Which 318 should I build ?

-

qnzbase55

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2019
Messages
18
Reaction score
26
Location
Utica ny
Hi guys I recently bought two 318 for the price of one, looks like one is
1972 and other is 1976. My question of you guys which one is worth rebuild to put into my 1968 valiant.
Ps budget build so rebuild will mean gaskets all around mild cam and upgrade intake and new rings
2F99725D-343C-4CB7-9364-4B5200E93E43.jpeg
35B79710-0048-45BE-B2E4-BFF61BC0DECF.jpeg
9219C3D2-82F0-4169-AADF-8224514D2A33.jpeg
E9B2C505-F61E-4AF4-B9F0-987C404F3961.jpeg
 
either will do it with a cam change. the 78 probably had a smog cam in it but the 78 will have hardened seats already. with a rebuild and cam both blocks will be the same. 72 heads are iffy on hardened valve seats as 73 IIRC was the unleaded fuel changeover.
 
Both are very similar. The IH block casting should be a good one. (cast in a International Harvester foundry)
 
Build the short block that is the best shape internally.
 
Both are very similar. The IH block casting should be a good one. (cast in a International Harvester foundry)
I totally missed that! Good call. Knew they were out there but the first time I seen it in the wild. My vote is now for the IH block with the 78 heads. I figure the IH plant was probably not as balls to the walls for production figures so they may have been a little sharper in the tooling and a little slower on the line?
 
I totally missed that! Good call. Knew they were out there but the first time I seen it in the wild. My vote is now for the IH block with the 78 heads. I figure the IH plant was probably not as balls to the walls for production figures so they may have been a little sharper in the tooling and a little slower on the line?

I have read the quality is better. Probably one of the reasons why they cast the blocks. Here in town, John Deere cast 2.5 GM "Iron Duke" blocks back in the 70's and 80's with good results.
 
Use the best one... I like the Farmall blocks beacuse they are "different" but the same. Got one here in my shop... all my friends tell me I drink too much when I mention the IH casting.

Back in the 60's my ex-BIL worked at the IH foundry in Waukesha, WI. Just one of many IH plants.
 
I believe this nickel content was discussed last year under "Strange 318 block"
 
Both are very similar. The IH block casting should be a good one. (cast in a International Harvester foundry)
That’s the top block correct....

Build the short block that is the best shape internally.

BINGO. Sonic check the blocks cylinders and build the one with the thickest walls and hopefully the least rust on the insides.
 
Budget build, mild cam, intake and carb. Really guys??? You think the IH is the deal breaker?? LOL GOODNESS!! OP, see which short block is in the best shape internally and use that one....
 
Budget build, mild cam, intake and carb. Really guys??? You think the IH is the deal breaker?? LOL GOODNESS!! OP, see which short block is in the best shape internally and use that one....
I think we are still talking about the IH cast block because many have heard about them but few have seen them. Yes, the best one gets my vote.
 
I think we are still talking about the IH cast block because many have heard about them but few have seen them. Yes, the best one gets my vote.
aren't the 4 bolt mount 318's from the later 60's the best blocks? They "say" you can bore them out to a 340 and put 340 pistons in them, though I've not tried it. I did have a 4 bolt mount block recently and I gave it to a mopar buddy.
 
aren't the 4 bolt mount 318's from the later 60's the best blocks? They "say" you can bore them out to a 340 and put 340 pistons in them, though I've not tried it. I did have a 4 bolt mount block recently and I gave it to a mopar buddy.
I have heard that some can be bored that far but I have never seen one.
 
Opened the oils pan and intake looks good going to open the head to see if it has been bored
D7AE5EDA-E4D7-4534-927E-1D73D3DBC1DE.jpeg
7FA38E51-978D-45BB-818A-FFD4E9EDD254.jpeg
 
back around the time I 1st got my driver license (1983ish) my Dad had a 76 Charger SE (a Cordoba with a different grill and taillights) though there was nothing wrong with the original 360 (I wound up selling it to a guy who power washed it and dropped it into another car nd drove it for a good long while after that) Dad decided he "needed to swap the engine". The replacement 318 engine he got for it came from a 77 Lebaron from a local junkyard, had only 40K miles on it... he had called every junkyard in about a 75 mile radius for the "best" deal. He decided on this one because it was the lowest mile engine available at the time, and others wanted more money for engines with more miles.
anyways after this Charger got wrecked, I pulled that engine back out (probably had 90k on the engine at that point) and took it to the community college auto shop and it served as my 1st engine rebuild, guinea pig, shop class rebuilt engine. I was surprised at the time to see the IH symbol on this particular engine and wondered at the time what Dad really had bought. every 318 I have seen the innards of since, looked just exactly like that one.....except for the lack of that cast in IH symbol, that is.
 
Of course. Just the block has a little symbol difference. Everything else is corporate build status quo.
 
-
Back
Top