318 Build

-

Dartn440

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
3,529
Reaction score
981
Location
Southern Pines, NC
I have a 1966 steel crank 318 I picked up because I needed the 360 heads it was wearing. Guy I got it from told me he thought it was “built pretty good.” He pulled it for a bigger motor in his B body.

I have torn down my fair share of motors that we’re “running when pulled” and most must have been powering submarines because they looked like **** when you started to tear them down.

I’ll be sending everything off to the machine shop for tolerance checks and a good once over. Cylinders are clean at .030 with a flat top down in the hole a bit so I am considering upping the compression to at least 9.5:1. I have set of fully machined 360 heads with bigger valves ready to go.

The rotating assembly had meat taken out of the underside of the pistons, crank, rods for balancing. All bearing surfaces looked great, mains were standard, rods were standard or .0001. Not sure I can get the latter anymore so those may have to be turned.

Intake I have on hand is Performer RPM 318/360. I am going this week to pick up and LD4B and can also get ahold of a Performer Air Gap.

Whattya think?
 
If it's a 66 318, I would make sure that it's not a poly... 66 was the last year of the poly, 67 was the first year of the LA 318.... They are different...
 
I’ll go back and look at the block....could have sworn I saw 66. But then again, we were cooking a block in the cleaner, there was welding, cutting, and energy drinks involved....lol
 
I’ll go back and look at the block....could have sworn I saw 66. But then again, we were cooking a block in the cleaner, there was welding, cutting, and energy drinks involved....lol


If the date is after June of 66, it's most like a first edition of the 67 318 LA.... They launch the new models in June/July....

If it's like a January cast date block, then it may be a poly.... It's easy to tell a poly by the bottom of the valve cover is uniquely shaped...
 
Front of the block was stamped C318 and I pulled 360 heads off it when I brought it home. Definitely not a poly...might be an early cast as you mention
 
I was not planning on swapping pistons as my solution. Trying to keep it as budget as I can. The pistons in it are balanced to the assembly and look practically new. Since it came with 360 heads I am going to assume that was taken into consideration when it was originally put together. All going to the machine shop together to get an exact read on what was already done to block surface and previous 360 heads.
No dogs here....
 
If you're using the 340/360 heads, use the air gap. Using those heads, I'd probably spring for a set of KB-167's to keep the compression from being 4.9-1 ! :eek:


I was not planning on swapping pistons as my solution. Trying to keep it as budget as I can. The pistons in it are balanced to the assembly and look practically new. Since it came with 360 heads I am going to assume that was taken into consideration when it was originally put together. All going to the machine shop together to get an exact read on what was already done to block surface and previous 360 heads.
No dogs here....


A stock 72 318 with 360 heads will get 7.5 compression, an early 318 with 360 heads will be a little higher...

If you want to bump the compression into the 8's, get a set of original 66 - 67 273/318 heads with the smaller combustion chambers... Just port the heads and install larger intake and exhaust valves...
 
8-26-66

7805FB3B-C28D-43B6-BA22-733AD657224B.jpeg
 
-
Back
Top