318 rebuild suggestions

[rumblefish360]

Often you will find a few members here like myself suggest what many think is a small cam for cruisers and mild hot rod builds that retain the stock pistons. The reality of it all is the 318 suffers from low compression, not over all cubic inch displacement, thou it is on the short end of that stick.

Cam durations (@.050) greater than 220 will hurt the performance of the engine & car unless you start in with loose converters and higher gear ratios than your probably looking for. Keeping cam duration at a max of 218, which doesn't require a higher stall converter will enable good power on low compression engines. I would also suggest at least a 3.21/3.23 gear ratio and no more than a 26 inch tire. Going beyond th above perameters is not advised.

The above parts will make a good cruiser with decent mileage. Upgrading to a higher level of performance without a piston change will be milled heads & larger valves as well as mild port work. (Headers assumed as part of the upgraded if not yet inculded)

If you for go milled heads, a supercharger is an excellent idea that will still work with everything else as is. And even better with larger valves and port work. But do not mill the heads with the addition of the supercharger. Just a deck cut to make the heads flat is all that is needed at max.

 

[krazykuda]

Ok

I have been looking at the service shop manual and it is referencing tools needed to change out the main bearings. Is this tool needed or is there an equivalent?

It also talks about changing the camshaft bearings is this nessessary? Again will need a tool for that.

On the bearing kit it asks for size, where will I be looking on the original parts to find that information one I have the engine opened up.

So I guess I need to know what tools I will need to rebuild the engine other than the standard tools. So that I can change bearings and rings.

Thanks

Installing the main bearings is not very difficult.

The cam bearings takes a special tool and you have to know how to do it. If you have to line up the oil holes properly for each bearing. I wold not recommend installing the same bearing twice as the retaining foce is reduced every time that you remove and install them. You need to get it right the first time. Best to let a machine shop do it..