Over budget 318 build

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CarfinaticII

CarfinaticII

Under Construction
Joined
Feb 22, 2018
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Location
Western PA
I’ve finally started to get into assembly of my 318 that I have been getting parts for all summer. Let me preface this to say this is my first engine build. I’ve been reading and learning as much as I can and now it’s time to start building it. Also have been studying @krazykuda post on rebuilding in the how to section. I got this block complete carb to pan when I bought my 72 dart. From the numbers I could find on the block and motor mounts and oil pan, this is from a truck. A 1972 truck.

I sent the block out to a local machine shop to get checked and proceed with boring and other machine work to build a pretty stout small block 318.

I have been taking pictures as I go and will need some help from anyone interested in responding. Here’s where I’m at so far.

Block was bored .030 over, 0 decked for the new KB 167 pistons, crank was balanced, rods were shaved and resized. Block is cleaned and painted. Plugs and Freeze plugs in minus the 2 that go behind the timing chain. Still need to get those. I installed the pistons on the rods with the lock rings.

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I’m trying to at least get the short block buttoned up this winter as the thread is called over budget. Ha. The machining of the block plus the purchase at speed master early this summer has dwindled my savings for the build but there’s always next spring to get back into it. I have been messing around with the piston rings as I don’t want to limit myself. I want to gap for nitrous, whether I ever use it is a different story. So I will have a couple questions to the experts on ring gap and making sure my measurements are correct.

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CarfinaticII said:
I’m trying to at least get the short block buttoned up this winter as the thread is called over budget. Ha. The machining of the block plus the purchase at speed master early this summer has dwindled my savings for the build but there’s always next spring to get back into it. I have been messing around with the piston rings as I don’t want to limit myself. I want to gap for nitrous, whether I ever use it is a different story. So I will have a couple questions to the experts on ring gap and making sure my measurements are correct.

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Just like everything else, more time and money involved than originally planned.
 
It should be a good one when you're done.
 
Glad to see someone not afraid of a stock stroke 318 build. It'll scream. You are aware of the required KB ring gaps, right? Failure to follow those will have really bad results. I always file them a tick on the large side for extra protection. Won't hurt a thing.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Glad to see someone not afraid of a stock stroke 318 build. It'll scream. You are aware of the required KB ring gaps, right? Failure to follow those will have really bad results. I always file them a tick on the large side for extra protection. Won't hurt a thing.
Click to expand...
My son is building a 318 for his 64 Dart GT.
 
CarfinaticII said:
I’ve finally started to get into assembly of my 318 that I have been getting parts for all summer. Let me preface this to say this is my first engine build. I’ve been reading and learning as much as I can and now it’s time to start building it. Also have been studying @krazykuda post on rebuilding in the how to section. I got this block complete carb to pan when I bought my 72 dart. From the numbers I could find on the block and motor mounts and oil pan, this is from a truck. A 1972 truck.

I sent the block out to a local machine shop to get checked and proceed with boring and other machine work to build a pretty stout small block 318.

I have been taking pictures as I go and will need some help from anyone interested in responding. Here’s where I’m at so far.

Block was bored .030 over, 0 decked for the new KB 167 pistons, crank was balanced, rods were shaved and resized. Block is cleaned and painted. Plugs and Freeze plugs in minus the 2 that go behind the timing chain. Still need to get those. I installed the pistons on the rods with the lock rings.

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Test fit the cam now to make sure the cam bearings are ok... Sometimes the bores can be slightly small when the bearings are put in, so it's best to catch it now while the block is bare than to catch it after you install the pistons...

Just install the cam and make sure it rotates.... Then remove the cam to build the block up...

Sometimes the ID of the bearings crushes in a bit when the cam bearings are installed in their bores... Make sure yours are ok...
 
RustyRatRod said:
Glad to see someone not afraid of a stock stroke 318 build. It'll scream. You are aware of the required KB ring gaps, right? Failure to follow those will have really bad results. I always file them a tick on the large side for extra protection. Won't hurt a thing.
Click to expand...

So that is where I’m at right now. According to the paper that came with the pistons, using their ring gap factor, my ring gap should be .03152. (3.94x.0080). Now the paper says a 4.000 bore which obviously mine is smaller so I’m thinking a .030 should do the trick. What do you think?
Also I put the ring in the bore to test out the feeler gauge. I got .018 is the gap right now for the #1 bore. .019 will not fit in the gap. So I’ll have to grind and test the gap to get it to .030. Or should it be smaller than that?

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krazykuda said:
Test fit the cam now to make sure the cam bearings are ok... Sometimes the bores can be slightly small when the bearings are put in, so it's best to catch it now while the block is bare than to catch it after you install the pistons...

Just install the cam and make sure it rotates.... Then remove the cam to build the block up...

Sometimes the ID of the bearings crushes in a bit when the cam bearings are installed in their bores... Make sure yours are ok...
Click to expand...


I don’t have a cam picked yet, some ideas but haven’t bought anything yet. Can I do this with the stock cam that was in it?
 
CarfinaticII said:
So that is where I’m at right now. According to the paper that came with the pistons, using their ring gap factor, my ring gap should be .03152. (3.94x.0080). Now the paper says a 4.000 bore which obviously mine is smaller so I’m thinking a .030 should do the trick. What do you think?
Also I put the ring in the bore to test out the feeler gauge. I got .018 is the gap right now for the #1 bore. .019 will not fit in the gap. So I’ll have to grind and test the gap to get it to .030

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Yeah you kinda read my mind. I normally used the nitrous spec even though I don't run nitrous. It gives you a little more wiggle room and will not hurt a thing.
 
Hey! Where’s AJ?
He’s supposed to be here hating on a 318 build!!!!
 
rumblefish360 said:
Hey! Where’s AJ?
He’s supposed to be here hating on a 318 build!!!!
Click to expand...

Ha! You know that's why I did all the work before I posted the thread. Now no one can say go get a 360. Well they can but not going to happen. Not that I wouldn't respect their help on the build but the decision on a 318 has been made.
 
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