Dart Block - Iron Eagle or Sportsman

washMO66

Founding Member
Oct 30, 2001
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Washington, MO
I am getting ready to start ordering parts for my new engine build and I am curious as to which block to go with. I'm pretty much set on a Dart block but I was wondering which one I should go with, sportsman or iron eagle. Cost difference is around $400 and the iron eagle has all 4 bolt main as opposed to the sportsman having 4 bolt mains except for the two end caps which are two bolt.

Dart Sportsman Ford small-blocks are a cost saving version of our Iron Eagle block. They use ductile main caps with 4-bolt centers and 2-bolt end caps, and do not include the coated cam bearings, freeze plugs and dowels which come with the Iron Eagle. The Sportsman blocks are made of the same quality materials and machined to the same tolerances as all Dart blocks.

I heard a rumor that it is tough to find if not impossible a early model (front sump) oil pan that will clear the end caps on the Iron Eagle??? That is one consideration.

I intend to use my existing AFR185 heads, do 347 or 363ci and do a non intercooled ATI D1SC Procharger blow through at around 12 PSI on pump gas. This shoud net me around 725HP and 625 tq based on some other similar builds that I have seen dyno #'s on.

I know a guy that just built a 347 w/ AFR205's and a non intercooled D1SC on a sportsman block w/ a pretty small Hyd roller and he netted 804HP and 650tq at the flywheel.

Anyway your input is appreciated and thanks in advance for the help.
 
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sportsman. more than enough to handle what you want to throw at it, cheaper, and easier oil pan fitment.
are you considering a 4.125" bore?

Yes 4.125" bore, I don't know exact details about what crank, rods, pistons, cam, valvetrain yet. not sure if I am going solid roller or Hydraulic. I have to sit down with the engine builder when I have time to get everything lined out so they can get started. I am going to run my engine this season and the new one will go in late this year. I do have someone interested in buying my motor but I haven't heard back from him yet. If that's the case I'll move up to a CNC AFR205 head. If I don't sell it I'll hang on to the shortblock for another project. I've been looking at a 65 Comet Caliente 4 door with 40K original miles, it would be a good car for my old stock block 347...... 4 door fun.

Larry - This sportsman block should get me as fast as I will ever want to go I would think?? What are the HP limitations
 
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my sportsman short block. 3.4 crank and 4.155 pistons

any block you buy is gonna need every hole machined one way or another.
 
I heard a rumor that it is tough to find if not impossible a early model (front sump) oil pan that will clear the end caps on the Iron Eagle??? That is one consideration.

When I was researching what block I was going to be buying I came across the same thing, I emailed both Moroso and Canton and they have pans that will fit, personally I will go with Moroso because they have thicker rails and they're cheaper. Plus Canton has very unfriendly customer service.