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01:22:20 - 12/20/2024
V8 Dakotas
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DaveR
Dodge Dakota
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3/01/2002
17:14:28
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 Subject: build new or keep running?
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I will through this out to the many more experienced people on here: My truck has 85,000 miles on it, new transmission as of a few weeks back and I am starting to wonder if I should start investion in building a new mill while I have the money? Of course this would be a slow project getting money dumped into it when I have it to spare. I just don't know if I should stay with my 318 with fairly high miles on it and do heads and intake and all that fun stuff or is it time to migrate to a new block. I spot checked today and the compression was 100 psi on the number 1 cylinder. I have no clue if this is good or bad or satisfactory. I'm not noticing any noise or burning of oil. I just don't want to pour money into it to have it take a dump in the next year or so. What do you all think?
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Todd W
Dodge Dakota
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3/01/2002
17:55:03
| RE: build new or keep running?
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100psi is considered minimal (1997-99 engines), but you can have up to 40psi difference between cylinders according to dodge. Did the compression build fast, and did it drop down by itself slowly? Try squirting a little oil in the cylinder then cranking, if it builds a lot better pressure then you have worn rings. I'm not sure what optimal pressure per cylinder is...
85000 miles isn't a lot of miles, and if the engine has given you good performance up to now and you've taken care of it, I'd say keep with the old block. Go ahead and compression check all the cylinders and see where you stand. Engine blocks are next to impossible to destroy, it takes a thrown rod or something equally tramatic. My father had a saying he liked, 'If it still runs, you can rebuild it!', basically meaning if it's running -at all- chances are it can be overhauled.
Point in case, I had an old Chevy 305 that would run and rev all day in park or neutral, put it in gear and it'd just die. We did a compression check and found that the highest cylinder had 90psi, most were less, the lowest was 60. One engine rebuild later it ran excellent and would smoke the rear tires for a considerable distance.
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