Welcome to FEBO from the desert! Nice diamond in the rough Challenger! Nothing wrong with a 318! It's just a small bore 340 when you put all the other 340/360 parts in it! 🙂
Everything is getting expensive now unfortunately. If you have the skills, you are better off doing the work yourself!
On the steering shaft, there is a big lock washer that goes between the pitman arm and the nut. On the pitman arm to center link, there isn't a washer, just a nut and cotter pin.
That's a lot of E-Bodies! And all nice!
I didn't make it that far East of Lexington in March, but I did make it part way to Winchester to get Ale 8 souvenirs! I'm sure you're familiar with Ale 8. Best ginger ale in the world! And a Kentucky Mule sure tastes good!
One thing about the cast iron exhaust manifold that really help them shine is to install 3" diameter tubes at least for 3 or 4 feet (maybe all the way to the mufflers?). I learned that years ago from Andy Finkbeiner!
Sometimes when companies aren't sure, they say they don't fit or say nothing. The 440 is taller so one would think the tubes would be easier to get out of the way, but sometimes not.
Changing sparks on a big block with hp exhaust manifolds is easier from underneath. Plus the floor is cool at...
For everything but the dash harness, Evans Wiring
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://evanswiring.com/&ved=2ahUKEwjHrrHI-uaVAxXYIEQIHQLqEbIQFnoECCMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3v2hd9TgmyHGcC8h0cn05C
For the dash harness, Year One.
You can do it. It's still not fun. You'll have to remove the obvious tomato can and then eventually you'll get to the lock plate and it needs to come off. It's held on by a pin that Miller Tool C4113 makes simple to remove, but you can use a punch and hammer which is pretty crude. Just be...
Doug's Headers D452 and TTI have little to no fitment issues.
The is some issues with Gen 3 hemi's, the Borgeson Box and Holley motor mounts, but no issues with the 440.
Some of the rear disc brakes kits for the 8 3/4 use Cadillac calipers as they have a nifty built in parking brake. But they cause other problems as well. Drums in the rear work just fine for me! And remember the first Dodge Daytona to go 200+ mph had drums in the rear! 🤪
@Old B5 PM me and I'll send you the parts for the cost of shipping. I have dozens of "parts Thermoquads". Heck if they fit in an normal envelope. It might be pretty cheap!
Be sure to use a beam torque wrench. The click ones are usually off! As long as the needle is pointing at ZERO when you start, you'll always be accurate.
If it still happens, @540HemiCuda is on the right path, start looking for parts not meshing together correctly.