diff --git a/pandas/core/frame.py b/pandas/core/frame.py
index b595e4d2158fc..f566dcfe1ee0e 100644
--- a/pandas/core/frame.py
+++ b/pandas/core/frame.py
@@ -12914,12 +12914,12 @@ def _to_dict_of_blocks(self):
         Return a dict of dtype -> Constructor Types that
         each is a homogeneous dtype.
 
-        Internal ONLY - only works for BlockManager
+        Internal ONLY.
         """
         mgr = self._mgr
         return {
             k: self._constructor_from_mgr(v, axes=v.axes).__finalize__(self)
-            for k, v in mgr.to_dict().items()
+            for k, v in mgr.to_iter_dict()
         }
 
     @property
diff --git a/pandas/core/internals/blocks.py b/pandas/core/internals/blocks.py
index 7be1d5d95ffdf..1b72c164f7945 100644
--- a/pandas/core/internals/blocks.py
+++ b/pandas/core/internals/blocks.py
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import (
+        Generator,
         Iterable,
         Sequence,
     )
@@ -385,20 +386,18 @@ def _split_op_result(self, result: ArrayLike) -> list[Block]:
         return [nb]
 
     @final
-    def _split(self) -> list[Block]:
+    def _split(self) -> Generator[Block, None, None]:
         """
         Split a block into a list of single-column blocks.
         """
         assert self.ndim == 2
 
-        new_blocks = []
         for i, ref_loc in enumerate(self._mgr_locs):
             vals = self.values[slice(i, i + 1)]
 
             bp = BlockPlacement(ref_loc)
             nb = type(self)(vals, placement=bp, ndim=2, refs=self.refs)
-            new_blocks.append(nb)
-        return new_blocks
+            yield nb
 
     @final
     def split_and_operate(self, func, *args, **kwargs) -> list[Block]:
@@ -537,7 +536,9 @@ def convert_dtypes(
         rbs = []
         for blk in blks:
             # Determine dtype column by column
-            sub_blks = [blk] if blk.ndim == 1 or self.shape[0] == 1 else blk._split()
+            sub_blks = (
+                [blk] if blk.ndim == 1 or self.shape[0] == 1 else list(blk._split())
+            )
             dtypes = [
                 convert_dtypes(
                     b.values,
@@ -1190,8 +1191,7 @@ def putmask(self, mask, new) -> list[Block]:
                 is_array = isinstance(new, np.ndarray)
 
                 res_blocks = []
-                nbs = self._split()
-                for i, nb in enumerate(nbs):
+                for i, nb in enumerate(self._split()):
                     n = new
                     if is_array:
                         # we have a different value per-column
@@ -1255,8 +1255,7 @@ def where(self, other, cond) -> list[Block]:
                 is_array = isinstance(other, (np.ndarray, ExtensionArray))
 
                 res_blocks = []
-                nbs = self._split()
-                for i, nb in enumerate(nbs):
+                for i, nb in enumerate(self._split()):
                     oth = other
                     if is_array:
                         # we have a different value per-column
@@ -1698,8 +1697,7 @@ def where(self, other, cond) -> list[Block]:
                 is_array = isinstance(orig_other, (np.ndarray, ExtensionArray))
 
                 res_blocks = []
-                nbs = self._split()
-                for i, nb in enumerate(nbs):
+                for i, nb in enumerate(self._split()):
                     n = orig_other
                     if is_array:
                         # we have a different value per-column
@@ -1760,8 +1758,7 @@ def putmask(self, mask, new) -> list[Block]:
                 is_array = isinstance(orig_new, (np.ndarray, ExtensionArray))
 
                 res_blocks = []
-                nbs = self._split()
-                for i, nb in enumerate(nbs):
+                for i, nb in enumerate(self._split()):
                     n = orig_new
                     if is_array:
                         # we have a different value per-column
diff --git a/pandas/core/internals/managers.py b/pandas/core/internals/managers.py
index 8fda9cd23b508..7c1bcbec1d3f2 100644
--- a/pandas/core/internals/managers.py
+++ b/pandas/core/internals/managers.py
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@
 )
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Generator
+
     from pandas._typing import (
         ArrayLike,
         AxisInt,
@@ -645,8 +647,7 @@ def get_bool_data(self) -> Self:
                 new_blocks.append(blk)
 
             elif blk.is_object:
-                nbs = blk._split()
-                new_blocks.extend(nb for nb in nbs if nb.is_bool)
+                new_blocks.extend(nb for nb in blk._split() if nb.is_bool)
 
         return self._combine(new_blocks)
 
@@ -1525,7 +1526,9 @@ def _insert_update_mgr_locs(self, loc) -> None:
         When inserting a new Block at location 'loc', we increment
         all of the mgr_locs of blocks above that by one.
         """
-        for blkno, count in _fast_count_smallints(self.blknos[loc:]):
+        # Faster version of set(arr) for sequences of small numbers
+        blknos = np.bincount(self.blknos[loc:]).nonzero()[0]
+        for blkno in blknos:
             # .620 this way, .326 of which is in increment_above
             blk = self.blocks[blkno]
             blk._mgr_locs = blk._mgr_locs.increment_above(loc)
@@ -1597,7 +1600,7 @@ def grouped_reduce(self, func: Callable) -> Self:
             nrows = 0
         else:
             nrows = result_blocks[0].values.shape[-1]
-        index = Index(range(nrows))
+        index = default_index(nrows)
 
         return type(self).from_blocks(result_blocks, [self.axes[0], index])
 
@@ -1735,21 +1738,18 @@ def unstack(self, unstacker, fill_value) -> BlockManager:
         bm = BlockManager(new_blocks, [new_columns, new_index], verify_integrity=False)
         return bm
 
-    def to_dict(self) -> dict[str, Self]:
+    def to_iter_dict(self) -> Generator[tuple[str, Self], None, None]:
         """
-        Return a dict of str(dtype) -> BlockManager
+        Yield a tuple of (str(dtype), BlockManager)
 
         Returns
         -------
-        values : a dict of dtype -> BlockManager
+        values : a tuple of (str(dtype), BlockManager)
         """
-
-        bd: dict[str, list[Block]] = {}
-        for b in self.blocks:
-            bd.setdefault(str(b.dtype), []).append(b)
-
-        # TODO(EA2D): the combine will be unnecessary with 2D EAs
-        return {dtype: self._combine(blocks) for dtype, blocks in bd.items()}
+        key = lambda block: str(block.dtype)
+        for dtype, blocks in itertools.groupby(sorted(self.blocks, key=key), key=key):
+            # TODO(EA2D): the combine will be unnecessary with 2D EAs
+            yield dtype, self._combine(list(blocks))
 
     def as_array(
         self,
@@ -2330,7 +2330,7 @@ def _grouping_func(tup: tuple[int, ArrayLike]) -> tuple[int, DtypeObj]:
 
 
 def _form_blocks(arrays: list[ArrayLike], consolidate: bool, refs: list) -> list[Block]:
-    tuples = list(enumerate(arrays))
+    tuples = enumerate(arrays)
 
     if not consolidate:
         return _tuples_to_blocks_no_consolidate(tuples, refs)
@@ -2351,7 +2351,7 @@ def _form_blocks(arrays: list[ArrayLike], consolidate: bool, refs: list) -> list
             if issubclass(dtype.type, (str, bytes)):
                 dtype = np.dtype(object)
 
-            values, placement = _stack_arrays(list(tup_block), dtype)
+            values, placement = _stack_arrays(tup_block, dtype)
             if is_dtlike:
                 values = ensure_wrapped_if_datetimelike(values)
             blk = block_type(values, placement=BlockPlacement(placement), ndim=2)
@@ -2450,15 +2450,6 @@ def _merge_blocks(
     return blocks, False
 
 
-def _fast_count_smallints(arr: npt.NDArray[np.intp]):
-    """Faster version of set(arr) for sequences of small numbers."""
-    counts = np.bincount(arr)
-    nz = counts.nonzero()[0]
-    # Note: list(zip(...) outperforms list(np.c_[nz, counts[nz]]) here,
-    #  in one benchmark by a factor of 11
-    return zip(nz, counts[nz])
-
-
 def _preprocess_slice_or_indexer(
     slice_or_indexer: slice | np.ndarray, length: int, allow_fill: bool
 ):
diff --git a/pandas/tests/internals/test_internals.py b/pandas/tests/internals/test_internals.py
index 92addeb29252a..43bcf84f901b1 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/internals/test_internals.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/internals/test_internals.py
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ def test_split(self):
         # GH#37799
         values = np.random.default_rng(2).standard_normal((3, 4))
         blk = new_block(values, placement=BlockPlacement([3, 1, 6]), ndim=2)
-        result = blk._split()
+        result = list(blk._split())
 
         # check that we get views, not copies
         values[:] = -9999