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318 small block help needed please!

Mopar4Speed

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Hi, so i have a 318 with 57k original miles on it. It ran great and I refreshed it approx 7-8 years ago. Cam looked ok, but I did replace the valves, springs and keepers. I compression tested the engine before disassembly and all were around 155, except cylinder 1 was 150. Still within spec. I put on a pertronix ignitor 3 billet dizzy and upgraded to a roller timing chain. It has been running great since the rebuild. Today when driving a short trip, about 6 miles, the car quit on me doing 30mph. I put the trans in neutral and tried to restart with the key. It just made a click sound from the starter. Luckily I was on a hill downward and I just put it in second and popped the clutch and it fired up right away, no issues or noises. Drove it extra 300 feet back to my driveway (had the same power and smoothness as normal) and I shut the car off. Tried to start it again and I get the same audible starter click. So i got my battery tester and the battery was 12.5V 749CCA (800CCA rating). So I also went through all the wires and fuses and could not find anything out of place, apart from maybe the fusible link which I haven't checked, but I don't think it's the battery or gauges/wiring. Waited for the car to cool down and jacked it up and got underneath to see if the starter was perhaps not retracting from the flywheel but it was as normal. No damage on flywheel or ring gear teeth. Car did not overheat either, gauge was in the normal range and the thermostat was open which i confirmed after checking the temps on the upper and lower hose. Engine oil is on the full and clean as well. I have yet to pull the valve cover to check for any metal filings or signs of damage. I did try to get the engine turned over by hand but it's stuck (tried going clockwise and counterclockwise). So what I'm asking from the community here is if any has experienced anything like this and has some insight on what may be going on. I am hoping the rings are not seized and thinking if maybe it could be the cam/bearings binding inside causing the engine to hang up. It ran great up until it quit the first time and ran great with no knocking or grinding after starting it with the clutch. Thank you in advance
 
I think your battery is discharged. Question is why. It quit on you when you were going 30 mph so your alt should be suppling pwr to keep engine going. I wonder if your alt. has stopped charging your battery and it finally could not keep the engine going. Recharge your battery and if it gets started check the alt. output stud for 14 volts or better. Hope this helps.
 
Starter went bad.

I thought that too initially but that wouldn't explain why it stalled. It has never stalled while driving, ever. It was a very strong and healthy running engine which is why this really surprised me. The starter engages but wont turn over the engine. I will check the starter tomorrow though.
 
I think your battery is discharged. Question is why. It quit on you when you were going 30 mph so your alt should be suppling pwr to keep engine going. I wonder if your alt. has stopped charging your battery and it finally could not keep the engine going. Recharge your battery and if it gets started check the alt. output stud for 14 volts or better. Hope this helps.

The battery is pretty much full, 749CCA should be plenty to restart this engine. I did forget to mention that the alt is 100amps and i thoroughly upgraded all the electrical system. It ran like a top, I did that electrical upgrade over a year ago. It feels like mechanical blockage to me. And I tried turning the engine over by hand and no dice, solid as a rock.
 
Does anyone think that a seized camshaft would bind enough to keep the motor from turning over? I'm leaning toward possibly an oil pump/cam failure... thoughts?
 
Did you have a working oil pressure gauge?
 
Any progress today?

Apologies for the late update, Yes I did have some time to investigate a bit further into the engine. So I checked and all pulleys move freely except the crank. Pulled the valve covers to see if there is any metal or lack of oil or damage. None at all, there was oil not a huge amount but there was satisfactory amounts (considering it was already sitting for a day). Upon pulling the plug wires, two of the plug wires broke as i was pulling them off, which i contribute that the heat from the cylinders got to them. So i pulled the plug on cyl 1 and it looked fine, dry and clean. I tried to get some light into the plug hole and i could see the top of the piston and it was looked the same as it did when i had the heads off initially during the refresh. I was hoping it wasn't the case but I think the oil pump or shaft broke or there is a blockage in the oil gallery somewhere and it starved the pistons for oil . This engine never had any sludge, and was super clean inside when I opened her up for the refresh. I'm thinking the rings got too hot and adhered to the cyl wall. How bad i don't know, yet. My next plan is throw some marvel mystery oil in there and let it sit for a day and see if it will break loose and turn over by hand. If it does then I'll probably pull the heads and intake off to see if the cylinder walls are scored or pistons are damaged. I am very skeptical if the motor can be saved. What do you guys think?
 
Did you have a working oil pressure gauge?
It was working on and off. I contribute that to the cam bearings being worn or the gauge is not working correctly. It is a sweeping oil pressure gauge not an idiot light.
 
I think you need a rebuild or a short block.
Maybe a 5.9 magnum?
 
Cam bearings are probably not the issue...Rod and main bearings are likely the problem if its seized.
Oil pressure loss typically first results in a seized or spun bearing on the crank. Pistons can get seized from getting the engine to hot and scoring the cylinder wall. It doesn't sound like it got hot. Cam bearing or oil pump failures are rare. Plugged up oil pick is a possibility. Nylon timing gears as they get old deteriorate and crumble and can end up in the pickup screen as well as too much silicone.

You may be able to change cranks and a rod and go again. You have not described anything yet that would suggest a scored cylinder unless there is information missing from the engines past.
 
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Cam bearings are probably not the issue...Rod and main bearings are likely the problem if its seized.
Oil pressure loss typically first results in a seized or spun bearing on the crank. Pistons can get seized from getting the engine to hot and scoring the cylinder wall. It doesn't sound like it got hot. Cam bearing or oil pump failures are rare. Plugged up oil pick is a possibility. Nylon timing gears as they get old deteriorate and crumble and can end up in the pickup screen as well as too much silicone.

You may be able to change cranks and a rod and go again. You have not described anything yet that would suggest a scored cylinder unless there is information missing from the engines past.

The reason I was thinking it is possibly the rings is because how suddenly the engine stopped with no warning. If the bottom end was dry it would knock like crazy and then quit. Also on that day I did just jump start it with the clutch and fired right up with no noise or ill effects. Maybe even the valves got too hot and its not even the crank or pistons. I will hopefully have time to go out and grab that marvel mystery and get it in 'er. As for the timing gears, are steel, Edelbrock double roller chain, stock one was steel toothed as well. Thanks for the reply
 
I think you need a rebuild or a short block.
Maybe a 5.9 magnum?

You know if I am totally honest, the only reason i kept the 318 in the first place was because it was running well and I'm nostalgic, so I thought its pretty neat to have a 50+ year old classic with the original engine. Most guys junk perfectly good engines for the need of power. Also I build up the car to cruise not drag race so on the street the 318 is plenty fun with a 4bbl, headers, electronic ignition and mild cam. If i was to do anything now though, assuming it is scored in the cylinders, or has some other major damage. I am going to swap it for a mopar performance shortblock 340 and get the edelbrock power package kit. 417hp/397tq with 9.5:1. Although the mp shortblock has 10:1, it will give me a bit more power compared to the edelbrock tested/claimed power.
 
At slower speeds you can lock up a engine by the bearing literally bonding itself to the crankshaft and seizing the engine. To get a knock typically it takes significant rpms to overcome the friction and spin the bearing creating the clearance to generate a knock. I have seen a couple engines over the years that locked up and didn't make a noise...bearings were stuck to the crank.

Also I have seen the starter bendix gear break and wedge itself in the bellhousing. That engine made a clicking noise when you hit the starter and also was seized. Probably a best case scenario....but unusual.
 
Am I missing something... I thought you said you bump started it, drove it home and it sounded and ran fine???
 
Am I missing something... I thought you said you bump started it, drove it home and it sounded and ran fine???

Yes, that's right. The car was still rolling when the engine stalled, so i first tried to start with the key, the starter made engaging sound but no crank, so I put it in gear and popped the clutch. Drove it the last 100 feet to my house and pulled up on the driveway, stopped and I turned off the engine (it did not stall on the driveway). Waited a little bit and tried to start it again, starter noise and no crank. The rest I wrote on the top of the thread.
 
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