What enhancements to do on a stock 318 head while off the car?

[fullmetaljacket]

If you guys had a bone stock 318 motor that has a two barrel and dual exhaust and nothing more, but possibly needs a valve job because of a burnt valve, what mods would you apply to the heads without having to change the stock cam, exhaust, intake etc.
Aside from a new valve seats and multi- angle valve job, is there anything else to look at? I'm having a brain fart at the moment being that I've never played with a low compression smog era 318.

 

[toolmanmike]

Mill them .o3o, port match, bowl blend. 2.02/1.60 valves. It never ends. LOL Not much to do without 4 barrel, cam, headers, and compression. Send your distributor off to halifaxhops for a little basic hot rodding.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Mill them .o3o, port match, bowl blend. 2.02/1.60 valves. It never ends. LOL Not much to do without 4 barrel, cam, headers, and compression. Send your distributor off to halifaxhops for a little basic hot rodding.

That's what I'm talking about. Thank you.
Simplistic and yet black coffee wake up remedies for a pair of stock heads going back onto a street junker.

 

[beanhead]

If you're not changing anything else, I'd just do the required valve job and get it back on the road. Anything else won't produce a result worth the time and money spent..

 

[69Bee]

Don't mill them 0.030". Clean, replace the guides, valves, and springs. Install exhaust seats, do a valve job, and finish off with a clean-up mill of the deck between 0.005" to 0.010". If you mill too much off of the heads (0.030"), you are going to start to affect the intake sealing. While you can cut the intake side of the head, you can't usually cut the ends of the intake for the valley rail fitment. I cut the valley rails 0.010" to 0.012" depending on the amount removed during block squaring and head milling.

I do agree on a good gasket match, but limit it to about a half in into the port. And yes, it doesn't end. Without checking my books, 2.02" intakes might be too big without cylinder notches. A 1.88" intake might be more prudent.

 

[zyzzyx]

Have a stock valve job done and bolt them back on. Don't waste a precious moment of
your life on something that won't yield any gain! Sorry. Life's too short.

 

[69a100]

I don't know small blocks that well, but I could swear that lots of people would just swap them out for the 340J heads. Good Luck

 

[toolmanmike]

If you guys had a bone stock 318 motor that has a two barrel and dual exhaust and nothing more, but possibly needs a valve job because of a burnt valve, what mods would you apply to the heads without having to change the stock cam, exhaust, intake etc.
Aside from a new valve seats and multi- angle valve job, is there anything else to look at? I'm having a brain fart at the moment being that I've never played with a low compression smog era 318.

Poke around on FABO. Lots of 318 discussion going on there. You didn't say what year your 318 is. That makes a difference.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Poke around on FABO. Lots of 318 discussion going on there. You didn't say what year your 318 is. That makes a difference.

Year is 1983. Maybe a whopping 125 horse in this thing. Police car engine.
I'm gonna go with what some of you suggested especially what 69Bee said. I won't mill them, just a clean up on the deck surface with a good all around valve job keeping the intakes valves at the stock size of 1.88 and a gasket match. Back on the road after that.
This will be a pet project over the winter on my street clunker. Nothing special. Thanks guys.

 

[beanhead]

Year is 1983. Maybe a whopping 125 horse in this thing. Police car engine.
I'm gonna go with what some of you suggested especially what 69Bee said. I won't mill them, just a clean up on the deck surface with a good all around valve job keeping the intakes valves at the stock size of 1.88 and a gasket match. Back on the road after that.
This will be a pet project over the winter on my street clunker. Nothing special. Thanks guys.

That's the smart move in my opinion. If performance is what you want for the future, you can start an engine build, gather parts at your pace as time and funds dictate, and still have the car on the road.

 

[toolmanmike]

Post a picture of the heads with the casting number. I am curious what they are. The closed chamber #302 casting heads came out in 85 in passenger cars but they may have been used in earlier years. You never know about Ma Mopar. I have a 85 318 out of a 5th Avenue with #302 heads and a roller cam block.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Have you replaced the timing chain in it yet. I don't know how many 318s I have seen that the timing chain jumped, so I thought I'd mention it. Never burnt a valve on a 318...I think that would a little unusual unless she had a couple hundred thousand miles, got really hot, or a poor valve job in the past... Bending a valve from the timing chain jumping is something to consider. But it would have to jump a lot.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Have you replaced the timing chain in it yet. I don't know how many 318s I have seen that the timing chain jumped, so I thought I'd mention it. Never burnt a valve on a 318...I think that would a little unusual unless she had a couple hundred thousand miles, got really hot, or a poor valve job in the past... Bending a valve from the timing chain jumping is something to consider. But it would have to jump a lot.

Just put a new timing chain and water pump last year.
I received the car back in 1996 with 48 thousand original miles, straight out of the surplus police auction and now it has 268+ thousand miles on it. Still running. Been to Detroit like 25 times or more already from NYC. New Mexico and back for a pair of rare fenders and other cities in between.

 

[beanhead]

Out of curiosity what kind of car?

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Just put a new timing chain and water pump last year.
I received the car back in 1996 with 48 thousand original miles, straight out of the surplus police auction and now it has 268+ thousand miles on it. Still running. Been to Detroit like 25 times or more already from NYC. New Mexico and back for a pair of rare fenders and other cities in between.

That's good you replaced the chain. Get your heads redone and you will be ready for more parts runs.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Out of curiosity what kind of car?

Pardon.
1983 Dodge Diplomat unmarked Police package.

 

[beanhead]

cool

 

[33 IMP]

I would throw in one $5 valve, lap it a little, put on a new head gasket and reassemble . If its just a driver, make it driveable . I would put as little money in it as i possibly could.


Now, if you are talking a hot rod 360, or a 408 , or even a hotrodded four barrel decent cam and headers 318, thats a WHOLE different story.

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

m surprised that it’s a 2bbl being a cop car.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

m surprised that it’s a 2bbl being a cop car.

Most cruisers were 2 mouths to save gas for large municipalities, but pursuit and other special cars had the 4 barrels.