GT40s.com - View Single Post

killroy · 10-20-04, 02:50 PM

Let's look at the A4. They are no longer made, so you have to find a used block, of find one that has been sitting. Then, it's not as strong as a Dart. If you find one cheap, it's a good part, but I would not bother looking too hard when you can get the Dart brand new.

The R302 is a good piece. It might be stronger than a Dart, but with the price you pay and the required machine work to make it ready to run, the Dart seems more economical. The Dart also allows a bigger bore.

For me, the choice is clear. The Dart seems like a better block unless a great deal falls in your lap.

Lastly, the Mexican blocks used the last of the beefy hipo main caps. I think that their tooling was also worn out, so there was a bit more metal. The extra metal was probably only a tiny part of the extra strength, the main caps are the biggest contributor. As for the high nickel content, I have heard that before, but I have also heard that was not true, just a rumor started when Ford started making the high nickel 5.0 and 3.8 blocks.

10-20-04, 02:50 PM	#22 (permalink)
killroy A Tenth Join Date: Jul 2004 GT40: Silicon Valley Posts: 121 Rep Power: 6	Re: Split Block ???? Let's look at the A4. They are no longer made, so you have to find a used block, of find one that has been sitting. Then, it's not as strong as a Dart. If you find one cheap, it's a good part, but I would not bother looking too hard when you can get the Dart brand new. The R302 is a good piece. It might be stronger than a Dart, but with the price you pay and the required machine work to make it ready to run, the Dart seems more economical. The Dart also allows a bigger bore. For me, the choice is clear. The Dart seems like a better block unless a great deal falls in your lap. Lastly, the Mexican blocks used the last of the beefy hipo main caps. I think that their tooling was also worn out, so there was a bit more metal. The extra metal was probably only a tiny part of the extra strength, the main caps are the biggest contributor. As for the high nickel content, I have heard that before, but I have also heard that was not true, just a rumor started when Ford started making the high nickel 5.0 and 3.8 blocks.