Hey guys, here are some photos of the engine from my 1978 Dodge Ramcharger.It all looks pretty good to me.I have very little money and just want a good running stock-ish motor.If the pistons and bores look ok do you think I can just button it back up with new gaskets and call it good?I will be putting in a Hughes "whiplash" can and converting to Fitech fuel injection.It's getting a new oil pump and water pump for sure.It did not have steel shim head gaskets in it and it has flat top pistons....would this have been stock in 1978?Thanks for your help!

more photos

still more.....

last ones.....

How many miles on the engine.. do you have equipment
to measure the bores.. it might need valve springs
and a valve job

mileage may be 113,000 not completely sure.

Looks like a pretty good ridge at the top of the bores. Are you going to hone it for new rings?

See the tan exhaust valve on the end of the head? They should ALL look like that one....those other cylinders were not getting hot enough, indicating poor compression or not firing for some reason.....I would have serious doubts about just putting this back together and hoping it was good.

Any tips on pulling the main bearing caps?The fsm calls for a C3059 removal tool, but there are none to rent.I punched out all the freeze plugs in the block and it was full of this grey sludge.Maybe I should just pull all the pistons and the cam, then send the crank,block and heads to the machine shop to be checked out.I do want to do this correctly, just don't have thousands of dollars to spend.I have posted a picture of the back of the dampner...it is ruined or salvageable?I did find mention of the "Maltese cross plus X" stamped on the engine pad,in the FSM and will alert the machine shop.

I'd go with numbering rods, pull the motor apart looking everything over carefully, and having a qualified machine shop measure everything, to find out where you're at now.
What's that orange stuff in the valley?
Looks like a pretty big ridge in the bores, also maybe issues with oil consumption & leakage. Dampener rubber ring looks rotted. '78 would have low CR, and I'd definitely bump that to a real 9:1. To me, that increase in efficiency & torque is more important than having a rumpity cam in an SUV.
Compare price to rebuild the heads (valve job, guides/seals/springs) vs aftermarket Stealths/Eddys/etc - last set of Stealths I bought were from an unbuilt project, there are some deals out there. By the same token, every Eddy & Stealth head I've had got some more work done, but some guys are happy with 'em out of the box. Your crank & rods should be OK with little work.

IMO the most affordable way forward is someone else's running engine.

Who cares about all the stamping numbers? in the real world they mean nothing. 2 ways to go. Add the cam and hope for the best, or. Measure and then decide what'll fly and what won't. To me the bore finish doesn't look that great. I'd bet at a minimum it needs a timing chain, maybe bearings and valve springs. Very probable; guides and valve work. And if we're getting picky bore, hone, pistons, rings, rod rebuild crank turn, balance. Now will it run without? Yes. Will it make max power? No. Will it blow up? Maybe. Here's where someone with a LOT of experience can take a look and give a guess. And that all it is, a guess. You can clean it up and add a cam, springs, timing chain, valve springs. If it fails, the cost outlay is minimal. Or you can spend and it will be better. How much better? Depends how bad the current stuff is.
Doug

Why did you open it up? Most I’d have done was throw a chain in it, probably do all gaskets if it was out. You really cant win a game like this. Looks like it needs a basic rebuild and a low comp 440 needs pistons to really do what you want any way. I always tell guys not to mess with a running engine. Most people are way better off adding some oil every so often or a can of restore than doing a tear down without a plan for a full reboot in there.

loosen the bolts & hold em halfway up in the cap then wiggle the assy sideways & up as they loosen & come free. You dont want bolt thread protruding past the cap bolt hole bases so as to not nick the crank journal when the cap comes free. wiggle it back & forth carefully & take more care when you sense it is about to come free (nicking the journal is what you are trying to avoid). get 1/2/4/5 out then lift one end of the crank slightly to get the #3 cap starting to come up then work with it till it gets free. Reminds me that I am going to drill/tap my next one on top for threads so I can slide hammer em out

The main problem with those late model big blocks is that they had very low compression. The pistons were way down in the hole. And that made them very prone to detonation even on the gas you could get then.

And I agree that the pistons and heads look like they have not been burning clean.

Use the money that you would have spent on the FI on the inside of the engine now and get a good carb like the Street Demon. You can always add the FI later if you want. It will be better and cheaper by then.

Its all about measuring, take it apart clean each part, measure each part, compare your measurements to specifications, and then decide to reuse the part as is, have it reconditioned, or replace it. From your picture it looks like a decent rebuildable core engine.

Mopar has always numbered the rods and main caps as long as I have been taking them apart, starting with the mid 1950 Chrysler Fire Power hemi motors
GM didn't though
OP, on your deal that motor is talking to you, it is hollering for some serious help
Your on the correct path on taking it to a good machine shop for measuring the cylinder bores for wear and taper. I would bet a lot of money that the heads need new valve guides and a valve job also, sorry
Good luck on this project, do it right once or regret it forever
BTW, if your going to have it bored look for pistons for the 1972 to 1974 400 magnum motors or look at some decent Hyper quench pistons from Keith Black

Yep...fuel injection is out for this year.I am going to pull the pistons and cam, then send the rest to the machine shop.What they tell me will determine the next steps to take.Any suggestions on a piston/cam combo that is affordable, efficient and will run on pump gas?Remember this is all about low end torque and good manners.

Good for you. In the long run you're making the best choice even to give up the efi for now.

Pulled the pistons last night and cleaned the bores.The ridge isn't as bad as it looks in the pictures.The crank journals look perfect and the rods seem ok although 1 is a bit tight.Will get the taper and wear measured by a machinist today.Do you guys have any other recommendations on what stock pistons would be best for better compression?I am going to try and find the best used set of pistons I can to save money.Thanks!