I just bought a military surplus 318 in a crate. It is date coded as built in 1977 and has the ho hum 4027163 heads. I am planning to drop it into my 64 Valiant 4 speed using the original (read restrictive) exhaust manifolds and 2.25 single pipe. I am on a tight budget so given those restrictions, tell me what would be the wisest upgrades to perform before installation? I don't want to spend money and time on upgrades that will never fully realize their potential. Thanks!!

PS It is a very cool motor with all of its peripherals attached (even the torque converter!)

I would say first find out if that is an industrial motor or one that went in a car or truck. There might be differences that would keep some things from working with it. We used 318s to tow F-4 Phantoms with.

I'd throw a mild cam in it (stock 340 cam comes to mind) and new springs.

I am fairly certain that it is a truck motor - it came with truck motor mount brackets in the crate. The casting number is:

4006730 - 318 - 2

The front of the block is stamped:

7m318 03305566

I like the idea of a simple intake and cam swap. But the idea of swapping heads and pistons starts to make the "new" engine look like a rebuild.

An intake and cam will go a long way for you. No need to go overboard on either since a stock valve 318 won't move that much air. A common performer intake should be fine instead of a pricier Air-Gap or RPM manifolds. Do those couple of things without having to get majorly into the internals and enjoy the heck out of it.

One more thing, check out the oil pan style. If it is a truck motor it will require changing to a passenger car pan, also cheap to pick up at a junkyard or ebay.

Not to disrespect the 318 crowd, but if you reach a point where you want bigger valves and higher compression pistons etc, sell off the 318 and start with a LA or Magnum 360 as a core since originality isn't a concern.

Cam change & thermoquad. I'd mod the dist subsystems initial/total(35)/springs/vac adv IN ORDER but that would come when it's up & running

Thanks for all the responses!

A complete teardown/inspection for internal rust,dust and critters. etc. would be the first thing i would do.

37 years is a loooong time to be sitting around.

budget? used performer intake and 600 cfm carb....

this cam kit
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-k50052/overview/make/dodge

comp #901 springs

I am really encouraged by all the input! The motor was kept in a pallet sized injection molded crate for it's life up 'till yesterday. All of its' openings have factory plastic plugs in them so I don't have huge concerns about the internals (but I'll check!) Keeping it within budget is looking very do-able - thanks again!!

How about keeping it the way it is, or sell it to someone doing a military vehicle, and by a juck yard motor. Remember they are in that condition only once.

Maybe spray some penetrant into the plug holes and turn it over by hand a little at a time for a few days. Prime the oil pump really well before hand as well?

She's still pretty well lubed (go figure?) I noticed that there is an International Harvester emblem cast into the block near the timing chain and at the rear. Did they contract with Chrysler for some casting duty?

For things to do:

1.IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE, recurve the distributor. The stock curve is slow and a simple recurve will really wake the engine up with no other changes.

2. If you have a little more money, add a 4-barrel carb and intake. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH ONE! Anything is better than the stock 2-barrel. 273, 318, 340, 360? OK. Q-jet, Holley, AFB, AVS? OKAY!

3. If you have even a little bit more money, swap in a 360 2-barrel camshaft. It's brilliant, you use the stock timing chain, gears, valvesprings, pushrods, etc etc etc. Or any other cam with around 0.400" lift and around 190 - 204 degrees duration. That 318 cam is the wimpiest camshaft known to man. Yet, the 360 cam will work with all the other stock parts and give you a little bump. And the stock springs and low-lift cam will make break-in less risky.

4. To top it off, hook the stock exhaust manifolds up to duals. Again, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHIC! anything around 1 7/8 or larger will help uncork the exhaust.
I used to keep the stock single exhaust crossover, then TEE in to it somewhere under the driver's feet to run the second pipe back. Presto! Changeo! you have duals with an H-pipe!


Now, to accomplish all of this you need to grit your teeth, put in earplugs and put earmuffs on top of them, because it is ohsoeasy to tell someone else how to spend their cash. But my plan will work.

R.

I'd invest in a good double roller, seeing as it still has the alum-plastic deal...

I once saw alot of Ford 302 crate motors at the federal surplus.
How much did that 318 cost?

cant tell from the pics but if it is/was a truck motor then you will need to swap the oil pan and pickup for a car style.

Trucks are rear sump, cars are center sump

I am quickly zeroing in on some great options! Turning the motor over by hand made the rocker arms move the valves so slightly that you have to wonder? The double roller chain is sitting on my shelf.

Dodgdays, I have a guy with a distributor machine re-curving one for me as I write this.