Engine Dilemma

[64dartgt]

So...the starting point is what is likely a bad main bearing in the 318 of my 73 Charger.  Presume it is the original motor.  I picked up a "rebuilt" 340 off greedbay, which turned out to be a bad decision.  I thought that if at least the block was rebuildable and the heads were done (looked like it) it was worth the money.  Turns out the block has a sleeve (done well), but the 1971 engine is 0.030 already and some of the cylinders are badly pitted so it needs to go 0.060.  Plus the redone heads have thin copper guides, which the builder doesn't like (he prefers cast iron) and the mating surfaces are rusted and need to be cleaned up.  The valves are new and 2.02's but the three angle valve job looks like it was a bench grinder special.  At least the crank and rods look fine.  Anyway, the builder is a great guy and I don't doubt the quality of his work.  It is just that at the quote of $5500 is a bit more than I hoped.  I had hoped to do the motor for $4K tops.  I am also a bit leery of dumping that kind of coin into a motor that will be 0.060, even though it is only going to be a 300 hp street motor with about 3K miles a year put on it tops.

I could easily have him build the (original? 170K mile) 318 too.  But bought the 340 because I wasn't all that concerned about keeping a 318 car original from a value perspective.  If anything I felt the 340 would be desirable to a new owner some day (plan on keeping it for a while though).  I asked about using the heads off the 340 on the 318, but clearance would be a potential problem according to the builder.  Doesn't sound like much money save either.

Now I am reviewing my options, but I really should let the builder know if I plan to free up his calendar.  I think I could put a used 5.9L magnum engine in it for about $3K.  However, the rebuilt tranny is a 904 and I understand this swap might not be a straightforward as I hoped.   

At this point I just want to be able to drive the darn thing.   

[Rolling_Thunder]

All i know is for the $5500 you can get a lot of engine...          sell the 340 and just buy a crate -  Blueprint engines makes some decent stuff - If i remember right someone here put on of their 408" engines in a 69 charger....

http://blueprintengines.com/index.php/chrysler-bpc4080ct

All you would need is a 360 magnum balanced torque converter or have the MP weights heli-arch  welded on to your existing converter...      everything else from your 318 should bolt one except for the carb (unless you had a 4bbl on it already)

[64dartgt]

I found the Blueprint 408 on ebay from Summit before posting the original post and actually was just looking at it.  I must say that it is very tempting for less than $4K.  I was just reading everything I could find on Blueprint.  Looks like Ma Mopar gave up on crate engines.  I just had my 904 rebuilt, but from what I read it should be able to take 375 hp...at least for a while 

Getting a stroker for that price is VERY tempting indeed.

[John_Kunkel]

$5500 for the work you describe? Sorry, I don't see it. Did he itemize it?

[64dartgt]

No.  Work included boring it 0.060, decking the block, polishing the original crank, new pistons, bearings and rings, cleaning and reusing the original rods, a new cam and lifters, reusing the (new) push rods and rockers, a new oil pump. Paint and assembly included for $5500.

The only thing he itemized was the heads because I asked him to.  The only way it seemed I could save money is to run the heads as-is with him just cleaning them up.  They were left unoiled and developed some surface rust on the mating surfaces.

Redoing them would be $500-700 to replace the new copper guides with cast iron per his recommendations and to resurface them.  Springs and valves were new already.  He wasn't too happy with the three angle valve job on the heads, but didn't include hardened seats in the price.

The market for third gens seems to be perking up a bit, according to ebay, but I still can't see going crazy on this car when I need $ for my Dart too.  This was supposed to be fairly low buck LOL.

[John_Kunkel]

Well, the price and the fact he wants to replace the bronze guides with iron would send me looking for another shop.

[Kern Dog]

Why take a block all the way to .060? Does he have a set of .060 pistons he can't sell?
I agree with Kunkel. The Edelbrock aluminum heads use bronze guides and they work fine. Bronze is surely more expensive to use than cast iron.
What about making a stroked 318?  Some 318 blocks built before 1975 can be safely bored out to a 4.00 bore size. Only a sonic check can prove the viability though. Not too costly, the 318 stroker. A .090 overbored thick wall 318, along with a 4 inch stroke crank yields 402 inches. Check it out.

[Chargerguy74]

Well, the price and the fact he wants to replace the bronze guides with iron would send me looking for another shop.

Really? I was under the impression iron was the way to go in a cast iron head. Especially with the difference in the coefficient of expansion between bronze and iron. Unless I'm missing where it was said aluminum heads were being used.

[John_Kunkel]

Really? I was under the impression iron was the way to go in a cast iron head.

"The way to go" is subject to debate but if they are already there I would question the wisdom in replacing them.

[64dartgt]

The heads are 589 iron castings.  The engine is 0.030 already and the cylinders are badly pitted.  It needs to go 0.060 to clean it up.  I am talking to Carolina Machine Engines about doing a long block on it for about $1800.  The only thing is that I have to ship it to NC and wait.  They said they can turn it around in about two weeks.