350 Buck Truck Project engine revival

[dennis hooper]

Had most of the same problems with my Scout 345. My solution, got a 318 with auto trans out of a '76 dodge 4x4 power wagon. Used the 76 radiator, which fit right in, with stock dodge hoses. Just had to make,and install front motor mounts to frame. Used the tail shaft from the Scout 727 on the dodge 727 to mate to the transfer case,used the dodge power steering pump. Installed a rv cam and four barrel. Plenty of parts available for the dodge 318 and enough power for everything I do with my Scout. Did I mention it is very dependable.

 

[Rusty Scout]

Have not done much since last post....have not had too. Just been driving it around. Not as fast as a ferrari but fine for my needs for now. Starts easily now. Warms up nicely. Lifters still take about 5-10 seconds before clatter dies down. 2 minutes before all lifters silent . I would hazard a guess that the vacuum is higher than right after the rebuild. Nice to be able to get some enjoyment out of a long project

 

[Dealbreaker74]

Great job. It always feels good when you finally get it on the road. And your documentation does wonders as far as keeping the hobby alive. Even if only one person checks to make sure all of the plugs get re-installed after the machine work, that's a lot of time and money saved, and who know, a project that might not get abandoned. It takes guts to open up (with pics) and let us all in. Thanks for the journey.

 

[pablowest]

Good work rusty Scout. I think that it is nice project. I hope to see your finished work and some updates. :d

 

[Rusty Scout]

The truck is fun to drive and gets better gas mileage than my 79 345 Scout.

Finally getting to my tanks on the 75 150 pickup. Long story short the truck came into my possession with the tank switch bypassed. Only the main tank under the passenger side was semifunctional. I was able to go about 50 miles before the fuel filter before the pump would clog up. I bought a couple of decent tanks and put them in. I got a tank switch from ihonlynorth that was rehabed by mayben.

Couple of questions:

I thought these new tanks looked extremely fresh and clean. Is there a good way to keep them that way???? I was told by a boater to add a little atf every once in a while when I fill the tanks.

I think the tank switch and fuel lines are vulnerable to road debris. My tank switch cover was missing so I am going to have to do something about that. Also I am thinking of rerouting the fuel line from the tank switch to pump. I was considering going with steel braided fuel hose or fuel injection hose on the inside of the lower inner fender. Is that couple of inches from the exhaust manifold going to be a serious fire hazard? The stock setup I have seen on other 74-75 trucks utilizes a metal line routed on the outside of the inner fender.

I want to make a cover for the switch. Any good solutions here? If not I will make one out of sheet metal. I have some pictures of what one looks like for a 74-75 pickup in case anyone ever needs reference pics. A buddy in tennessee was kind enough to send me his pics. Thanks for looking.