Mopar 318 wide block

[MercuryMac]

My buddy just finished a '68 Dodge. Here it is, the day he got it home from the paint shop. The big guy is the owner, Doug and the little guy is Jason the painter. This truck also has a big block in it Dozer, but a 383 with an automatic selected by a 'honeymoon shifter'. These trucks have a very nice body style.
So Peabody,--------Go for it.

 

[MercuryMac]

I sorta forgot to actually send the picture I was explaining. Sorry.

 

[billy]

Mine has a 318 but I don't know if it is a
Wide
Poly
La
Or anything else
I photographed the casting numbers but they are apparently meaningless because nobody could tell me one thing about it

 

[bruno]

I believe the all the polys have funny shaped valve covers.

 

[Bamamav]

Saw one of those old Dodge trucks this weekend. Guy had it and a 72 Challenger painted the same sub lime green.

 

[MercuryMac]

Billy, listen to Bruno. He speaks the truth this time. The first Polys in '55 had exaggerated bites out of the lower edges of the valve covers. They are the ones that could be made back into a Hemi, I think. After that, in '56 mostly the valve covers evolved to a wavy lower wall and stayed that way until '67, when the LA small block Chrysler took over. The LA had a long run, [into the 2000's with some modifications].
Here is a picture of my wide block Poly 1966, 318, and the reason I'm so excited about Poly's. It's going into a '34 Dodge Brothers truck and it will have three deuces on it.
Notice the wavy valve covers.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Mine has a 318 but I don't know if it is a
Wide
Poly
La
Or anything else
I photographed the casting numbers but they are apparently meaningless because nobody could tell me one thing about it

Google "318 poly" and "318 LA". Compare pictures and you will know. They are entirely different engines. The only thing that interchanges is the distributor.

Everyone thinks these can all be converted to Hemi engines - NOT true. Very few can. Only the early single shaft Dodge Polys can be used for this, easily identified by their separate valley pan under the intake manifold. The Dodge and Plymouth Polys were completely different engines as well - the only thing they share is the bellhousing bolt pattern. Speaking of, the bellhousing also changed when the second generation Poly was introduced in 1961 and had a different bolt pattern for the new aluminum case Torqueflights.

When I got my '58 Plymouth a few years ago I learned a LOT about these engines and their unique qualities. They can actually be built to perform rather well and are rock solid powerplants. Last summer I pulled the heads, freshened them up, reinstalled and rebuilt the stock 2BBL carb. I then proceeded to do a 1000 mile roadtrip at highway speeds and averaged 20-21MPG. Not bad for a for a 60 year old engine with over 100k on it that has never been completely removed from the car...

 

[05snopro440]

Mine has a 318 but I don't know if it is a
Wide
Poly
La
Or anything else
I photographed the casting numbers but they are apparently meaningless because nobody could tell me one thing about it

Yours is a regular 318 small block, Billy

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Yours is a regular 318 small block, Billy

Which is a LA series. This is the common 273-318-340-360 group of "small block" engines used from '64 1/2 forward.

 

[MercuryMac]

Here's a picture or two of my buddy Doug's finished truck, Peabody, just for incentive. You don't have to paint yours yellow, although this yellow is much better than the banana yellow that was on the truck.

 

[Mr. Gasser]

..."Poly", and "L.A." motors, I know...just never heard the Poly's referred to as a "wideblock"

 

[peabody]

..."Poly", and "L.A." motors, I know...just never heard the Poly's referred to as a "wideblock"

All i know, is that's what the older gentleman called it... when i hauled it off.
I've heard the term once or twice in my life.
It sure is an interesting motor.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

..."Poly", and "L.A." motors, I know...just never heard the Poly's referred to as a "wideblock"

Those are the correct terms Randy. "Wide block" really doesn't make any sense, since the heads are what give it the "wide" appearance. Dimensionally the block is nearly identical to the LA series engines.

 

[Mr. Gasser]

Right on

 

[05snopro440]

Here's a picture or two of my buddy Doug's finished truck, Peabody, just for incentive. You don't have to paint yours yellow, although this yellow is much better than the banana yellow that was on the truck.

That's a lot of yellow, Mac! I'm surprised you're not hyperventilating about the ford wheels on the truck [ddd

 

[05snopro440]

Those are the correct terms Randy. "Wide block" really doesn't make any sense, since the heads are what give it the "wide" appearance. Dimensionally the block is nearly identical to the LA series engines.

Yeah, it doesn't really make sense, but most people know what you're talking about if you use that term.

 

[MercuryMac]

Snopro, I'm not a hyperventilating sorta guy, but my breathing went a wee bit ragged there for a while. He had kept everything stock on his Dad's truck right up until the last and then he bought spacer/adapters and put on Ford wheels. They look alright on there though.

Another difference in the two 318's, the Poly and the LA, is the compression chamber. I'm afraid, Billy, your LA has a plain old wedge compression chamber, just like most other motors. That makes you just one of the masses, instead of unique and inspiring. So Sorry Billy.

 

[soltz]

It's ok MM, you only know their ford wheels if you know ford wheels [S

Truck looks very nice [cl

 

[Bamamav]

The one I saw last weekend had a wide black stripe down the body line on the top. It was styled like the Challenger stripe. They were both bright in the sublime green! Wish I had of taken a pic of it.

Those are 80's Ford truck wheels. Hard to find anymore. I have a set on my sons 82 F100 that came on it. Got to get around to building it one of these days....

 

[MercuryMac]

Bama, my buddy Doug also liked those body line ornaments, but the ones he found on a parts truck were pretty rough and these straight ones, were stock and in way better shape. I think those body line stripes came on 1970 Dodges and Fargos. They did look cool, though.