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91....the slow build

2K views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  RalphP 
#1 ·
So I introduced myself in the Newbie Check In, but my name is Neil.

I have a 91 reg. cab short box that I bought for $400. The box is rough but the truck overall is in good condition.

The plan as of now is to pull the low horse 5.2 out and replace it with a 67 318 that I tore apart today. It will be getting check at the machine shop and cleaned, along with the heads being ground 10 thou and the crank being checked. After that it will be assembled using stock parts and a 340 stock cam. Why go with an old block you say? Because 1. It has a wiring issue I don't want to deal with and 2. It was free.

The rest of the truck will get a virtual frame off restore since the underneath is rusty from sitting for 3 years, but that will have to wait until I get money together for all that.

The start will be getting a motor built to around 300-350hp. The truck honestly won't need much more than that for now, all it will do is spin the tires anyway.
 

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#2 ·
That "free" block will cost you a small bit, since it won't drop in (hint: The "Magnum" mounts the 1991 uses weren't added until late 80's ...)

Take the current block and rebuild it, that one drops in and it IS a LA 318 if it's a 1991 (throttle body injectors).

So all your other planned stuff will work just peachy keen with the block in there now.

Schumacher makes motor mount adapters, and they CAN be made for your 1967 318, but that does raise the price a bit. For instance, the old LA block mounts are $395 plus $40 shipping. OTOH, I can pull a newer Magnum block (or the proper LA block!) from local yards for $150, and it DOES drop in. And if you sell that 1967 block for that $150, well ...

(If you do that, and pull a Magnum, you can use the same parts, with the following caveats, found at http://www.magnumswap.com/using-la-parts-on-a-magnum/ )

RwP
 
#3 ·
That "free" block will cost you a small bit, since it won't drop in (hint: The "Magnum" mounts the 1991 uses weren't added until late 80's ...)

Take the current block and rebuild it, that one drops in and it IS a LA 318 if it's a 1991 (throttle body injectors).

So all your other planned stuff will work just peachy keen with the block in there now.

Schumacher makes motor mount adapters, and they CAN be made for your 1967 318, but that does raise the price a bit. For instance, the old LA block mounts are $395 plus $40 shipping. OTOH, I can pull a newer Magnum block (or the proper LA block!) from local yards for $150, and it DOES drop in. And if you sell that 1967 block for that $150, well ...

(If you do that, and pull a Magnum, you can use the same parts, with the following caveats, found at http://www.magnumswap.com/using-la-parts-on-a-magnum/ )

RwP
Yeah, you are completely correct, but my dad has a ton of parts for this motor and I can learn from his 87 340 swap, absolutely would be easier as far as mounts go. However, the 91 block has 170hp stock, and the 67 is rated at 230 with a 2 bbl carb. Its getting a 4 bbl carb and a 340 cam, and ground heads. Eventually some shorty headers and straight duals. This thing should rip and give not too bad mileage, providing I can stay off the skinny pedal a bit. My dad says he doesn't remember doing anything special really with the mounts, but he also has it chained for safety.

I appreciate your concern, but this is the route im going and Ill have to live with whatever comes my way.

The parts that I have from the original 5.2 can be interchanged with the 67, aside from a few, but say for example the oil pan, which will have to be donated from the original motor and the manifolds which I will use until the aforementioned headers are bought. The main focus now is the power plant and getting it safe for the road, which is most likely not until summer of 2017.

Thanks for caring enough to voice your concern.
 
#4 ·
Hey RalphP,

Any idea where to get good headlights for this thing? I've searched a lot and there seems to be a ton on ebay. Just not sure about the fitment of them or which ones actually work. I have the later year grill with the flush rounded look.

Any help with parts locating would be greatly appreciated, keep in mind I am in Canada.
 
#5 ·
The Aero style, with the 9004 or 9007 bulbs?

There's not much but OEM for those, although I rather like the zXe bulbs in them (others prefer UltraStars, etc.)

DO either clean the lens off (hint: It's refracted internally, but should be clear otherwise; if it's yellow or milky, you're losing light!) or replace them.

Parts - I'm from the USA, so can't really advise although RockAuto will ship there (and so will a lot of other companies!), but then again, duties etc. may run my "Great Deal!" into a "I coulda bought from the stealership for less!" (I don't know, it might not ever ... )

RockAuto is supposed to have some Canadian warehouses, which will avoid all that duty nonsense.

RwP
 
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