318 Rebuild suggestions?

kiss said
I am curious, why rebuild a 318 when you can get a 360 dirt cheap? Or better yet a 360 magnum?

I don't need a 360, 318 is already overkill for a Dakota and would just be even less gas mileage. "Go all out" mentality need not apply here. Also, odds are any engine I'll find "dirt cheap" will probably also be in line for a rebuild down the road

TrailBeast said
The high volume pump isn't necessary and most shops will run you off if you try to buy your own parts since they can make a good amount of markup on them.
If anything have the shop do the machine work and do the rest yourself.
If you can't do that look for a crate motor long block as a direct swap.

Just recently did a long block in a friends truck with a performance (315hp) for under 2,500 so all the time having yours down and the cost of machining and parts along with your own abilities needs to be weighed there.
Long blocks have a warrantee also.

He seems to know this shop pretty well, vouching for them with some work he had done there plus this shop has almost perfect 5 star rating so I guess I can take his word for it. Time down for maintenance isn't a huge factor, I have a Ranger to drive in the meantime. At best I'd prefer to have it ready for January, since the Dakota can hold its own on ice.

The important thing here, I probably should have detailed, is that I'm not going for some all-out project. I just want to get the engine in my pickup rebuilt and running PROPERLY for the best price I can (money is a factor here). I can do some of the assembly work myself where needed, and of course the machining I'll leave up to the shop