Cheap 318 performance mods.

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Am I missing something, other than people saying this thread is going off track, therefore making the thread go off track, it seemed mainly on track before that lol
 
Am I missing something, other than people saying this thread is going off track, therefore making the thread go off track, it seemed mainly on track before that lol

Not sure who's taking it off track.... the guy asked to make a 318 run slightly better and a 408 was suggested.. that's on track for this place.
 
Am I missing something, other than people saying this thread is going off track, therefore making the thread go off track, it seemed mainly on track before that lol
Exactly, you get it. Yep, the OP already has a 318 and want's to keep it but just tweak it a bit to make it run better and a little more snappy without breaking the bank. And then here comes the 340/360/Magnum, Gen 3 Hemi crowd. I should just delete their BS posts. If you don't have anything constructive for the OP, start your own thread about your 360 or what ever. Truth be known, you probably don't even own a Mopar let alone one with a 360 or what ever you are preaching. :poke: :rofl:
 
If the OP ever comes back... go to this youtube channel.. this guy has tried a lot of low buck mods and actually goes to the track to test stuff...
 
If the OP ever comes back... go to this youtube channel.. this guy has tried a lot of low buck mods and actually goes to the track to test stuff...
And he's one of us and he doesn't preach his engine swaps to something bigger.
 
In my experience nothing "performance" Is ever cheap. Its a never ending rabbit (money) hole. I started off similar to you was going to take an 80s 318 and clean it up regasket it add a small cam a 4 bbl intake headers etc. Well I pulled the heads to find that it needed to be overbored pulled the cam it needed new cam bearings. The heads needed a valve job due to worn seats etc etc. So I figured since I needed all this machine work I'd step up and build a 360 instead. About 3 grand later my budget was blown and I had one heck of a stout 360 lol. Long story I know. Sorry. But if you can get away with it and you have a good 318 core that doesn't need new pistons or worn cylinder walls (unlikely) I would get a small cam, a four barrel intake I'm a fan of the factory 4bbl spread bore with a thermoquad on top. And a set of magnum manifolds from a 5.2 mag. If the 318 is worn out and need machine work. I'd follow some advice I got from here and never followed, I'd find a 5.2 or 5.9 mag in a junkyard or marketplace and start with it. Speedmaster has a good intake for the mag heads.
What year, body,of magnum manifolds are you suggesting?
 
Best bang for the buck is a higher stall convertor. I like the 2800. It gives a nice jump off the line with those 3.23s.
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Do this FIRST and you will never regret it. Then install a semi-auto shift kit, and maybe your teener will bark the tires going into second.
With your planned mods, you're gonna have to do this anyway, as the factory stalls are just too low, and with any loss in cylinder pressure they will stall even lower, making taking-off an exercise in patience.
Before you take anything apart, do a compression test. Yur gonna need those numbers later after the mods are done, to help you chose a new convertor.
A 3500 tight will stall at around 28-32 in a stock 10.5 340. Equivalent to a factory 340 converter . And a stock 440 10.1 will stall at 35-38. I tried the same converter in two cars. Engine HP will change the stall RPM. So a big block doesn't need the 3500 for street performance.
 
Exactly, you get it. Yep, the OP already has a 318 and want's to keep it but just tweak it a bit to make it run better and a little more snappy without breaking the bank. And then here comes the 340/360/Magnum, Gen 3 Hemi crowd. I should just delete their BS posts. If you don't have anything constructive for the OP, start your own thread about your 360 or what ever. Truth be known, you probably don't even own a Mopar let alone one with a 360 or what ever you are preaching. :poke: :rofl:
Cause they always assume people are always gonna want more performance, that building 318 is a gateway drug to more power. Not that people might be genuinely satisfied with 250-350 hp, maybe the OP will be or not, to me as long they have a decent understanding of the possible limitations of their choice then who are we to stand in their way and this OP doesn't sound like he's asking a lot from this build.
 
Not sure who's taking it off track.... the guy asked to make a 318 run slightly better and a 408 was suggested.. that's on track for this place.
True, but I think we have to go by percentages if 70-80% are on task for the first couple of pages and the OP ain't leading the convo I think were doing ok :)
 
very early dakota on the pass side. and then pretty much whatever fits on the driver's side. i think mid 90's dak have the magic on those.
Maybe I miss understood this but I was told on here that none of the truck manifolds would fit the A body with a small block. But the 90's Dakota fit that's awesome
 
Once again.... you guys go against the teachings of our lord...... He has laid it out in the book of marlboro how things should be...


Well I won’t go as far as Lord but he is correct.
He gets a lot of crap from the board and sometimes I have to agree. I’m like - “WTF did he just say !?!”

But in this case, I agree.

When you break it down, an engine (over simplified) is just an air pump.
 
Cause they always assume people are always gonna want more performance, that building 318 is a gateway drug to more power. Not that people might be genuinely satisfied with 250-350 hp, maybe the OP will be or not, to me as long they have a decent understanding of the possible limitations of their choice then who are we to stand in their way and this OP doesn't sound like he's asking a lot from this build.
Hey, I'm pretty satisfied with my stock teen 2 barrel with some lighter advance springs. I have a perfect LD4B and a 650 AVS2 to go on it. Also some 68 340 ex. manifolds. I need to update the dual exhaust on the car now. It is the original set up split by the previous owner. I had a tough time welding new mufflers onto the rusted pipes. But why? I don't race it so performance isn't really needed. Will it burn tires down the block? Nope! Who cares. It get's 19.5 mpg on the highway if I drive it right and I have a fun time on cruises driving in circles around the gas pumps when all the big motor hot rodders are pumping their tanks full. :poke: :poke: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Some of these guys don't have a choice. I do.
 
Hey, I'm pretty satisfied with my stock teen 2 barrel with some lighter advance springs. I have a perfect LD4B and a 650 AVS2 to go on it. Also some 68 340 ex. manifolds. I need to update the dual exhaust on the car now. It is the original set up split by the previous owner. I had a tough time welding new mufflers onto the rusted pipes. But why? I don't race it so performance isn't really needed. Will it burn tires down the block? Nope! Who cares. It get's 19.5 mpg on the highway if I drive it right and I have a fun time on cruises driving in circles around the gas pumps when all the big motor hot rodders are pumping their tanks full. :poke: :poke: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Some of these guys don't have a choice. I do.

The hotrod mileage wars are on!!!
 
The hotrod mileage wars are on!!!

1969 Satellite 318 with Edelbrock 1406 4bbl, 727 and 2.94 gears, and single factory exhaust >

20 mpg, Yes Sir...

Resized_20190721_191121_2357.jpeg


The light weight Torque Thrust II wheels definatly helped, less rotating mass to spin up.


☆☆☆☆☆
 
1969 Satellite 318 with Edelbrock 1405 4bbl, 727 and 2.94 gears, and single factory exhaust >

20 mpg, Yes Sir...

View attachment 1716241610

The light weight Torque Thrust II wheels definatly helped, less rotating mass to spin up.


☆☆☆☆☆
That's a beauty and you can thumb your noses at all the High Performance, big cube, stroker, dual quad, tunnel ram 4:10 geared, street slick, Cal Tracked, 4000 stall convertor, wanna be street racers. (I'm sure I missed some) Nothing wrong with building a hot rod but not everybody wants, needs, or enjoys that kind of car. Did I say that's a beauty?
 
That's a beauty and you can thumb your noses at all the High Performance, big cube, stroker, dual quad, tunnel ram 4:10 geared, street slick, Cal Tracked, 4000 stall convertor, wanna be street racers. (I'm sure I missed some) Nothing wrong with building a hot rod but not everybody wants, needs, or enjoys that kind of car. Did I say that's a beauty?

34,000 actual miles. When I took it to car shows I had people roll the windows down > the mechanisms and tracks would just glide. People would look at me like OMG, this is like brand new.

Tail lights shone crystal clear, no hazing or fogged lenses. That is what sold me on the car right there.

Sold the car a few years back to another mopar guy out of Hibbing Minnesota. He had one just like it from his youth, it was all rusted out and same color.

He had to have this mint one, needless to say, it's in good hands and under good care.

Happy ending to "Living the Dream".

69 StPaul 2019.jpg



☆☆☆☆☆
 
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