Help on 318 rebuild
Hello, new to the forum and don't have a a-body but have a 69 d100. But there seems to be a lot of good info on here and a bunch of knowledgeable small block people. So I hope you don't mind a few question(and comments) from time to time. I have begun taking my truck through the process of turning it back to great from being pretty good. I have maintained the engine in the past and finally was tired of hard hot starts and different idling at every stop etc. So I am going in!
Pertinent information for the truck/engine is that it is a 318-2 casting, build numbers on the block say 01239 which I assume means Jan-23-1969. Stock it was a 2-bbl Stromberg. It has a Np435 hooked up to it and an open 741 3.55. Current mileage is 105k and everything is pretty much original, except for my welded on new sheet metal.
I have put on a dual exhaust on stock manifolds, Weiand Stealth and a Eddie Perf 600 8% lean jetted for my 7000ft altitude. I put in electronic ignition with the "blue" Box and billet dizzy. And new shiny valve covers because my wife liked them and the old ones looked bad and leaked.
Truck is a driver.
So to my questions. The next upgrade I am planning is to ditch the stock exhaust manifold for 1 5/8" tube full headers and tie into my current 2.25" dual exhaust. Is that worth the cost and time. Or should I look elsewhere. I will probably pull the motor to take to a machine shop in the area for a bore, new pistons, valve job etc next winter. I need to save up for all that work. And the shops are already really backed up right now. So this winter is out for the getting it in.
Thanks for any advice.
Hello, new to the forum and don't have a a-body but have a 69 d100. But there seems to be a lot of good info on here and a bunch of knowledgeable small block people. So I hope you don't mind a few question(and comments) from time to time. I have begun taking my truck through the process of turning it back to great from being pretty good. I have maintained the engine in the past and finally was tired of hard hot starts and different idling at every stop etc. So I am going in!
Pertinent information for the truck/engine is that it is a 318-2 casting, build numbers on the block say 01239 which I assume means Jan-23-1969. Stock it was a 2-bbl Stromberg. It has a Np435 hooked up to it and an open 741 3.55. Current mileage is 105k and everything is pretty much original, except for my welded on new sheet metal.
I have put on a dual exhaust on stock manifolds, Weiand Stealth and a Eddie Perf 600 8% lean jetted for my 7000ft altitude. I put in electronic ignition with the "blue" Box and billet dizzy. And new shiny valve covers because my wife liked them and the old ones looked bad and leaked.
Truck is a driver.
So to my questions. The next upgrade I am planning is to ditch the stock exhaust manifold for 1 5/8" tube full headers and tie into my current 2.25" dual exhaust. Is that worth the cost and time. Or should I look elsewhere. I will probably pull the motor to take to a machine shop in the area for a bore, new pistons, valve job etc next winter. I need to save up for all that work. And the shops are already really backed up right now. So this winter is out for the getting it in.
Thanks for any advice.
