If I'm extremely lucky, I might get my grandpa's truck. It is a 1965 full size dodge truck with a 318. It is very sweet and has a dash mounted auto shift lever. It needs some carb work and a little TLC, but other than that in excellent shape.

The question is will unleaded gas hurt the engine? I've heard people have ruined an engine that I think didn't have hardened valve seats. I'm thinking the older engine might be better and it wouldn't matter. I'm thinking that when they started cheaping stuff out in the seventies that is when it was a problem. I know a couple of people that have like a '47 Willys PU and have had no problem with the engine on unleaded. THe floorboard is rusted out, but the engine still runs on unleaded.

Does anyone know if this '65 Dodge 318 will hang?

Yep on the exhaust vavle seats. They will get to hot and burn up. It will take quite a few miles though. Run it until it looses compression......

In the older engines the lead was necessary to handle the heat(I think). Fi you run unleaded through it you will eventually do it harm. Why not just have the valves & seats redone. Refreshing the head couldn't hurt. Just my .02. :beer:

Lead was added for lubrication, reducing heat, friction, and acting as a cushion...:skull:

newer heads had hardened valve seats and don't need lead for lube.

I'd call a good machine shop and ask how much to retrofit the heads.

Or deal with spendy additives.

- Dan

I got my 69 buick v6 heads redone with hardened valve seats and a three angle valve job for a little over $120. The cost of additives adds up, get the heads redone, i don't think you'll regret it, plus the valve job adds hp. :D

Well I know Dodge most of the time is good quity So maybe it has harden valve seats. In the 60's beleve it or not but International Used harden valve seats with sodium filled valvs. I whould not be suprized if Dodge was the same

A 65 318 is the old POLY engine. The poly "a" was built from 1956 to 1966. They came in 277-301-318. The 318 2 bbl had 230hp and 318 4bbl had 260 and the dual quad 318 had 290hp. What little info there is in the mopar engine performance books shows no hard seats!

CD-2 at walmart

$6 to do 320 gallons

Cheap insurance for valves

Additives can sometimes be cheap, but what happens if you run out in BFE?!? Or get the mixture wrong?!? That and they can be rather messy and not so great if it gets on the paint.

Why fawk around with the crap! Go with the upfront cost of refreshing the heads, have them do a (min.) 3 angle valve grind, and put in hardened seats. You can beat the gains and no :barf: additives!! Just my .02!

I had a 64 ford I ran for 12 years without hardened seats using unleaded.
I think if it was a hi-perf motor, or you were driving it real hard, you could have probs.

Originally posted by tigger4x
Additives can sometimes be cheap, but what happens if you run out in BFE?!? Or get the mixture wrong?!? That and they can be rather messy and not so great if it gets on the paint.

Why fawk around with the crap! Go with the upfront cost of refreshing the heads, have them do a (min.) 3 angle valve grind, and put in hardened seats. You can beat the gains and no :barf: additives!! Just my .02!


What do you think is going happen. The valvles will all of a sudden vaporize?

yep, not like you have to run it every tank. As for the mixture, last time I used it you squeezed the bottle till the top part filled then poured. :rolleyes:

Whoooo - hooooo !!

Hey ORBITCAT !!! You are saved! :rolleyes:We have a couple of rocket scientists here to solve all your problems!! :laughing:

Keith ... the valves will vaporize in direct proportion to how fast your old lady would melt if water is thrown on her. :p

Mike ... great! now even you can measure the right amount. BUT if you run out of your fav brand ... yer screwed! :laughing:

On the more serious side of what I said before ... Originally posted by Tigger4X
Why fawk around with the crap! Go with the upfront cost of refreshing the heads, have them do a (min.) 3 angle valve grind, and put in hardened seats. You can beat the gains and no :barf: additives!! Just my .02!

How long would it be before the cost of the refreshing the heads would outweigh the cost of buying the :barf: additives:question:
And will the additives give you the added bonus' of a fresh rebuild and the added HP gains:question:
You do the math and then decide whats best for you. Not a bunch of other guys in a pissing contest.


Have a :) day now. :flipoff2: :laughing: ;)

Nothing like a nice pissing contest over a few beers. It's not as good as female mud wrestling, but hey ...

I've decide to just have the heads done because I am an anally retentive bastard! I just don't want to worry about $hit like that, and I know I would. For me it's cheap "No Hair Loss" insurance. I can't aford any more loss.

Thanks for all the comments. :flipoff2:

Originally posted by tigger4x


Mike ... great! now even you can measure the right amount. BUT if you run out of your fav brand ... yer screwed! :laughing:



What I provided was an alternate temporary solution. Do I really need to point out that my pre-lead heads have been completely reworked with hardened seats? Nah.. didnt think so :flipoff2: Then again this whole thread, other than parroting the fact that yes you SHOULD rework the valves you have contributed nothing of real value or even with anything that was correct :rolleyes: . Your assertion that additives are required every tank was completely wrong as was your reasoning for the lead in the first place. Orbicat, good choice :D

:eek: SOMEBODY got on the Last Train to Seriousville! :eek:

:p :D :flipoff2: ;) :laughing:

DOH! Sorry :D Had a death in the family Wednesday and havent been my normal self since