318 LA build log
Just wanted to share the slow build of this 318. I know there are plenty of people and articles saying you can build this or that on a low budget, and we all love the idea of a cheap budget engine build. But the truth may be if you are buying a used engine that is not running, you going to find more junk like what I have. Although depending on location and luck, I'm sure there is a good cheap 318 or 360 core out there in the wild, but I wish I had that luck, lol.
My journey starts with the search for a period correct small block. I'm searching everywhere within a reasonable distance from where I am. I was looking for 340's and 360's, you know because the old fucks tell you it's better value. Ok, sure boomer. People price things like too high, like 3500 dollars high for a wiped out non running because it can't ever run engine. Yup! All junk, that's the reality. Then one day I got word of a 318 my brother's friend has and he just wants to give away or it will become scrap. Yep, I'm the owner of that free 318 now and it was crap and not worth my time.
So moving on , after awhile I found a 318 and a A904 transmission for sale for like 600 or 650 bucks or something. Ok, it's cheap enough. I go check it out and at least on outside the engine seems ok, the orange paint job sucks and is flaking, but at least it was not scrap. The seller told me it was a good running engine and all it needs is a good intake and it's good to go. Both engine and transmission was good to use... WRONG. The clutch packs in the transmission were toast and the engine needed machine shop work. Oh no! What was wrong with the engine? Well...
The engine had water in it, not good in the cold.
One of the pushrods was bent.
Witness marks of the vavles hitting two pistons(that explains the bent pushrod).
The engine was clearly rebuilt and had .030 over pistons.(not a bad thing)
The good amount of water in the engine was my major concern as it was stored in a shed so a freezing winter could do some damage, so I stopped taking it apart and sent it to the machine shop. I got a call weeks later with some good news and bad news. The machine shop owner said the good is that the block is not cracked and the bore taper is fine, which I checked too. The bad news was the main bearing caps are loose in the register. I went to the shop to see and it was not a little loose, it was very loose. So since I don't feel like finding another junk motor, I let him fix everything wrong with it, but to save some money I did not have the engine assembled, he only installed the crank.
For the cost 2400 US dollars I got:
Cleaned and checked for cracks.
Repaired or replaced main bearing caps.
Lined or align honed/bored.
Cylinders honed.(I could have done that)
All surfaces checked and measured.
All new bearings, all of them.
One new connecting rod and pins pressed on.
Cam bearings installed.
New rings.
New double roller timing set.(more on that later)
All the valves were cut.
Two seats in one of the heads were replaced.
All the gaskets.
New oil pump.
Cleaned the oil pan.(sand blasted).
That's a lot so far, the owner of the machine shop is good guy and knew I was a mechanic, so he trusted me when I said I would assemble it, really that does not matter, because he got paid.
So... 2400 bucks and still no hot rod parts. Hmm... This is the reality with very old used and abused engines, and I'm not the only one who has pointed this out.
Anyway I have more, but I'm tired of typing. Build progress will be in part two, which means I need to remember all the stuff I did with it. So stay tuned.
Below is a photo of when I bought the engine.
Just wanted to share the slow build of this 318. I know there are plenty of people and articles saying you can build this or that on a low budget, and we all love the idea of a cheap budget engine build. But the truth may be if you are buying a used engine that is not running, you going to find more junk like what I have. Although depending on location and luck, I'm sure there is a good cheap 318 or 360 core out there in the wild, but I wish I had that luck, lol.
My journey starts with the search for a period correct small block. I'm searching everywhere within a reasonable distance from where I am. I was looking for 340's and 360's, you know because the old fucks tell you it's better value. Ok, sure boomer. People price things like too high, like 3500 dollars high for a wiped out non running because it can't ever run engine. Yup! All junk, that's the reality. Then one day I got word of a 318 my brother's friend has and he just wants to give away or it will become scrap. Yep, I'm the owner of that free 318 now and it was crap and not worth my time.
So moving on , after awhile I found a 318 and a A904 transmission for sale for like 600 or 650 bucks or something. Ok, it's cheap enough. I go check it out and at least on outside the engine seems ok, the orange paint job sucks and is flaking, but at least it was not scrap. The seller told me it was a good running engine and all it needs is a good intake and it's good to go. Both engine and transmission was good to use... WRONG. The clutch packs in the transmission were toast and the engine needed machine shop work. Oh no! What was wrong with the engine? Well...
The engine had water in it, not good in the cold.
One of the pushrods was bent.
Witness marks of the vavles hitting two pistons(that explains the bent pushrod).
The engine was clearly rebuilt and had .030 over pistons.(not a bad thing)
The good amount of water in the engine was my major concern as it was stored in a shed so a freezing winter could do some damage, so I stopped taking it apart and sent it to the machine shop. I got a call weeks later with some good news and bad news. The machine shop owner said the good is that the block is not cracked and the bore taper is fine, which I checked too. The bad news was the main bearing caps are loose in the register. I went to the shop to see and it was not a little loose, it was very loose. So since I don't feel like finding another junk motor, I let him fix everything wrong with it, but to save some money I did not have the engine assembled, he only installed the crank.
For the cost 2400 US dollars I got:
Cleaned and checked for cracks.
Repaired or replaced main bearing caps.
Lined or align honed/bored.
Cylinders honed.(I could have done that)
All surfaces checked and measured.
All new bearings, all of them.
One new connecting rod and pins pressed on.
Cam bearings installed.
New rings.
New double roller timing set.(more on that later)
All the valves were cut.
Two seats in one of the heads were replaced.
All the gaskets.
New oil pump.
Cleaned the oil pan.(sand blasted).
That's a lot so far, the owner of the machine shop is good guy and knew I was a mechanic, so he trusted me when I said I would assemble it, really that does not matter, because he got paid.
So... 2400 bucks and still no hot rod parts. Hmm... This is the reality with very old used and abused engines, and I'm not the only one who has pointed this out.
Anyway I have more, but I'm tired of typing. Build progress will be in part two, which means I need to remember all the stuff I did with it. So stay tuned.
Below is a photo of when I bought the engine.