Oi Vey

[GT40FIED]

I think my block is getting ready to give. The block is rated from Ford for 600hp (not a suprise...stock 5.0L blocks are rated for just a little under 400hp and with a main cap girdle they'll routinely handle 600hp). But I think it's about ready to give up. A new one will cost me around $900 or so after the bores are finished off. Or I can upgrade to a Ford Racing block (the A4 block) which will cost $1500 plus finishing the bores. The upside is it can be bored/stroked up to about 360cid and is rated to something like 1000hp. So what do you guys think....save up and go bigger or buy another version of the block that's served me well for a little over a year's worth of tortue?

[spoogenet]

Let's see.....buy the same block and have it last another year. Or pay a little more, maybe 2 times as much, and have it last longer and have more power potential?

Tough choice.......

More power! :yes:

b

[GT40FIED]

See...at first it seemed like a simple decision. But then I started thinking about the limitations the R302 block (the new version of the A4) has. It's siamesed (no water passages between cylinders) so it could have cooling problems with street driving. The older A4s are non-siamesed but I'd have to find one used. Then again the idea of 4 bolt main caps is nice. Plus I wouldn't have to keep detuning the damn thing cuz I was scared of breaking stuff. With an R302 I could crank the boost up and run 18psi all the time and use my old heads that were a little too big for the setup I've got now with 12psi. I'd be looking at probably 750-800 rwhp but we're still talking about $1500 plus the cost of finishing the lifter bores, cylinders, and camshaft bore. All in all maybe $1750 or so. Plus I've got spring tuition coming up soon. Blarg.

[pdiggitydogg]

id stick with the tried and true