1964 Dodge Polara 500
318 Polyspherical Engine
I wanted to share the parts, suppliers, secrets and techniques I’ve picked up from others (and learned on my own) about all aspects of rebuilding a 1964 Dodge Polara 500 (B body car) w/a 318 Poly engine. If you are looking for parts/info about rebuilding the Poly engines, I hope this page helps save you some time! If you’ve got any questions, shoot me an email at
[email protected]. Some parts I listed the item part number, some listed are the part number at the supplier I purchased from (Jeg’s, Summit, Mancini Racing, etc).I bought (almost stole!!) the car from a kids front yard…it had grass grown up about 10” around it, he said he and his dad were going to rebuild it. Yeah, right. Anyhow, it wasn’t running but the body is in good condition. He said he thought he might have run it with low oil and possibly “spun” a bearing or two. Yeah, he did. Numbers one and two rod bearings were completely shot. All kinds of crud and chunks in the oil pan. If it were a Chevy or a Ford, it woulda been dead - but not an old Mopar Poly motor! So I've got the engine completely disassembled and cleaned, just waiting for the new gasket set to show up from Summit!
Engine
.040 over 318 “Wide Block”, completely torn down, cleaned, hardened valve seals (for unleaded gas), forged crank turned down .020 (rods and mains) and polished, forged Sealed Power floating head pistons, stock connecting rods (cleaned and checked), stock Polyspheric heads, camshaft a little “lumpier” than stock, OEM cast 4-barrel intake manifold, stock lifters and pushrods,
Clevite main bearings - Clevite P/N MS-540 P-20 (from machine shop)
Clevite rod bearings - Clevite P/N CB-481 P-20 (from machine shop)
Piston rings - Moly rings from Napa - Napa P/N ???????
Carburetor - not sure yet
Milodon windage tray - Jeg’s P/N 697-32230
Milodon windage tray mounting studs - still doing research
Cloyes True Roller timing chain - Jeg’s P/N 220-9-3103
Melling high-volume oil pump - Jeg’s P/N 689-M72HV
Carter street super fuel pump - Jeg’s P/N 180-M6902
Milodon high volume steel water pump - Summit P/N MIL-16251 (use this P/N for drivers side pump intake)
Complete FelPro gasket kit - Summit P/N FEL-FS7734PT-2
Stock bolts and studs
Mopar performance damper - Mopar P/N 4452816
Mopar flex plate (non-SFI approved) - Mopar P/N P4529751
Freeze plugs - Dorman P/N 560-023
Mopar electronic ignition
Transmission
Stock Torqueflight 727 transmission, supposedly rebuilt 2-3 years ago (we’ll see how it runs!)
Rear End
741 Case 8-¾”, 2.76:1 (ugh!!) ratio third member w/tapered axles
Replacement wheel studs - Car Quest P/N DOR 610-109 (right hand thread). AutoZone also has studs - AutoZone P/N 98130 (right hand thread)
Lug nuts (for above studs) - Car Quest P/N DOR 611-016 (right hand thread) and P/N DOR 611-216L (left hand thread)