New to this forum but threw a rod in one of my 502 MPI Mags and am having new tall deck 540's built for the boat. Curious as to block preferences Merlin or Dart. I would like to hear what everyone thinks about block choice. Are Dart blocks worth the extra $800 each?

Thanks in advance.

I think you’ll find darts casting and machining is better. Not long ago I had to make the same choice and went with dart blocks. The few reputable shops I deal with typically use dart blocks as well. On the flip side I’ve never actually heard anything bad about Merlin. Do some searching to get decent pricing on dart. I didn’t think they were that much more.

They both are fine , I prefer the Darts , but they have became hard to find with long lead times or high prices.
The Merlin is also a nice peice , but lacks some basic features that should have been incorporated .
Either way , they both need complete blueprinting before assy.

I ordered mine last fall and the speed/machine shop said I was fortunate to have gotten them when I did - like many other parts getting more difficult to get.

I don't think you will find any Dart blocks right now. I was told their casting plant is shut down. The machine shop that i use was able to find some Merlin's last week, but it took some effort.