What would cause a 318 to not run, have fuel and spark.

[DodgeDirty1963]

So the 318 in my girlfriends '73 Club cab just quit on her while driving down the road. Just shut off. I was at work so she had to have it towed home. It has fuel, it has spark, could it be... compression? or lack there of? It has electronic ignition. This was a true survivor engine, never been apart as far as I know. We tried to make it run as good as we could the last few years but it burned oil like hell and at times seemed to have a dead cylinder. When I got home I tried all the easy fixes, but would not run. I found green liquid pooled on the rockers on the passenger side head. What else could that green stuff be but coolant? So i assume it blew that head gasket a while back but just lost compression. I don't know, any other theories or advice would be great.
Anyone got an extra LA 318 laying around in CA. It just needs to run.
Thanks guys, could really use some thoughts on this.

[PwrWgnDrvr]

Do a compression test. The tester is not expensive.

[oklamopar]

Jumped time? Maybe

[dodgeboykim]

My first guess also would be the timing chain jumped. Particularly on a 318.

[68fish]

are you sure someone didnt put a 350 chevy in it?? 318s usually dont do that!

Fish

[68fish]

If she was driving it and it just shut off, sounds like a ballest resistor. Thats exactly how it would act. Carry a spare at all times. I was driving the old 65 and crossed some railroad tracks and bounced enough that the rusty spring in the old ballest resistor broke, immediate dead engine. I was pulling the cuda going home from a show. Coasted into a side street. stole the ballest from the cuda and put it on the truck and fired right up. A kid was watching me the whole time and said..... Your going to pull parts from that cool cuda and put them into that old truck?? I said son, Ill swap engines in your drive way if thats what I have to do to get home!!!!! It was a kodak moment.

Did you try a new ballest resistor????

If not, i bet this is your problem. Even with a blown head gasket, you should fire up.

Fish

[DodgeDirty1963]

I did try a new ballast resistor that night, no dice. Ignition wise, could the contol box for the electronic igniton cause this? It's the factory unit, all stock. I'm kind of leaning towards the timing chain as well. I just don't know if I should mess with it after seeing what I believe to be coolant all up the the rockers...but not necessarily mixed with the oil? So I'm keeping my options open, gonna go look at a motorhome with a 318 in it, but the little lady mentioned she wants a 360
Is it common for the chain to jump on high mileage 318's?
Thanks again everone for helping me with this off topic vehicle.

[wally426ci]

They had nylon teeth so it definitely could have mangled the teeth and jumped......

[68fish]

yes, those chains get very stretched out with time. When rebuilding a small block make sure and put in double roller steel chain. Easy to check if it jumped time. Put no. 1 cyl. on top dead center comp. stroke and see if roter is on no. one position on dist. cap. If you have valve cover already off its even easier to tell when top dead center comp stroke by looking at valves. This will tell you.

Let us know what you find.

Fish

[DodgeDirty1963]

yes, those chains get very stretched out with time. When rebuilding a small block make sure and put in double roller steel chain. Easy to check if it jumped time. Put no. 1 cyl. on top dead center comp. stroke and see if roter is on no. one position on dist. cap. If you have valve cover already off its even easier to tell when top dead center comp stroke by looking at valves. This will tell you.

Let us know what you find.

Fish

Jumped timing chain. With all the water in the oil I ended up getting a good engine for cheap enough for it to make sense. The original engine is gonna go back in eventually, we just had to get this thing moving again.

[nytemuvr]

Plastic cam sprocket, almost a sure bet. Hopefully didn't bend a pushrod.

[Txas2step]

yes, those chains get very stretched out with time. When rebuilding a small block make sure and put in double roller steel chain. Easy to check if it jumped time. Put no. 1 cyl. on top dead center comp. stroke and see if roter is on no. one position on dist. cap. If you have valve cover already off its even easier to tell when top dead center comp stroke by looking at valves. This will tell you.

Let us know what you find.

Fish

Jumped timing chain. With all the water in the oil I ended up getting a good engine for cheap enough for it to make sense. The original engine is gonna go back in eventually, we just had to get this thing moving again.

jumped timing woud not let water in crank case....head gasket, cracked block...did it over heat?

[DodgeDirty1963]

I would bet it's the head gasket. The truck didn't over heat, but always ran rough. If it was just the timing chain I would have fixed it, or tried to. When I started taking it apart and saw that the water and oil were mixing, I decided not to chance it on just slapping the heads back down. Since we have another engine it seems easier and cheaper to throw it in there for now and do something with the original motor when there's time + money. That 318 I got for $100 did have a chunk of the block broken off where it mounts to the trans that no one noticed when they picked it up. So we got a '75 with a 360 and we're just gonna use that engine or now.

[WD]

You actually had to pay for an LA318? I want some of what your neighbors and area junkyards are smoking... I could see spending a bit on an A318, but an LA?

Half the Dodge people around here will give away a 318, they get sick of tripping over them...

[nytemuvr]

I would bet it's the head gasket. The truck didn't over heat, but always ran rough. If it was just the timing chain I would have fixed it, or tried to. When I started taking it apart and saw that the water and oil were mixing, I decided not to chance it on just slapping the heads back down. Since we have another engine it seems easier and cheaper to throw it in there for now and do something with the original motor when there's time + money. That 318 I got for $100 did have a chunk of the block broken off where it mounts to the trans that no one noticed when they picked it up. So we got a '75 with a 360 and we're just gonna use that engine or now.

Make sure your timing chain cover isn't cracked or warped, real easy spot for oil and coolant to mix. They're aluminum and people over the years overtighten them.

[dodgeman02]

If she was driving it and it just shut off, sounds like a ballest resistor. Thats exactly how it would act. Carry a spare at all times. I was driving the old 65 and crossed some railroad tracks and bounced enough that the rusty spring in the old ballest resistor broke, immediate dead engine. I was pulling the cuda going home from a show. Coasted into a side street. stole the ballest from the cuda and put it on the truck and fired right up. A kid was watching me the whole time and said..... Your going to pull parts from that cool cuda and put them into that old truck?? I said son, Ill swap engines in your drive way if thats what I have to do to get home!!!!! It was a kodak moment.

Did you try a new ballest resistor????

If not, i bet this is your problem. Even with a blown head gasket, you should fire up.

Fish

That is awesome..

[matthew]

remember that the 360 is a externally balanced engine too. it will need a weighted torque convertor. seen alot of people make that mistake when going from a 318 to 360. the 360 convertor will have a weight welded to it on the front by the flex plate mounting lugs. you will wonder why the motor shakes when it runs.

[DodgeDirty1963]

I got the converter too, I just bought the whole other truck for parts. That 360's been in there a few months and doing good. I just scored a professionally rebuilt thermoquad for $35 and replaced the timing chain, with those two things done it really purrs. I had the muffler shop run true duals all the way out the back with 22'' glasspacks. I thought I got the 2 1/4 mufflers but I got 2". So I hope it won't restrict it too much with the 2'' pipes but they have a cool rap to them.

[matthew]

cheap insurance just to replace the timing chain and gears on the small block mopars at about 100,000 to 125,000 miles. thats about when the cam sprocket goes south. plastic coating was to reduce noise. the high perf engines usually had the good set from the factory.