I am pulling a 1977 318 that was in a Demon and noticed the symbol IH cast into sides of block.
Is this a common find. Foundry?
Is this a common find. Foundry?
IH stamp on 318 block
- Thread starter Junior340
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Those blocks were cast by International Harvester. John Deere here in town used to cast 2.5 4 cylinder blocks for GM back in the 80's. Pretty common.
I wonder if they have a higher nickel content then ?
I had a machinest tell me he hated boring IH blocks because they were so damn hard !
Probably so. Mopar always had higher nickel in their blocks. (compared to Chevy) LOL
There was a brief period in time where I was messing with a lot of small block fords (fox body mustangs). I remember that every 302 I tore down had a massive ridge at the top of the bores. The iron they used was like butter compared to mopar blocks.
That IH block could possibly be from some farm equipment. I used to work at an Allis Chalmers dealer and saw quite a few slant six's in combines. Cant say I ever saw a 318 in anything except for boats. They were very common in boats.
More than likely mopar farmed out the work to IH's foundry to keep up with production. Anyways, thats a cool block. Anyone else ever seen one of these?
That IH block could possibly be from some farm equipment. I used to work at an Allis Chalmers dealer and saw quite a few slant six's in combines. Cant say I ever saw a 318 in anything except for boats. They were very common in boats.
More than likely mopar farmed out the work to IH's foundry to keep up with production. Anyways, thats a cool block. Anyone else ever seen one of these?
txstang84
Well-Known Member
bringing back a thread...
but the answer is yes, I recently picked up a 65 Dart and it came with a '77 model 318. When I moved the block to drop it off at the machinist, I noticed the IH casting identifier...kinda sad though, I couldn't use it at 030 overbore...would probably clean up at 060, but there are some pronounced gouging/marks at the top of the bores that kinda look like someone got a little careless when they did the initial machining.
my68barracuda
Well-Known Member
I worked for IH and during the mid 70’s the IH foundry in Indianapolis IN cast 318 blocks for Chrysler. The time period was roughly 1974 to 1977. IIRC the volume was approximately 50K per year.
Another not widely known fact is at about that same point in time IH developed a gasoline v8 engine of around 455 cubic inches with the intent of selling some volume to Chrysler to be used as motors in Chrysler framed RV applications as Chrysler was intending to phase out the 440 engines. IH developed the engine but Chrysler never took any as by the late 70’s Chrysler was on the slippery slope to bankruptcy.
The MV8 as IH called that motor was then retooled as the 6.9L diesel and was used in Ford pick up trucks and other IH/Navistar applications and started the Power Stroke engine series that lasted another 30 years.
MOPAROFFICIAL
Oogliboogli
Seen plenty of short blocks sat for years and would end up as bolt storage , each cyl filled with bolts... but often someone pushed out piston with a long pry bar and would miss and hit the bore.. doh
Interesting.
And to add a little bit to the subject just before I got to legal driving age in the early 80s my dad had a 76 charger. I don't think that it really needed it but he was hell bent on getting rid of the 360 in that car. He went to the junkyard and found a 40k miles pull out from a 77 Le baron. That went into the charger. Along with the 2 bbl intake, carb, and distributor out of the original 360. That Le baron engine had the same casting mark, in 2 or 3 different locations. On the back under the flex plate, and on 1 side of the block.
And to add a little bit to the subject just before I got to legal driving age in the early 80s my dad had a 76 charger. I don't think that it really needed it but he was hell bent on getting rid of the 360 in that car. He went to the junkyard and found a 40k miles pull out from a 77 Le baron. That went into the charger. Along with the 2 bbl intake, carb, and distributor out of the original 360. That Le baron engine had the same casting mark, in 2 or 3 different locations. On the back under the flex plate, and on 1 side of the block.
Krooser
Building Chinese Free Engines since 1959...
I have one IH cast 318 block.
txstang84
Well-Known Member
I wish all they were was from bolt storage or marks from a prybar...I need to take a couple pics of them. The marks are only at the top of the bore, where you'd normally get carbon buildup above the rings. The engine had a ridge, but I honestly figured it would clean up at 030...till the machinist called me and said it looked like someone had used a ridge reamer or something and the bore he attempted to take to 030 didn't clean up. When I looked a little closer, they're radial gouges like someone tried to plunge the rotating cutter into the bore without properly setting up the bit depth.
Martythetrimmer
Well-Known Member
My Aussie 318 is an IH casting. It's from a late 70's sedan. Here they come with the factory heavy con rods, & I've been told are a heavy duty block with a thicker casting that can go 80thou over bore. Mines yet to be checked, it only has a small lip in the bore which is already 40 over. So hoping I can get another turn from it. Even 318's are getting silly expensive here, to the point you can get a good running LS and box for less than a junker 318! Little wonder people are moving away from Mopar powered Mopars!
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