Aluminum Hemi Blocks

I am working with a good friend to help him realize a lifelong dream. He is ready to start buying parts and has to decide on a block. What are the current opinions of the Indy Maxx vs. the Bill Mitchell Aluminum block? I have heard that both blocks have received improvements. So what should Gene ( my buddy) spend his money on? This car will see the strip about 5-6 times a year and also go to a bunch of cruise in's.

I ordered and put a deposit one KB wedge block several years ago, I'm putting it together now.
I'm sure they are better than either of the two you are looking at

I did not ask about KB because I hear that the wait list for that block is very long...

I've found over the years nothing beat quality, most good things are worth waiting for
Call Tim at FHO, 905-797-2459, and see if he has any in stock and if not ask how soon on a delivery date.
I had to wait the time I did because the hemi blocks came first, he told me that up front
I did ask about how much power the street blocks would take and he told me 4000 HP wouldn't be a problem
I may have to see how much power I can make on that block if I get the right customer who wants to swing for the fences
A big Pro Charger with B1-MC heads on methanol

Agreed. I have two KB blocks. However, both have windows and need repair since both are ex-top fuel blocks from the 90's. The big ole 9/16" Dia head and main studs sure do make them extremely heavy duty.

Not to hijack the OP's question but ... If you're sitting on two windowed TF blocks that need repair, I would recommend that you contact https://www.capitolcitymachineshop.com. This shop is owned by Tim Wilkerson of nitro funny car fame. I believe that they have the experience to put your blocks back in service. How much will it cost? I'm not sure. Repair costs are based upon how bad the damage is. In trying to assess the damage, I would put studs into the oil pan rail bolt holes, run a straight edge along the length of the pan rail and see if the rail has expanded out in the area where the window(s) are. With an aluminum block, everything is repairable but how much should you spend to repair vs starting over with a new block? Jeff Jacobs is the tech on staff at Capital City that focuses on aluminum block repair. I happened to watch a video on "Welding 101" and it was really a video that focused on nitro block repair. If you are interested in learning more about their process, go to: https://watch.engineperformanceexpo.com/live/day-2 and click on the tile for "Welding 101" that is on the top row and to the right. The audio is kinda cluttered at times with background noise from the shop but hang in there. I learned quite a bit about aluminum block repair. My Hemi block is a World Products aluminum casting. Hopefully, I never put a window in it but if I do, I would talk to Capitol City first to see if it makes sense to have them take a look at it. And the disclaimer is that I have never used Capitol City and have no relationship with them. I'm just passing along information that I stumbled upon.

There are many more very interesting tech videos that came out of this performance expo. The link I mentioned above has recaps of the Day 2 sessions. The day 1 sessions are posted at https://watch.engineperformanceexpo.com/live For Day 2 sessions, I found "Bore Geometry", "Balancing the Short Block" and "Engine Bearings" along with the session on aluminum block repair to be very educational. I didn't get a chance to review the Day 1 sessions but there are some interesting titles in there that I plan to watch.

Not to hijack the OP's question but ... If you're sitting on two windowed TF blocks that need repair, I would recommend that you contact https://www.capitolcitymachineshop.com. This shop is owned by Tim Wilkerson of nitro funny car fame. I believe that they have the experience to put your blocks back in service. How much will it cost? I'm not sure. Repair costs are based upon how bad the damage is. In trying to assess the damage, I would put studs into the oil pan rail bolt holes, run a straight edge along the length of the pan rail and see if the rail has expanded out in the area where the window(s) are. With an aluminum block, everything is repairable but how much should you spend to repair vs starting over with a new block? Jeff Jacobs is the tech on staff at Capital City that focuses on aluminum block repair. I happened to watch a video on "Welding 101" and it was really a video that focused on nitro block repair. If you are interested in learning more about their process, go to: https://watch.engineperformanceexpo.com/live/day-2 and click on the tile for "Welding 101" that is on the top row and to the right. The audio is kinda cluttered at times with background noise from the shop but hang in there. I learned quite a bit about aluminum block repair. My Hemi block is a World Products aluminum casting. Hopefully, I never put a window in it but if I do, I would talk to Capitol City first to see if it makes sense to have them take a look at it. And the disclaimer is that I have never used Capitol City and have no relationship with them. I'm just passing along information that I stumbled upon.)

Capitol City is the machine shop I use. It and Tim are are both located here. I haven't needed a block repaired but have seen many of Tim's nitro blocks repaired over the years. For years he had to make due with old parts Force and the other big teams were replacing and would give him to help him out. That was until he started winning and then it dried up.

KB block for sale in Race Parts. If Opel Engineering checked it and gave it a thumbs up, its a good block.