The way I look at it you can spend thousands on a stock block or spend as little as possible. My 8 second combo is still being used by a member in his street car so it is still going strong. If you make a lot of HP it IS going to break if you race it often, NO MATTER WHAT. No band-aids will stop that. Some of the guys saying you have to do this and you have to do this haven't had their car running for years claiming they can't afford it. No kidding. Use good gas, be careful with the timing, and don't rev the heck out of it. The little gained is just not worth it.