I heard a while back that one could get couple hundred-thousand miles out of a 318 with a new timing-chain and a valve job...

I swapped the old (probably the original) loosy-goosy timing chain with a new double roller about two years ago, and later rebuilt the stock BBD carburetor for piece of mind (my first carb rebuild-they're pretty cool gizmos!).

Well, hesitation has stopped, but it's smoking now that she's alive and running again (she was road hard and put away soaking, by the previous owner, then she sat for nearly 10 years). Im sure new rings wouldn't hurt, but since all the pistons have a hundred psi or greater, I'm thinking it's the valve guides...

Is there a good head kit for a stock LA 318 or do I/should I piece it together from various venders and brands? Also, since time is $, would it be more cost effective to just have it done professionally? Ive rebuild a head on a little four cylinder but i heard its wise to have bronze valve guides to prevent unleaded gas from damaging the new work. Im beginning to think with all the machine work needed, it may be over My head

 

Something I do first is a compressed air test. Take an adapter to screw in the sparkplug hole and run air into cylinder at compression stroke when both valves are closed. Be careful and hold the crank as the pressure can turn the engine unexpectantly. Listen at the exhaust pipe, carb and dipstick or oil breather.

Noise at exhaust pipe= exhaust valve.
Noise at carb= intake valve.
Noise at oil breather= rings.

 

on the 2 bbl on 318s. when you go through one it has two long screws that go from the top casting and thread into the bottom casting. be very careful to NOT over tighten them that will cause the castings to warp. the 1 bbl on the slant 6 has screws that will do that allso. just tight enough is all you need.

 

You do not need bronze guides, unleaded gas has nothing to do with that.. A lot of aluminum heads use bronze guides,, If your 318 is from the era of leaded gas you want to have harden exhaust seats put in.. Take your heads to a local machine shop and have them inspect them and do the valve job... This is nothing you can do with out 20,000 dollars worth of proper tools.. I worked in a machine shop when I was younger for 3 years.. I know how to do every bit of it, but I do not have tools to do head work or valve jobs..

 

I bought a dodge van many years ago... Bad engine also bought a Dodge Aspen wagon rough around the edges with a good 100K mile engine and made a swap. I replaced every gasket, pro valve job, timing chain. Ran for another 100K+

 

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Welcome aboard.

 

Thank you guys for all the welcomes and insightful feedback! I have some work to do!

 

welcome to the forum