Best Top 10 Bolt Ons For a 318

AJ/FormS said
If an automatic in an A-body;
I vote a 2800 convertor and a performance rear gear set, like 3.91s. I have done this several times and the difference is startling. If the stock single exhaust has to stay, you're done right here.

Thats an excellent drive train upgrade.

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But if not then; After that; a free-flowing dual exhaust, and a reworked timing curve.
After that; a 4-barrel/intake; followed shortly by headers, and a new timing curve.
If your 318 is a low-compression model, I would pass on any hydraulic cam.
If a hi-compression (9/1 lol) 318, I would consider a small solid-lifter cam and kit, with fast-rate lobes. But you'll probably need better heads to take advantage of it.

Even the low compression engines will respond with a cam, just a small one though. Probably at a point where the 2800 wouldn’t really be a good help/match to the cam. I wouldn’t go above. 220@050. The engines compression ratio just isn’t there to support a larger cam. Kind of sucks.

If a manual trans;
make it a 3.09 low-gear Commando and the 3.91s; ,but with the Standard 2.66 low 4-speed, make it 4.10/4.30s. Hyup I did this too. I am 69 so I have done a lotta things and I got my driver's license in summer of 1969. The point here is to get a starter gear of 11 or 12 to 1.

Bulls eye for the drive train.

Click to expand...

So to recap; in order of installation;
convertor, then gears
free-flowing exhaust and recurved timing
4bbl and intake,
headers, and a recurve
cam-kit and heads and possibly another recurve

On a low-compression 318;
> a 4bbl and a low-stall, IMO, is more or less a waste of time until around 3000 rpm; which with 2.76 gears is around 30/32 mph depending on your tire size.
> headers without a 4 bbl/stall/and gears, is IMO, a waste of time and money; as is dual exhaust with no other changes..
> IMO, there is no suchathing as a too-big exhaust system. But there is also no point in running 4" sewer pipes.

2-1/2 exhaust and the right muffler will go very far. More than a 318 will do as delivered and bolt in’s will do. Even a turbo muffler will support 450hp.
I’ve done dual exhaust off exhaust manifolds. The “Feel” is not that big of a deal. But there is power gained.
As mentioned above, a cam under 220@050 is still a viable cam size to use in a low compression 318 and still benefit from. BTDT Though a 2800 stall might be a bit big for a 218@050 cam?

I disagree that a

“> a 4bbl and a low-stall, IMO, is more or less a waste of time until around 3000 rpm; which with 2.76 gears is around 30/32 mph depending on your tire size.”

Yes, while true, but! Mainly because a stock 318 is performing in this area once on the road. It’s the camshaft. If there was a rear wheel dyno test, the curves would be the same until that approximate area. Nothing has really changed to enhance the lower end of the power curve. The 4bbl with or without a higher stall vs the 2bbl., with or without the higher stall will act the same until the secondaries open up AND the engine can swallow it.

Once the 2.76’ers are gone, it’s on. It’ll feel good.

I agree with the whole package complementing each other. There’s also nothing like doing all the changes at once.