Originally Posted By: Clevy
I've owned a few 318s over the years. My 89 ram had 450k on the stock engine,running conventional oil in the 5w-30 flavour. No extra zddp. These engines didn't have extreme spring rates to worry about.
To be fair... you didn't name a 318 with a flat-tappet cam in your list.
They went roller in the mid 1980s, and remained roller through the "Magnum" iteration of the 90s. But your point remains- even with the regular cam, once the initial break-in is done they're like a Jeep 4.0- very easy on the cam/lifter interface and the current levels of ZDDP in xw30 oils are just fine for them.
While you're doing a timing chain, just spring the extra bucks for a brand-name dual roller set (eg.:
http://www.milodon.com/timing-chains/timing-chains.asp, part number 15011)
Doing the timing chain on a 318 is a little bit of a PITA- certainly harder than on a big-block because of the way the oil pan seal is done at the front and rear. Its a multi-piece pan gasket like a smallblock Chevy, with a rubber "C" shaped section front and back. When you do a timing set, you replace the front "C" and two small side pieces and cut the remaining pan gasket flush with the block and goop it up really well with Permatex Right Stuff, whereas on a big-block you just cut flush with the block and insert ONE flat gasket piece (since its a deep-skirt, or "Y-block" design). The water pump and most accessories have to come off, and the timing case is a relatively big aluminum casting (iron in older engines) instead of just a stamped steel cover like an SBC or BB Mopar. And its a good time to see if the timing chain case is corroding, as they can eventually start leaking coolant into the oil through a corroded timing case cover. Overall its no worse than the same job on a Windsor Ford or SBC, but once I got used to the "4 bolts and the water pump is out" simplicity of the B block, it was hard to go back.
After the years of sitting you described, I'd replace EVERY rubber part in sight if it were me. Belts, hoses, bushings, tires.
