Engine decking issue(help)

a SBC dart block is around $1500-$1700

The SB-mopar R-3 blocks were around $4500 - $5500

The Nickle content in a R-3 is so much higher. The block alone with billet Caps is almost the same weight as a complete standard short block.

the reason mopars are so much more money is because of the demand. Production quantity is almost 1000-1 difference and more .
The more you make while tooled for a part the cheaper the cost. The longer they are on the shelf it raises the overhead.

I was at "Ray Barton's Racing". Ray and I went out for lunch and we were talking about his switch to GM. "COPO Camaro"
General motors gives him everything to race for free. Mopar charged him for every part. "And he was building the Hemi Crate motors for them".

Then we came back to the shop and he showed me why LS blocks are so much better. They had 6.2 Hemi's and LS's fresh of the Rottler. The quality of the metal of the LS was like the old Mopar race blocks. The 6.2 metal was actually disgusting. You could visually see the difference. "The new Hemi's are scrap". And that is right out of Ray's mouth. And who is better to compare. He build's both for competition.

Any motor can make power but how long will it stay together.

The new Hemi's have a valve seat problem. Probably because they don't heat them high enough before installing them to save time. The proper heat before the install of the seat the tighter the fit. Also freezing the seat.

When removing a seat you tig weld them and cool them with air. They fall out..

Aluminum draws heat from iron. So what happens to the seat if you get a Hemi real hot and shut it off when hot. The aluminum draws the heat out of the seat.

Think about that . A valve sitting open and nothing holding the seat while the head is drawing the heat from the seat.

If you get a motor overheated with aluminum heads and shut it off. Crank it every couple of minutes while cooling. Could save you a motor.

I can't wait to see how many mile's they get on the New Demon's. They make a lot of power but for how long?

Give a junk yard LS some boost and you have a durable race motor Cheap.

I say this because it is fact . Would we go cheap? That's not happening. I'm a die hard mopar guy. That's how I was raised. And that is how my son was raised. So I am sure my son will pay what ever the cost to keep the big "M" on the trailer.