[johnnycashjunkie]

Ive read and read on this lean burn, I cannot be for sure if mine was or is equipped with it. I'll explain what I have and if someone could tell me yay or nay that would help out.
I DO have a ecm located behind battery with 2 connectors and it has a diaphragm (vacuum) switch.

I do have a ignition coil laying horizontal behind carb. There IS a ballast resister to the left of carb, and the distributor has I think 2 connectors going to it, could be one on the right side as I can see that one.
Also there is, what I call a spark box on firewall.
So with that I cannot be for sure what I have or don't have, either way my goal, overall, is to eliminate all unnecessary electronics (ecm) and go to more mech stuff..
I hope this makes sense. Thank you.

 

[Reed]

Ive read and read on this lean burn, I cannot be for sure if mine was or is equipped with it. I'll explain what I have and if someone could tell me yay or nay that would help out.
I DO have a ecm located behind battery with 2 connectors and it has a diaphragm (vacuum) switch.

That is a "lean burn" computer.

I do have a ignition coil laying horizontal behind carb.

That is normal.

There IS a ballast resister to the left of carb

Do you mean on the driver's side of the engine (vehicle left) or on the passenger side of the engine (your left a you look at it from the front of the truck)? If what you describe is an ignition ballast resistor, it should be about 2x5 inches and about 1/2-3/4 inches thick. However, you might be looking at the resistor for the choke thermostat which would be located below the carb on the passenger side of the engine. The choke thermostat has nothing to do with the ignition system.

and the distributor has I think 2 connectors going to it, could be one on the right side as I can see that one.

Remove the distributor cap and count the number of electrical pickups. One = almost certainly no lean burn, two = lean burn.

Also there is, what I call a spark box on firewall.

Can you post a picture? There is no telling what prior owners of the truck have done over the last 33 years.

So with that I cannot be for sure what I have or don't have, either way my goal, overall, is to eliminate all unnecessary electronics (ecm) and go to more mech stuff..
I hope this makes sense.

Depends on what you are removing. There is no reason to remove things like the air pump, charcoal cannisters, PCV system, heated air intake system, cold air intake system, choke thermostat, or to switch from a solid state voltage regulator to a mechanical regulator. Switching to non-lean burn controlled carb and ignition is a good idea since those systems were problem prone when new.

Pictures would help a great deal here.

 

[jak89]

Just get a 4 barrel and a hei ignition.

 

[Reed]

A four barrel carb is a waste on a stock 318 in a daily-driver street-driven RC.  A good condition non-computer controlled Carter BBD or Holley 2280 is abetter choice.  I second the recommendation for an HEI retrofit, but I don't recommend those ugly and expensive "all in one" retrofit distributors.  I recommend the swap where you keep a Mopar electronic ignition distributor and use it to trigger the HEI ignition module and an upgraded coil.  The HEI swap is the easiest swap on a lean burn equipped vehicle.

 

[johnnycashjunkie]

Attached are pics
1st pic, is the silver ignition module I'm guessing? Located on firewall. The rest are explanatory.
It was my understanding that lean burn was written on intake, and had a computer mounted in it as well?

 

[jak89]

The first pic is the voltage regulator.
You have a computer so there is no ignition box

That's why I'd just ditch the computer and go with whatever hei you prefer

 

[jak89]

You have the electronic feedback system it's different than the lean burn

 

[Reed]

Yes, you have a "lean burn" computer controlled ignition and possible carb.  "Lean burn" is a generic term for the early Chrysler engine control computers that were called various names like "lean burn", "spark control computer" "electronic spark control" and more.  THe resistor is the choke thermostat resistor.  The item on the firewall is a voltage regulator or possibly emissions component timer.

I second the recommendation to switch to a noncomputer controlled ignition and carb.

 

[dodge82273]

john , you are correct , the "lean burn" was on the air filter , computer and all , you have the next version , a single board engine controller , sbc , which later got called a pcm , both located behind battery . The wires near the choke heat riser , are for the choke , what that thing is supose to do , in conjunction with a 3 wire oil pressure switch , is help warm the choke BUT only when the engine is running NOT when you first switch the key ON . Yep firewall gizmo is the voltage regulator for the alternator ,  vacume lines TO the sbc are telling the puter how hard your stepping ON the gas pedal so it can adjust the timing accordingly , hoses to the sbc are "cooling" for the puter ( no fan inside like a P/C has )  Your year 318 / truck was one that I call in transition , end of carb era , start of computer era , WITH more restrictive emissions . so low compression ... etc . getting it to "perform" means MANY changes are required , well beyond just a new dizzy and carb . It was NOT that bad as a driver , as long as your not trying to have a " hot rod truck "  what happens to them is the system has gotten age , vac lines dry out crack , egr valves stick open I.E. maintenance stuff gets neglected , so folks install new hi performance stuff rather than fix it and blame the system for its failure .  I run an old system like yours , with NO problems as a daily driver ,starts every time runs smooth ,  the only thing I did was change the 2 barrel for an even older version that does NOT have "feedback" which yours may not have anyway ,( mine's 1 year newer ) replacement parts like choke pull off's etc are available so.... 

ok one correction .. its an sbEc  I fergots the E LOL ...

 

[johnnycashjunkie]

Thanks guys, that's a wealth of info.
Looking at everything now, it makes sense.
I'm in the process of going through the whole truck carefully.
I'll see what I'm gonna do.

 

[johnnycashjunkie]

The ol dodge runs good, fires up and hums nice. I mean I don't have a problem that I know if. I'm gonna go through and clean the carb and egr and care fully clean and replace worn out stuff.

 

[jak89]

Ohhh well that changes everything if it ain't broke don't fix it!