Bwahahahahahaha! Regular gasoline is for weenies!

This is good advice. I knew I'd need premium to pull the pass with the compression I shot for. I had to try regular though; Pings like mad!

Get good measurements, then make an informed decision with what you want to do.

I wouldn't be hard on Brennan. He did some serious experimenting, then opted to go another route. He got his build running pretty well in the end, just not to his satisfaction. I thought his post here was right on the money. If you want 318 power, put in 318 power. If you want a bit more slant six zap, put more zap in your slant six.

I don't use all the advice I get here. Sometimes due to conflicting points of view, and other times just 'cause I want to do it my way. I'm like that.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I stand by my statement. In the original post LWS, asked "best bang for the buck". Increasing compression by head milling is far cheaper then block milling, and is the best SINGLE improvement, for the money spent.

I do agree about using the "numbers" to determine the correct amout to mill.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

That's certainly true, particularly if a full engine rebuild isn't being done. But I thought the OP was talking about a full rebuild. Maybe I'm conflating this thread with Menkemoose's thread about the engine plan for his '66 Cortez.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

An A500/518 would most likely be too long for his application since he has a short wheelbase van (90 inches). Even with his current van transmission the driveshaft is only about 18 inches or less long.

So he could have the world's shortest driveshaft, at 11" long or something!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Hey I appreciate all input, from reading some of the posts here and elsewhere I can see there is perhaps some very strong differing opinions on ways we choose to go about doing stuff. All is welcome, and again, appreciated.
My slant van has the smallblock 727, that I fully rebuilt myself (first attempt I might add) a few years back, unfortunately I put in one of those crap B&M shift kits (crap) and it "bang" shifts...been dealing with that for far too long. Never liked it from the get-go, and I should have replaced the converter, I think it's on it's last leg. Oops. Will be yanking it, putting in a later nos valve body with the part throttle kickdown, and will be using a towing Transgo TF1 kit, as well as a rebuilt converter (all parts already on work bench). So no trans swaps. So while the trans is out, I think it makes sense to yank the engine for a proper rebuild. And the more I think about it, the 318 swap is probably out of the question. I've got a recent recored radiator, recent ignition conversion......lots of money already spent on good parts. Don't really want to buy another radiator, mounts, ignition, yadda-yadda-yadda to do a swap! I'd like to see just what these slants can do.

Short and stubby It's a two piece type. It is about the shortest I've ever seen on any vehicle.

I like the idea of milling the head, as well as going with those enginbuilder valves I see on Ebay. Do some porting (anybody have templates for sure fire results?) and use the Erson springs and retainers....sounds like a winner

For the slant it is just as easy to use the stock intake/exhaust gasket and match it to those. There has been a few threads about guys punching into the intake runners, it's not only frustrating, it can be very hard on your wallet. Honestly, a smaller cross section is said to keep velocity higher and therefore more torque, this is at the cost of flow in the higher rpms, but spin the motor past 4500rpm and we will talk more.
Bren's numbers are about accurate, he said about $3000 for a basic 318 swap that is actually slower than his old slant he had built. I figure that you have about $1000 to spend which will get you pretty far if your careful, patient, and miserly. It won't get you into the 15's I'm not going to lie, but will be night and day. I don't know about 9mpg either Bren, I mean my old 440 got that in a 79' Dodge Ram pickup. A complete all out race motor, sure, but really sub-teens????
A good intake, the super six being the most cost effective, and good run around the head and I think you will be quite surprised. Don't expect miracles, but it's nice to have a fairly street mannered car that you can afford to drive everyday. I could have the opportunity to drop a 340 that is 11:1, 292/.509, and full x-heads, but how the heck could I drive it and put av-gas into it every week?

I spend a lot of my days thinking about vans/trucks and gas mileage. I've done a lot of armchair research on vans and mileage, so I can add this. Except for the Dodge Sprinter, vans generally get crappy mileage. The single best one out thee is a mid 90s Chevy Astro 3.8 V6 that will consistently get 22 or 23mpg on the highway. Compare this to your van, about the same weight, about the same displacement, but 30 years older with no computer. I'd say 17 highway is realistic. 14 or 15 city would be pretty darn good.

Short of compression bumps, your talking about a mostly stock build. I'd check the compression and as long as it's good then you are mostly done with the engine. You've already upgraded the ignition. I'd spend my time on aero, weight reduction, and lowering as better bang for buck.

Speaking of bang for buck, let's say you drive this toaster on wheels 10k a year. Assuming an average of 15mpg and gas at $2.25 you'll spend $1500. If you make a bunch of mods and improve that to 17 mpg you'll save $176 bucks a year. So your budget is $176 per year to get an 8.8% improvement in mileage. That's going to be a tough goal to hit. If you spend $357 dollars on the van, it's going to take 2 years/20k to break even. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this.

It gets better if gas gets more expensive of course.
Kip-On-Truckin'

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1965 Valiant wagon Turbo slant (work in progress)
2000 Chevy 155" cargo van - The Abductor
1970 Newport convertible
1996 Buick Roadmaster Wagon
1966 CruiseAire motor home
1990 Toyota 1 ton box truck TURBO slant (scraped)

I think I'm getting closer to knowing what I will do with it. I'll build the slant. The money to convert to a v8, and what I know I'd be tempted to do to it performance wise....I'd be out of control! I'll save all that for my long ago (still) dream to build a pro street 81-83 Imperial. Instead, I'll find either a stock iron two barrel intake, or maybe luck out and score the Mopar Performance one, maybe one of those new two barrel's Dan's got, swap the ECU for the HEI module, definately the dual Dutra duals, basic stock short block rebuild, mill the head, add either the Erson or Comp Cams kit, and do a little porting. No fancy dress up items as its buried under the doghouse and not much to look at anyways. Hope to be compiling parts soon.

Get an Erson cam for sure. It's the difference between buying a well-made cam specifically (and recently, and knowledgeably) designed for the slant-6, from a company who go out of their way to support the slant-6 community, instead of buying a "gee, I hope this Comp cam isn't bad" item consisting of old Chevrolet profiles ground on a slant-6 blank.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Sounds like a good plan. I don't hate v8's or people who drive them, I just try to be realistic about life and realize stuff has a time and place. If you were planning on swapping from a 318 to a slant I would tell you no as well.
81 Imperial huh? My uncle's engine builder made a 90's carlo go 200mph!

Oh yeah, something along the lines of this (only maybe a tad more streetable!)

Dont forget the Aussie Speed Manifolds. They have a 2 bbl Alum manifold that is of long runner design(more TQ and HP). Our money is really strong there right now and they are Great to deal with.
Just my 02.
Frank

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Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered