Which iron hemi block is best?

Posted By: turbogmc

Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/02/14 07:51 PM

I was wondering which iron block hemi is the best as far as design and stregth? I have a 66' 426 hemi out of a 66 charger which is in perfect shape and has never been damaged in any way. My engine builder wants it for numbers reasons for his car and i have my choice between newer production mopar block or a world products block. I would rather him have the original hemi for numbers reasons and i plan on racing my 69' Roadrunner so i would rather risk damaging a "fake hemi" than damage the real thing. What are your thoughts? Thank you, Bret

Posted By: camastomcat

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/02/14 08:46 PM

Quote:

I was wondering which iron block hemi is the best as far as design and stregth? I have a 66' 426 hemi out of a 66 charger which is in perfect shape and has never been damaged in any way. My engine builder wants it for numbers reasons for his car and i have my choice between newer production mopar block or a world products block. I would rather him have the original hemi for numbers reasons and i plan on racing my 69' Roadrunner so i would rather risk damaging a "fake hemi" than damage the real thing. What are your thoughts? Thank you, Bret

Good luck. The newer production block is a World block, and as far as I know, they are not available. You may be able to find someone with one, but they are not making them right now. I am using one of the last ones, and so far (5 runs) it's a nice piece.

Posted By: Slant6pak

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/02/14 09:33 PM

Did they stop making them for good?

Or do they simply make them in limited runs?

Posted By: camastomcat

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/02/14 09:39 PM

Quote:

Did they stop making them for good?

Or do they simply make them in limited runs?

I doubt it's for good, but it may be a few years and someone else will probably will be casting them.

Posted By: RoadRunner

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/02/14 09:41 PM

Quote:

Did they stop making them for good?

Or do they simply make them in limited runs?

Here is what I was told form more than one source. Tooling is sitting idle. No contractor to cast or machine has been selected. I was told in January that they would be up and running this summer, but not to hold my breath. I would guess we will not see any production until next year. Price of blocks went from $2500 to $5000 between January and April. I found a new block here at Moparts and jumped on it. I think there are aluminum blocks available.

Posted By: B G Racing

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/02/14 09:57 PM

We have a few new iron blocks available.One is a 4.495 bore that sonic tested at or over .250 on all cylinders.

Posted By: Dragula

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/02/14 11:12 PM

Like eveyone said, they are near impossible to find. New in the crate I have been seeing some pretyy high prices for them. They stopped making them 2 years ago, and they are not likely to be back in production any time soon.

I have one of the new World Blocks, and mine had two issues, fixed them and moved on. Pretty beefy compared to a stocker.

Wonder what the going rate on an Indy Alum one is?

Posted By: DusterDave

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/03/14 03:15 AM

If he wants your block bad enough, then see if he'll up the ante and trade him in exchange for a new aluminum block. You're going racing, so the lighter weight will be a good benefit. Can't hurt to try!

Posted By: dogdays

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/03/14 05:54 PM

Best block is one you can buy!

Worth a call,

http://www.hpperformancellc.com/store#!/Cast-Iron-Hemi-Block/p/12528197/category=2880288

Says on their Website "in stock"

R.

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/03/14 06:17 PM

I'm going to assume that both blocks are the big bore versions, yes or no? If so then I would use the World block instead of the earlier casting Mopar block due to having a earlier 4.180 rough bore Mopar block that was very thin on the sonic testing, not so on any of the World blocks I've used and tested

BTW, I did one small bore World hemi block and they are all siamese cylinder walls according to World, the earlier Mopar blocks weren't

Posted By: cudaman1969

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/03/14 06:28 PM

If your engine builder wants your block then he pays all cost for whitchever block you choose. Nice original blocks should fetch more than the newer ones.

Posted By: scatpacktom

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/03/14 07:37 PM

For me it would all come down to the cylinder wall sonic test on that 66 block.

If you are going to race it a bit it may not be the one you want

Posted By: turbogmc

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/05/14 05:01 AM

Initially, when i was going to build the 66' hemi, i had him send it to another shop to get sonic checked and i was told it checked beautiful. I never bothered to ask what thickness or anything. Later on, it ended up where he ended up with a 66' satellite and this motor is date coded for his car to make it seem like good a numbers match tribute. He offered up the idea and the more i thought about it, the more it made sense to me. We had a mutual understanding that i would get fair market value for my block and heads. So, with that, i planned on going with an improved block design (iron or aluminum) and more than likely edelbrock aluminum heads when im ready to talk to the bank. I would prefer an aluminum block i guess, i just need to shop around for a new one. Thank you all for your input. Bret

Posted By: cudaman1969

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/05/14 11:03 PM

Should have added about allumium blocks-heads, freind has a 604 and has weird thermo properties with the valve train and who knows what else. Couldn't run withend 5 hundreths back to back. I would stick with a new iron block and long arm, high comp if racing.

Posted By: camastomcat

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/05/14 11:14 PM

Quote:

Should have added about allumium blocks-heads, freind has a 604 and has weird thermo properties with the valve train and who knows what else. Couldn't run withend 5 hundreths back to back. I would stick with a new iron block and long arm, high comp if racing.

What kind of block? I've had 3 of them, KB, World, and another World aluminum block. Won races with all of them. That's a tune up issue IMO.

Posted By: Dyno1

Re: Which iron hemi block is best? - 10/05/14 11:20 PM

I talked to Dale Aldo last week, he said the new blocks would be available the 1st week of November. I hope he means 2014!