318 vs 360

[Meet-Joe-"Dart"]

Maybe this is the wrong forum?... but I recently picked-up a 70 Dart Custom it came with a 318. Immediately I started into a 360 build. I thought the first thing that's gotta go is that 318 engine. (My last car had a stout 355 with nice alum. heads, lots-o power!!!)

So now I'm into this 360 way-too-far to go back.... but I was out on the road today(beautiful sunny Vancouver day) and man was I enjoying the ride. That 318 fires-up every time, its got a nice lumpy cam in it(people keep asking if its a 340) and it opens-up real nice on the highway. Now suddenly I'm thinking maybe I jumped the gun on the 360?

Anyhow if you've got a 318 ENJOY! I'm loving this car right now! :tongue8:

 

[dodge freak]

The 318 can make a sweet ride--if your not a speed freak. People got by on the 273 engine.

The 318 just needs more compression and larger valves, yeah maybe you should had just built a 318 for your ride, oh well.

 

[66fs]

Assuming similar builds, the small stroke engines are lower on bottom end torque, but scream after 3,000 RPM. Perfect for the street in my experience. 360's have more bottom end torque, but stop pulling sooner. Take your pick.

 

[Locomotion]

The 360 will be peppier and more responsive on the street since you'll be spending most of the time at lower rpm's. Torque is what helps accelleration. Built the same, a 360 will always outrun a 318. But 318's can be made to perform well also and can get better fuel mileage.

 

[64physhy]

Just enjoy it with the 318 for now and take your time building the 360. I think it took me about a year and a half to build my stroker for the Duster while I drove it with the 318. If you're already that far into the 360, it would not be worth it to rebuild the 318.

 

[caferacerx]

don't underestimate the lowly 318
if the 318 runs strong I would leave it in there
now what to do with the 360?
only one logical sane reasonable answer
get a second MOPAR ! for the 360!

 

[dartsport360]

Ive got a 74 dart sport with a 360 in it. A 360 is a nice motor forsure but for the driving i think your going to be doing you should stick with the 318! I know the kind of area your gonna be driving in cause i live on vancouver island and go to vancouver often, and i think the 318 will be the right motor for you. But i think if your already as far in as you say you are with the 360 dont stop, just take your time, the more time you spend on the motor the less problems you will have down the road. You can make the 360 to be a power house, (like mine is soon to be a 410 stroker) but at the same time its a gas hog. So stick with the 318 and make the 360 to your own standards! Theres many of ways to make the 360 a motor for you and its an easier motor to work on! (this is just my opinion, yours may be different)!
Enjoy:burnout:

 

[needsaresto]

Gas hog? I dunno,I have had stock 360's give me 20 mpg no problem. A hi perf motor will def use more fuel but thats where bsfc comes into play .Brake specific fuel consumption is a measure of how efficient an engine is and is a measurable thing on a dyno.

Any motor can give you poor or good mileage depending on it's efficiency and parts combo.

I would drive the pants off the 318 and build up the 360!

 

[sireland67]

I am pretty sure that the factory engineers designed the 318 for passenger car use with economy in mind and the 360 is a truck motor with torque in mind.
318 are not a bad motor if they have a little cam, compression and head work.

 

[MopaR&D]

I am pretty sure that the factory engineers designed the 318 for passenger car use with economy in mind and the 360 is a truck motor with torque in mind.
318 are not a bad motor if they have a little cam, compression and head work.

This is mostly true, the 360 was actually released in 1971 as an 'economy' option on the C-body Chryslers (which originally only came with big blocks) and soon after was in trucks and other cars where it eventually replaced the 340 in performance apps. The 318 came about as a bored-out 273 to replace the obsolete poly-head 'A'-engine 318 and was the standard economy V8 option for decades in most everything big or small... They are both very similar, basically the same engine just 42 cubes difference in mostly stroke with head/cam adjusted appropriately (360 is only .090" bigger bore but .270" longer stroke) which is why the 360 has more grunt but revs less.

IMO to say (not pointing fingers just in general) that one is "better" than the other is stupid, they are just the same basic engine built for different sizes and tasks.

 

[TheMoparMan]

Just keep the 318 for now as your driver so your not down for awhile. Take your time building the 360. Say a 408 stroker motor? Then do the swap when your ready. Now you be free to rebuild the 318 with performance in mind and find your next project roller to drop it into. You get to have both of them.... No need to chose one over the other.