318 Small-Block Budget Build, Part 3

With a simple Craftsman valvespring compressor tool...

...we installed the retainers and locks.

With the heads completed, you can bolt them to the short-block. Next we installed the lifters and the rest of the valvetrain.

With oil getting as bad as it is, this stuff helps ensure that you don't have premature camshaft failure.

Next we put our lifters in a container of oil for a few hours and then slid them into the bores. Before we did, we again coated the cam lobes and the lifter faces with Comp Cams break-in lube.

The rocker shafts were the next pieces installed. When installing the shafts, make sure you have the oil holes facing down, and the proper bolts installed in the correct holes for attaching them to the block. LA-style rocker gear is oiled through the block, up through the heads, and out the rocker shafts. If you're using Magnum style heads, the oil travels through the lifters, up the pushrods, and onto the rocker gear.

We again made sure to coat the rocker gear and valve tips with assembly lube before final torquing of the bolts.

Finally we get to install the intake to make it a complete engine. We chose to use the Professional-Products CrossWind intake. The manifold is designed so that the same model fits some 318s, and 340/360 engines.

Not only that, it also fits the later model Magnum V8. The manifold is designed to accept the standard-length bolts that came with your original engine.

Once you have the engine assembled, it's time to make sure you have oil pressure. In our case, 60 pounds while using only a drill sounds good.

Stay tuned as we install the engine and get it running. We also show you some upgrades like cooling and installing a 10-1/2-inch clutch.