This entire discussion is for a 318 that is in my '77 M880 Power Wagon. I'll skip the details of how we got where we are now...but it's original and losing core plugs, 3 in the block so far. The latest is under the starter. Not hard to replace....but only a matter of time before I blow one out on the road. So I need to pull the engine to get to everything, so I might as well go ahead and do the rebuild I had originally planned for a few years down the road. Engine is a 318, all stock internals the valves guides are wasted but we dropped in new valve seals so it doesn't smoke much at all. I added a 625 AFB carb and Wieand Stealth intake. Headers are Summit block Huggers, exhaust is 2.5 pipes to a single 3" Walker Super Duty muffler. I have a Pertronix vacuum distributor and MSD Streetfire box to install, but the factory ignition is working fine for now. Don't ask about my haphazard methodology. I was just trying to get it driving so I could figure what else it needed after sitting 30 years.
Drivetrain is a 727, 203 full time transfer case, Dana 60 rear/Dana 44 front with 4.10s and 33" All terrains.
Here is the dilemma..what to build? It's just a toy. I have a car trailer but doubt I would ever pull more than 8000 lbs, and only local in flat-ish north Texas. No mountains, no long distance highway stuff, and not very often. After driving it as-is, it gets down the road pretty well (you know, 4.10s), I just want to give it a bit more for pulling to make it a well rounded all purpose vehicle.
Here's where the questions come in:
My Dart has a set of decently built 596 heads, adjustable valvetrain, etc on its 360. But, I scored a set of RPM heads from the Summit discount shelf. When I swap those heads on, the 596s will be available for a 318 build. My thought process is a set of -6 cc KB399s, the 596 heads, and pick a good torque biased cam suitable for the truck application. Or I could also just get the KB167 pistons to tighten up the existing chamber volume, but then I'm still running small 318 valves, if that even makes a difference for my application.
Thoughts? I'm open for discussion.....but "360" and/or "stroker" are not part of it. Not planning a repower and stroker will be utterly wasted in this application, and then we're into stall converters and stuff I'm trying to not get involved in. I have other vehicles that need that funding.
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