318 with random parts.

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
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So I recently acquired a 318 and I think it's a good core. I am actually surprised it's a good core considering the environment from where it was for the past estimated 30 years.

To my surprise it has the adjustable rocker arms and solid lifters. The block is believed to be a 1972 for a 1973 model year car.

I took a look at the heads this evening and they are casting number 2843675 which come back as 68/9 273 heads.

The pistons do not appear original and have the numbers "3751004 O/S" stamped in the tops.

Why would anyone put 273 Heads on a 318 ??
Anyone recognize the numbers on the pistons??
Did 68 and 69 273 engines all have the solid lifter setup??

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Princess Valiant said:
So I recently acquired a 318 and I think it's a good core. I am actually surprised it's a good core considering the environment from where it was for the past estimated 30 years.

To my surprise it has the adjustable rocker arms and solid lifters. The block is believed to be a 1972 for a 1973 model year car.

I took a look at the heads this evening and they are casting number 2843675 which come back as 68/9 273 heads.

The pistons do not appear original and have the numbers "3751004 O/S" stamped in the tops.

Why would anyone put 273 Heads on a 318 ??
Anyone recognize the numbers on the pistons??
Did 68 and 69 273 engines all have the solid lifter setup??

View attachment 1715832734

View attachment 1715832735

View attachment 1715832736
Click to expand...
Get some numbers off the block. Sure it's a 318?
 
Princess Valiant said:
So I recently acquired a 318 and I think it's a good core. I am actually surprised it's a good core considering the environment from where it was for the past estimated 30 years.

To my surprise it has the adjustable rocker arms and solid lifters. The block is believed to be a 1972 for a 1973 model year car.

I took a look at the heads this evening and they are casting number 2843675 which come back as 68/9 273 heads.

The pistons do not appear original and have the numbers "3751004 O/S" stamped in the tops.

Why would anyone put 273 Heads on a 318 ??
Anyone recognize the numbers on the pistons??
Did 68 and 69 273 engines all have the solid lifter setup??

View attachment 1715832734

View attachment 1715832735

View attachment 1715832736
Click to expand...
Open chamber? I don't have my books handy And this tiny tablet sucks.
 
68 and 9 273's were open chamber and hydraulic cam. All the 318's were the same.
 
So I'm getting the feeling here that this was someone's Frankenstein engine from a world long ago.

This engine was sitting in a 71 duster that had been in the same old junk yard for 30 to 35 years. I bought the whole car and the engine came with it. Its not original in any way to the duster because it was a slant six car.

What amazes me is that it sat out there for the past 10 years without a hood or air cleaner for at least the past 10+ years because my cousin bought the hood in around 2009 or 10 yet this engine is showing to still be a good core. It has some ridge so I think it needs boring out but a 30 over job will clean it up nice.

There was a mean rats nest under the intake. The cam is rusted froze. After the pic I removed the timing cover and as soon as I disconnected the timing chain, the crank and bottom end turn. The cam is going to be a job to get it out because it's rusted real good in there.
 
Somebody refresh my memory. Those dumbbell lifters were used in the early LA engines. Like specifically 64 & 65 &66, 273 engines. I thought there was an oiling system change starting in 67, that you couldn't use the dumbbell lifters. Loss of oil pressure? Losing my mind? I've been told/ called worse. :thumbsup:
 
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Got a picture of the numbers on the front of the drivers side cylinder bank below the cylinder head? Nice score, BTW!
 
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Soak those cam bearings down with some PB Blaster for a couple of days.

Take the rear cam plug out, and drive the cam out the front side.

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That cam is sitting in there on aluminum cam bearings so it will come out.

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1970 318 test fit cam ^^^ .

Nice set of heads and you will be good to go again.

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Can even make up your own cam puller out of a few scrap pieces of steel. Then you can put a pull on the cam before you start tapping it out.

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MOPAROFFICIAL said:
That block # will bore out to 4.040, ime.

See why those heads flow so much better?
Near the chamber.
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not going to lie, i don't see why these heads flow better....what am i looking for??

and you mean they flow better than the original 72 heads that would have been on the engine before??
 
Sooo, i am gathering they are good heads??

what about the solid lifters ?? Is that the better than the other kind that pumps up and non adjustable??
 
Princess Valiant said:
Sooo, i am gathering they are good heads??

what about the solid lifters ?? Is that the better than the other kind that pumps up and non adjustable??
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These days, quality hydraulic lifters are impossible to find. Solids give good service life and less apt to fail, so long as they're properly broken in.
 
These hydraulic lifters have been working out well. Match them up with the same manufacturer Melling cams.

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Might want to check your 675 heads and see if the exhaust valves are starting to sink?

'68 675, 273 heads, non-hardened seats.

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So somebody didn't like juice lifters. Big deal. I don't either.
 
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Yes it could be a dinosaur or someone in the past put a solid cam in with adjustable rockers.
Princess Valiant said:
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According to my parts books, those heads were used on 68 and 69 273's and 68-74 318's.
We know that solid cam's ended in 67 and weren't used on the 318's so the cam lifters pushrods and rocker assemblies were probably added to the 318. The rocker shafts and pushrods are good property. Probably worth more than you paid for the engine.
Block casting 2536030 is a 67-74 318 number.
 
I would keep the rockers, shafts and pushrods and reuse them with a solid cam of your choice.
 
Princess Valiant said:
So I recently acquired a 318 and I think it's a good core. I am actually surprised it's a good core considering the environment from where it was for the past estimated 30 years.

To my surprise it has the adjustable rocker arms and solid lifters. The block is believed to be a 1972 for a 1973 model year car.

I took a look at the heads this evening and they are casting number 2843675 which come back as 68/9 273 heads.

The pistons do not appear original and have the numbers "3751004 O/S" stamped in the tops.

Why would anyone put 273 Heads on a 318 ??
Anyone recognize the numbers on the pistons??
Did 68 and 69 273 engines all have the solid lifter setup??
Click to expand...

675 heads came on 273's and 318's from 1968-1974 and were a downgrade. 273 heads are better in flow and compression.
Pistons sound like the lowest compression used from 1973-1984 (1.74 pin height)
Only 273 LA engines had factory solid lifter cams.
 
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408 swinger said:
Somebody refresh my memory. Those dumbbell lifters were used in the early LA engines. Like specifically 64 & 65 &66, 273 engines. I thought there was an oiling system change starting in 67, that you couldn't use the dumbbell lifters. Loss of oil pressure? Losing my mind? I've been told/ called worse. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Not true.
 
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