318 Build suggestions

[66fs]

... Ok fine, there can be no argument against liking your 318. You like what you like, I get that. I don't like short,fat,black-haired girls. That doesn't make me a hater of short,fat,black-haired girls. If a short, fat, black-haired girl was the last girl on Earth, I would love her 17 children's worth. At least...

Bad analogy. For me, the 273 is more like the light brown haired girl next door, High School sweetheart, you fell in love with and married. She was your constant companion did everything you wanted and you did the same for her. Do I admire the feisty red headed beauty, or the quick thinking brunette, big beautiful blonde? Yes, but I'll pick the little girl next door every time. We humiliated cars with 100 more cubes on more than a few occasions, went everywhere and did everything together, without complaint or problems. Good enough for me.

 

[66fs]

Remember the magazine 400 hp 318 builds!!!!! It's doable

Easily

 

[Dartswinger70]

Talking women now...alright! does anyone else like hispanic chicks?

 

[Dartswinger70]

Remember the magazine 400 hp 318 builds!!!!! It's doable

Yes but at what cost...at what cost...(In a Peter Griffin voice)

 

[rigger3006]

Yes but at what cost...at what cost...(In a Peter Griffin voice)

exactly, i threw a lot of cash at my 318 ,it was ok, but once i put in the 360 with all the parts from the 318 it was quite the different animal. and of course im still not happy, human nature i suppose

 

[C2ndLTpigeon]

exactly, i threw a lot of cash at my 318 ,it was ok, but once i put in the 360 with all the parts from the 318 it was quite the different animal. and of course im still not happy, human nature i suppose

This is my case as well. Picking up a 360 and 727 this week.

 

[RustyRatRod]

KISS,we all know what that means, headers,dual exhaust,340 cam,any dual plane, 600-650 carb,a good tune and any 318 will be happy

Right, yet seems so hard for some people to believe, much less actually do.

 

[rumblefish360]

Yes but at what cost...at what cost...(In a Peter Griffin voice)

The only cost difference in building a 318 vs a 340 is pistons. Where you achieve the 400 HP is a matter of what camshaft is used. There is a lack of torque due to the smaller CID of the engine. In order to match a larger engine, step up 1 gear ratio. 4.10’s - 4.30’s.

The way AJ would have you believe, you’ll need an extra 1,000 rpm’s to do it. It could not be farther than the truth. Total hogwash. If it so with your engine, you did something wrong!

 

[volaredon]

here we are poo-pooing about a 318.... THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH A 318! all while I am putting a /6 together, for a D150.....

 

[273]

People build 400-500+Hp NA LS 5.3l all the time and even do 400+ NA LS 4.8l

build a 318 like you would a 340 it’s just got to spin slightly higher need a bit more gear and stall.

It all comes down to cylinder heads and right cam carb intake exhaust cr to support it, displacement will decide what rpm you’ll make power.

 

[rumblefish360]

Displacement arrangement and cam.
How the power comes in and where peak happens.

 

[volaredon]

People build 400-500+Hp NA LS 5.3l all the time and even do 400+ NA LS 4.8l

build a 318 like you would a 340 it’s just got to spin slightly higher need a bit more gear and stall.

It all comes down to cylinder heads and right cam carb intake exhaust cr to support it, displacement will decide what rpm you’ll make power.

F#@K THE LS I am so sick n tired of hearing about an LS this and LS that like nothing else exists... I've never owned a GM in my life, not gonna start now. And I sure as Hell ain't gonna put a damn LS in my Dodge!

 

[rumblefish360]

F#@K THE LS I am so sick n tired of hearing about an LS this and LS that like nothing else exists...

He’s just mentioning “The Other Guys” as an example. Nothing about putting a LS in his ride or suggesting that someone else should.

The take away here is;

1; We have a gaggle of 318 haters.

2; The gaggle of haters, while making sense that a bigger engine is better, a thing I will not disagree on, will shame and stomp on the 318 & it’s owner until they ether submit to there rantings of spending more money and throwing away there 318 or just skip building something all together. Or at least print, but yet forge ahead on there own because of the internet bully system of shame and ridicule of building a smaller engine and/or not having unlimited funds to drop on another engine combined with then having to get ride of the so called “Junk” engine because the internet said it is so.

3; The general forum will suggest a larger engine. Again, while it is a good idea, the above #2 is the prime reason IMO for the most part why you will not see many people build a 318. And this is “The Shame” this place faces. Instead of helping a fellow MoPar brother out, they just **** on him & his 318.

4; The comparison of our brand “M” to C & F or others is something you can directly engage in even though there are some concessions to the Apple to Apple comparo. It can not be helped. There will always be something to quibble over. So take it as it is delivered (OEM) and work the issues to overcome the competition. Capitalize on the strong points and address & maximize the weaker points.

How to fix the problem?

I suggest addressing the issue of bigger is better to a guy that may not be able to afford it or have space to get another engine and/or combined with a lack of funds to throw away a otherwise perfectly good engine, or a rebuildable engine and just simply help that person out.

The short comings of the 318 vs “The Other Guys” can be addressed.
ADDRESS THEM AND HELP OUT THE SEEKER OF HELP!

That is unless you think a MoPar is inferior, unworthy hunk of junk. If so, just move along to the nearest LS/Coyote forum and have a nice day......

 

[mygasser]

the chevy guys are the same about a 305 compared to a 350, so we're not alone.
neil.

 

[rumblefish360]

I’m not fond of the bore and stroke set up of the C 305.
The Fords 302 is better.
The 318 has all the advantages save bore size against the Ford.
Give a 318 some squeeze, free breathing and a good cam, your off and runnin!

 

[mygasser]

I’m not fond of the bore and stroke set up of the C 305.
The Fords 302 is better.
The 318 has all the advantages save bore size against the Ford.
Give a 318 some squeeze, free breathing and a good cam, your off and runnin!

the bore size is so close to 4" as to not matter really, to me anyway.

 

[rumblefish360]

At a .090 difference, some will quibble. A larger bore size has it’s advantages in cylinder filling and air flow past the valve.

 

[mygasser]

At a .090 difference, some will quibble. A larger bore size has it’s advantages in cylinder filling and air flow past the valve.

now we're back to the ls engines and their small bore sizes. proof that a small bore isn't that much of an issue.

 

[rumblefish360]

now we're back to the ls engines and their small bore sizes. proof that a small bore isn't that much of an issue.

I won’t argue that, but, there is undeniable truth in a bigger bore being better. If you can do it, then do it. If I was getting a 318 race ready kind of build, I’d look for a block that can easily go .090 or .100 over for that 4.00 bore.... or better... is it needed? No. Is there an edge with it? Hell ya! Now the question is, what will you leave on the table? We all leave something. It the less you leave the better you’ll be.

 

[AustinGriggs]

I’m inside 3 weeks from doing 318 things... May 8th is #318Fest and I still don’t have the motor in the car. But I’m trying to bring as solid of a set up as possible with the best parts I had laying around from other projects. Going in a 72 Duster
-70 block .030
-Stock crank .010
-KB167s with floating pins in the hole .018
-J heads ‘mild to medium’ spice on the port work and bowls w/ 2.02/1.60 Miladons
-Crane 1.5 roller rockers
-Edelbrock Performer RPM
-The smallest Hughes hyd roller cam 208/214 @.050 .491/.500
-3500 Converter I didn’t like in my Super Bee
-4.56 that I never planned to use for anything.

It won’t set records but I will record how it does 1/8mile and Dyno results on RattyMuscleCars.com and our YouTube channel. Race day is also T’n’T for our fall #MoparVsBrandXstreetcarShowdown and should have plenty of 340s/360s for me to flex on... wish me luck.. please lol

 

[rumblefish360]

BEST OF LUCK AUSTIN!!!!!

 

[RustyRatRod]

I Now the question is, what will you leave on the table? We all leave something.

This is the part where people just lose rational thinking tying to get every last bit pulling their hair out by the roots, thinkin this cam or that will somehow unlock a secret 100 extra horse power. And you caint tell them a damn thing. Dumbasses.

 

[yellow rose]

This is the part where people just lose rational thinking tying to get every last bit pulling their hair out by the roots, thinkin this cam or that will somehow unlock a secret 100 extra horse power. And you caint tell them a damn thing. Dumbasses.

Yep. BTDT. Will do it again. I go way down that rabbit hole all the time. That’s why I just shave my head. Then I can’t pull it out when I go off the rails.

Or @lead69 has to talk me off the ledge.

 

[Dartswinger70]

I don't hate 318, I just wouldn't start with one for the $$$ spent id go 340-360. there seems to be a crusade going to prove 318s are some sort of performance platform, I suppose so if that is all you have to work with. I have 340s so dumping a bunch of coin into a 318 is out of the question for me. it just doesn't make sense IMO. I also want to add, that most here talking up a 318 are using the short block , they aren't using 318 heads, its usually a 340 style top end so is it really a 318?.

I knew guys in high school to throw 360 heads on a stock 318 and claim it ran well, but in reality it was a low compression dog. But in reality tehre is no discussion or should I say what should really be said is "318s will run really well if you use all the 340 360 parts you can graft in..." that is a more accurate statement. Uncle Tony and bottle rocket with that enngine being stock with just a cam, he will never see 10s. His plan Z dart with the /6 will be more bang for the buck.

 

[66fs]

I don't hate 318, I just wouldn't start with one for the $$$ spent id go 340-360. there seems to be a crusade going to prove 318s are some sort of performance platform, I suppose so if that is all you have to work with. I have 340s so dumping a bunch of coin into a 318 is out of the question for me. it just doesn't make sense IMO. I also want to add, that most here talking up a 318 are using the short block , they aren't using 318 heads, its usually a 340 style top end so is it really a 318?.

I knew guys in high school to throw 360 heads on a stock 318 and claim it ran well, but in reality it was a low compression dog. But in reality tehre is no discussion or should I say what should really be said is "318s will run really well if you use all the 340 360 parts you can graft in..." that is a more accurate statement. Uncle Tony and bottle rocket with that enngine being stock with just a cam, he will never see 10s. His plan Z dart with the /6 will be more bang for the buck.

I'm funny, I like to answer the OP's question. I have done all the conversions and if I had a nice 318 sitting on a stand, I'd build the 318. Heck, I've had a 340 waiting in the wings for my 66 Barracuda for at least 30 years. Still running the 273. Never going to do all the changes to drop a 360 in for little gain.