

Any info would be appreciated.

 

When I got my block a couple of years back I went with the Dart aluminum, .500 tall deck rocket block. It was pricey but I wanted strength, light weight, and lots of cubes. Looks like a 350 but is 455 inside. Great piece, and am glad I did all the research I did prior to placing an order.

Pete

 

Aluminum huh? I'd like to stay with Iron, cause my budget isn't bottomless. Does your dart block have holes drilled for accessories? How much power is it rated for?

 

the difference is usually not outwardly apparent, but there will be differences in the main webs, the lifter valler design etc, and the main feature of aftermarket blocks is strength, and most of them are siamese bores allowing much larger displacement.

dart little m's are good, and the chevy bowtie block is probably the best deal

 

there is a $500 dollar difference between the little M and the bow tie. $1725 for the dart, $2225 and change for the bow tie. Is the bow tie worth the extra 500? What kind of power will they hold?

 

you can get a bowtie block from scoggins dickey for 1800 bucks

 

The motown is a 427 ci block. You would need the crank, pistons, rods that were made for it too, from what I've read. I've also read that the motown block can be bored/stroked to displace 500 cubic inches !!!

Can you imagine, a 500 ci. small block! They'd never know what hit em!

"Yea, it's just a 305 TPI with a cam"

 

to this point i believe a 454 is the largest small block anyone has been able to produce.....

even at that displacement you need to use a small base circle cam to prevent the connecting rods from hitting the camshaft....

so i dont really see how you could get much larger than that

 

I'm lookin for 406 to 420 cubes, but I want piece of mind when it comes to strength and durability. I checked out SDPC and they want 200 bucks for shipping on top of the 1800, I dunno. Speed O Motive here in So Cal wants 1725 plus tax for the DART little M, I'm kinda leaning that way.

 

I'll try to dig up the article on it tonight. 500 cubes they were a talkin' bout, matey! :hail:

Sorry, just saw an add for Pirates of the Caribean while checking yahoo e-mail!

 

I think the Bowtie block requires some special components: IE, not all smallblock parts bolt right up.

I have heard that the Motown block accepts most all SBC parts though.

I would research as much as I could if I were you. Save $500 on the bowtie, but you might end up spending 2K more to get it's special parts.

Woah, 500ci? That's crazy. I know the Motown block is offered through summit in 4" ands 4.125" bore (think that was it) Isn't that 350, and 400ci?

 

im not saying its impossible to get 500 inches.....

but in order to do so, your talking about a drastically clearanced block, special cam, small rod bolts, etc....expensive stuff

could it be done, yes......something you could drive around with and have it last for 25000 miles......doubtful

 

does anybody here have any of the above mentioned blocks, in their cars right now? Also nobody has answered my question as to how HP these blocks are good for??

 

thats not an issue with any of these blocks.....you're not going to make enough power to break one.

its not like an oem ford small block that can split at the main webs at a certain power level, i wouldnt worry about it

 

In a how to build horsepower book I own, they made over 1000 horsepower on a small block chevy until the block split.

 

If I really wanted to Break one, I'm sure I have the resourses to split one in half, but that's not what i'm getting at. I've had bad luck with the last two blocks I've used, and this time I'm going to ante up 2K for piece of mind.

 

well if you wanna be a smartass, buy a rodeck or a donovan block.....lets see you break one of those, they make small blocks as well now

albeit it was a big block donovan, ive seen one throw a rod at 9000rpm making about 1500hp, and bounce off the inside of the block, no repair needed

and that was aluminum

so like i said......for no practical use of a small block whatsoever, are you going to overpower an aftermarket small block casting from dart or gm

 

I was getting at the fact that the stock block stayed together up over 1000 horsepower.

Its your choice whether you want an aftermarket block or not. Did you have either of your last blocks sonic tested?

 

first block yes, and ended up cracking 3 cylinder bores. 2nd didn't make it that far. I sent it to the machine shop the week of SEMA and when I returned the next week the guy tells me that there are pieces of the block falling apart in the hot tank. It was riddled with rust.

 

I believe the difference in the price is because the $1725 Little M has nodular iron mains. The Little M has the option for splayed steel caps which comes in right at $2000. I'm not positive but I think the Bow Tie already has the splayed steel caps.

 

I was under the impression the little M came with splayed caps with two options nodular or billet?? Billet being the extra money of the two. That's what the salesmen at Speed O Motive told me.

 

Your correct. I didn't mean to imply that either block was not splayed. My bad.

 

4.00" bowtie block is rated at 700 hp@8500 RPM.

 

Just Purchased a Dart Little M block with ductile caps. Off to the machine shop it goes.

 

Nomenclature: Dart Iron Eagle Small Block
Part Number: 31122222
Price: $1,850.00
Material: Cast Iron


Thats Monty's Block (www.montygwilliams.com)

<b>He makes 1200 Horsepower and 1000 Ft.Lbs with it. </b>

Not bad, I would say.