318 rebuild, whats the best combo?

-
R

rabius75

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 22, 2004
Messages
543
Reaction score
3
Location
Dallas, GA
i plan on rebuilding my engine at the end of the summer, but im not sure how i want to do it, and where to get the parts from, this is where you guys come in.
i know i want to raise the compression to 9.0:1 or 9.5:1 and probably buy some new heads. i plan on getting some refurbed 360 heads and see about getting them milled down to retain my target compression ratio, if i can resolve my braking problem with new pads and shoes, then ill most certainly go to manual brakes. then i dont have to worry about low end for vacuum for the power brakes, and for clearance in the compartment, etc.
i want to go 4bbl carb and intake, my car has an EGR on it, but im willing to sacrifice it :)
ill be buying the parts bits at a time, so i need to have a plan first. im gonna open a bank account next week to save money up, too.
who wants to help me find parts? :)
 
Im guessing this is an all street car right ?
What do you plan on running for gearing and tires ?
 
A plan is the best approach, but to draw up the plan you need to state the intended purpose of the car.
It sounds like a little extra performance is what your chasing and there are plenty of ways to get there.

Is the car to be a street car, strip, or circuit machine and either way adding more go means attention to the handling, stopping and beefing up the rear end to keep everything balanced.
KB makes some quality 318 pistons, and going with the 360 heads gives you lots of choices for a 4bbl intake.

I am using for my initial 318 build a factory cast iron 4bbl intake as they are cheap and are quite a good performer. Now some guys will tell you get an Edelbrock Performer but this is just a light weight factory unit and not worth the $$ unless you want purely to save weight.

Let us know your intended use for the car and I am sure some of the more experienced people will give you some tips.

Steve
 
well, if it were to be a drag car, i would get a bigger motor anyway... i want more go to it, street car, but excellent performance on tap.
i plan on getting a whole set of polygraphite/urethane bushings or the front and new springs and such for the rear, im going to TRY to get some bigger calipers for the front. the tranny probably needs to be rebuilt anyway, so ill get some heavy duty **** for it.

mainly, a driver / cruiser, but i want it to be able to hold its own against these little mustang GTs in a straight line run, if it that ever comes up.
that may not be possible, if not, a good smoke show now and then would be fun :)

as for rear gears, im not sure, but i want to get a posi unit for it, so ill probably be picking up an 8 3/4.
 
Stick with the smaller valved 360 head. You don't want to kill the bottom end on the 318. You need to first figure out what you want the car to do and how you'll actually be driving the car.
 
360 heads with 1.88/1.60 valves, factory 4bbl intake or Edelbrock RPM Performer, camshaft? hmmm something with 450/455lift in a hydraulic, 9.5:1 compression, headers, 2.5" twin system, 3.55 diff gears or 3.91 if you want some real urge? and maybe some stall of around 2200.

This setup is about all the research I have sourced over the last year or two and should have an A-body in the 13's which is not earth shattering but a lot quicker than stock for minimal dollars.

There are of course many other suggestions out there I am sure but this is simply my contribution.

All the best.
Steve.
 
My advice.

Slap a set of new magnum heads on it.
Flat top pistons set a 0 deck hieght.
small can around 218-220 @ .050" like a comp cams XE262
Mopar Perf. M-1 dual plane intake
Eddy 600 cfm carb.
Headers

2.225" or 2.5" exhaust with good mufflers

2200-2500 pm comv.

3.23 to 3.55 gears.

Should be good for 350 horse.
 
i thought magnum heads didnt work with the older engines... and what size heads? 318 heads, or bigger?
tappet angle was it? bolt pattern maybe, i dont really remember, but if you tell me how to do it, ill give it my damnedest :). sounds gooooood to me!

whats the stock ratio for my car (gears)? anybody know?

1 5/8 headers right?
im gonna see about pipes soon, 2.5" w/ X pipe and like, 40 series delta flows... dual, thats what i planning on.
my dad's friend has a muffler shop he's about to dump off, but i can get a discount on it if i act fast.
 
The magnum heads will work on an older block. You'll need the heads, head bolts, rockers and an intake or redrill the heads or intake to work.

All magnum heads are the same so it doesnt matter id the come from a 318 or a 360.
 
Here is a combo that I ran years ago in a 74 Duster (driven on a regular basis)

318
727 w/shift kit
4.10 gears
tripple valve springs
X-Heads
292/509 MP cam
True Roller timing chain
performer intake
750 Holly dbl pumper

The motor was not bored and nothing special was done to the heads. Mind you this cam was a little much for the block set-up, But it delivered a knock out punch to the compatition on the street.
This is a old school set up for me but back in the day when money was tight this was killer.
 
oh, money is pretty tight for me, i get paid about $140-170 a week, so i have to budget it.. im gonna open a bank account this thursday (when i get paid), so i can order stuff from the net for my car. the net is the only place i have found the things i want/need for it.
once i get the body work done, all attention goes to the motor. im going to start buying the parts and keeping a stack of them in my room as they come in :)
then, when i have the free time, out to the shop (in villa rica... ugh) and pull that ***** out and rebuild it with all the goodies :)
im guessing about the end of the summer... on the rebuild, but i want to have it done before school next year.

i whole heartedly plan on attending car shows once i get it to looking acceptable :) they have car shows like, every two weeks during the summer.
 
fastbackcuda said:
The magnum heads will work on an older block. You'll need the heads, head bolts, rockers and an intake or modify the heads or intake to work.

All magnum heads are the same so it doesnt matter id the come from a 318 or a 360.
Click to expand...

and what the hell did you just say? i got lost around "an intake of modifie the heads or intake to work?"
was that "and an intake or modify the heads for the intake to work" ?
i need the headbolts and intake from what? a newer engine?
 
Yes you'll need head bolts and a magnum style intake. You can also have a earlier intake welded up and redrilled for the magnum heads or you can redrill the magnum heads to use the early intake.
 
those would also work but are probably overkill on such a mild 318. Also that the price per bare head so you'll need to order 2 of them then by valves, seals,springs,retainers and locks.

The regular magnum heads are about $650 a pair complete. CarCraft built a 318 that made 400 horse with stock magnum heads.
 
My set up on my car is very simple and she does what she needs to do,right know shes not running as u might know
70' 318 block
stock heads redone to stock spec.
MP purple shaft cam
Adv. Duration: .260°/268°
Dur. @ .050'': 221°/228°
Lift: .430''/.450''
Centerline: 110°
Basic RPM: 1200-5200 RPM
MP lifters
comp. cam push rods
new MP rockers,and shafts in the mail on ther way right now
eddy preformer intake
carter 650
Milidon gear drive
Dynomax headers
Dynomax welded race mufflers
SB-904 Hurst built,Revs.valvebody,3800 stall,pistol grip floor shifter
8 3/4 4.56's new posi. unit!
15X8.5 centerlines,with BFG255/60X15
new buckets one there way from jegs
A stock bodied 72 dart with no grip what so ever!the damn thing spins um losse all day long when she was running the car was fast as hell when she was runnign i raced my dad in my moms Cornet 440 4-speed he killed me after we both got the road to hit the tires but man that was fun we both had are cars sideways then the ather way like two crazy *** big block cars! :roll: except for my 318 HAHA the car was fast since then iv dont the cam and valvetan swap and the bigger gears and new tires!its not hard to get then little motors movin its just the driver to get them moven i has stock heads and she flys i can kill every chevy and ford at my school and there not slow ether!Good luck bro!
 
Hey Whitezombie if you can get an MSD I got a distributor I can send you. Should bring your car to life if you're still using a single point distributor. Then you could toss that ballast resistor.
 
HawaiiDuster said:
Hey Whitezombie if you can get an MSD I got a distributor I can send you. Should bring your car to life if you're still using a single point distributor. Then you could toss that ballast resistor.
Click to expand...
How much?cuz my dad was going to get me a MP conversion this week from his buddy i dont know what he wants for it!my new prob is my dads Fuel pump when out on me as well now she has no fule nothign but **** from her!i need to sit down and get my list ready for jegs! :roll:
 
If you get the MSD, I'll give you a distributor. Its a mopar electronic that I ran with a MSD in my Duster. I got a MSD distributor for when the car gets put back together so I have no need for this one. Its a little dusty cause its been sitting, but its was in my car running 12s when I took it out.
 
HawaiiDuster said:
If you get the MSD, I'll give you a distributor. Its a mopar electronic that I ran with a MSD in my Duster. I got a MSD distributor for when the car gets put back together so I have no need for this one. Its a little dusty cause its been sitting, but its was in my car running 12s when I took it out.
Click to expand...
i just ot the MSD Blaster 2 coil and it fried my stock Ballast Resistors.so i went down and got the MSD Ballast Resistors with the 8OHM thats what the coil said i needed so i put that on and then i had no spark at all then she has spark now shes good but i dont hav fuel anymore my flippin elce. pump got f-ed upWTF man i hate this car some times!What would i need to run your dist? i hav the coil and Ballast Resistors from MSD what else would i need?do i need a new elec Voltage Regulator cuz mine i thinkis bad as well!
 
MSD 6A or 6AL . Its a pretty straight forward to install. MP electronic conversion kits usually run $150 or more, MSDs go for $150-$200 depending on which version you get. What kind of elec fuel pump you running?
 
HawaiiDuster said:
MSD 6A or 6AL . Its a pretty straight forward to install. MP electronic conversion kits usually run $150 or more, MSDs go for $150-$200 depending on which version you get. What kind of elec fuel pump you running?
Click to expand...
the pump is an older Holley red one it was running fine just yesterday now its messed up from my tanks crap in it!what ever im gettign a new one soon!can i run the dist. with the mopar stuff like the Voltage Regulator and this stuff aside from the dist http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/product/prod_image.d2w/report?prrfnbr=2628 ??? http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=2628&prmenbr=361 or do i need to buy the 6AL MSD ?
 
The distributor is the same one they use in those conversion kits. So you could actually get the orange or chrome control units and it would work. But I would just get a MSD 6AL. You could get by with the 6A because the only real difference is the rev limiter and the MP orange or chrome units don't have rev limiters. Plus if you go the MSD route you won't have to get a harness for the MP unit.
 
What dist is it from MSD is it the billiet one?i thiught that was the only one they made for us mopar guys!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top