Which 318 to rebuild?

[powerwaggin]

Well OK folks here goes. I have three 318 motors, a '72, a '73 and an '83 and I wish to rebuild one of them for my 1973 plow truck. All three are 100K plus so will most likely require reboring. Is one of these motors a better block to start with for my application? Motor will be built with an RV cam, four barrel intake and maybe a slight compression ratio bump....high 8's to 9:1

 

[rumblefish360]

Anyone of them is a perfect one to do. Since nethier has an edge, which everone needs less boring.

 

[2 Darts]

Had to go to the books on this one. IMO, the 73 is the best candidate

1972: Does not have hardened valve seats.
1973: Hardened valve seats, small chamber heads (60 cc)
1983: Has larger chamber heads (63 cc)

For a bump in compression, specify the 67-68 piston for rebuilding any of the engines. It comes closest to the block deck without going to a custom piston.

 

[dodgetkboy78]

A plow truck engine?

Stock cam, stock compression, stock pistons, just re-ring it! Any cam at all will make it burn more fuel at idle, and thats what plow trucks do. The 2bbl carb you have on it now, will have less of a chance of hitting a snowbank or being on an angle and dying....... (carter?)
If anything, the smallest carb, tiniest cam, and most restrictive manifolds would be a good choice. If I had my way, my 95 plow truck would be a diesel, or an MPI slant.

 

[powerwaggin]

So now I'm going to rebuild my '72 shortblock while I beat the final tar out of my hi mileage '73 (installed in '73 W200 Snofiter factory plow truck) . Then, next summer when I pull the '73, I'll have the '73 heads done and bolt them onto the '72 block. Will my comp ratio be similar given all stock lower end or is the '72 deck height different?

 

[C130 Chief]

Two things:

1. If you have exhaust seats on the 73 heads resurfaced, you will probably cut through the factory induction hardening. It wasn't especially thick.

2. Last 72 318 I took apart had bushed "645" rods. The bushed rods might be happier in a truck motor.

 

[169dart4y]

Any thing special about a 318 out of a 74 dart swinger . I bought a parts car with a rebuilt motor and trans the guy had rolled the car at low speed in soft dirt .

 

[169dart4y]