Economy???
My dad had a 76 Charger with a stock 360 2 bbl that got 20 mpg on the highway... 360's can get good economy if you build them right....
Best Top 10 Bolt Ons For a 318
- Thread starter Dan the man
- Start date
-
Economy???
My dad had a 76 Charger with a stock 360 2 bbl that got 20 mpg on the highway... 360's can get good economy if you build them right....
Bolt on performance?
Just a ball park, I'd say:
#1) The dreaded flex fan. (10hp)
#2) Hi Po Air cleaner. (1 hp)
#3) Headers (12 hp)...
Just a ball park, I'd say:
#1) The dreaded flex fan. (10hp)
#2) Hi Po Air cleaner. (1 hp)
#3) Headers (12 hp)...
stroked340
Well-Known Member
For Bolt-On's..I'd go with 4-barrel intake 600 carb. headers dual exhaust 3.91 gears you'd be surprised how it'll wake that lil 318 up!!
Heads and cam is where most the power in any engine then intake exhaust compression along with stall gears.
Basic I'd start with 1st rear gears and or low 1st gear shift kit and converter, 2nd exhaust and 4bbl, 3rd cam and heads. Optimal tune at each stage.
Basic I'd start with 1st rear gears and or low 1st gear shift kit and converter, 2nd exhaust and 4bbl, 3rd cam and heads. Optimal tune at each stage.
Thumbs up!
I also had a fully equipped ‘79-360, 3,700+ lbs. Dodge Magnum getting that mileage. Hwy gears @ 2.76 & 26” tires. A GREAT cruiser.
Thumbs up there!
I can only come up with 7 that make performance sense.
High performance;
Air cleaner w/filtered lid
Dual plane 4bbl intake
Complete cam set up (Valve springs- AKA everything)
Headers & dual exhaust (1 part because it is a system)
Cylinder heads (I’d do Edelbrock’s in this particular case.)
Performance ratio pullies.
Viscous fan & clutch
From here, the next 3 are not engine but add to the over all performance aspect.
Torque converter
Shift kit
Rear gears
Other items that bolt onto the engine are ether dress up with little to no power adding ability or just expensive. While cylinder heads are expensive, the next two aren’t needed for high performance but push the bar up very well.
Fuel injection - Holley to work with the below.
Turbo/Super charger
The turbo requires a bunch of pipe work. Often an intercooler as well. This maybe more work than many are willing to put in. The Paxton type of super charger can use a intercooler but it is not mandatory. It is easy to bolt on OOTB and run.
Ether system will need a regulated fuel pressure system that adds and subtracts fuel pressure since the fuel system must be boost regulated.
Expensive but worth it.
Non-performance wise, dress up parts are very popular like the air cleaner, valve covers and breathers etc….
Very little if any hp is found with these things.
My 76 charger (1st car, hand me down from Dad) sure didn't when it had the 360 in it, when dad got it.
My dad was the one who wrote down EVERYTHING including every qt of oil, every tank of gas, what mpg the last tank got, what station, cost of fill up, etc.
He was the one who decided to swap to a 318 in that car before I even had a license. I don't remember what was actually wrong with the 360 that got yanked, but I do remember we put the distributor and carb/intake from the original 360 into the 318 that went in, and then (among other things) started getting way better mileage. And as I remember even dad saying (remember now I never got to drive thru car with that 360 as I didn't have a license yet) how that car was no slower with the 318 than it had been with it's 360.
Slantsix64
Well-Known Member
Headers, camshaft, double roller timing chain, four barrel intake and carb
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
The 318 I had in my 67 for awhile was snotty as hell. Mid 70's all stock to start, it was a low miles engine. I added a little solid cam which I thought was "about" a 340 cam but turned out to be smaller, headers, Ed 180 intake It was quite impressive for no more than I did to it.
But a 360 with the same "stuff" was a whole different deal. If you think a 360 is a dog then there is simply something wrong.
But a 360 with the same "stuff" was a whole different deal. If you think a 360 is a dog then there is simply something wrong.
From the 318 experience I have had, if I was starting fresh with a mid 70s 318 I would look at the following if bolt ons are what the limitation is. At least that's how I read the question.
1) LD4B intake
2) 650 Holley double pumper
3) Headers
4) 2.5" dual exhaust
5) Summit K6901 cam
6) Matching valve springs
7) FBO ignition
8) FBO limiter plate in stock distributor
9) Mini starter
10) Sweet M/T valve covers cause I couldn't think of anything else.
Now I say this because when I think "Bolt on" I think you leave the block and heads stock. But that's just me.
Cley
1) LD4B intake
2) 650 Holley double pumper
3) Headers
4) 2.5" dual exhaust
5) Summit K6901 cam
6) Matching valve springs
7) FBO ignition
8) FBO limiter plate in stock distributor
9) Mini starter
10) Sweet M/T valve covers cause I couldn't think of anything else.
Now I say this because when I think "Bolt on" I think you leave the block and heads stock. But that's just me.
Cley
Dan the man
Well-Known Member
I don't know anything about a limiter plate, would that be a good thing for fine tuning and what are the advantages of using it
This FBO Advance limiter plate will allow you to have the limiting abilities of a TRUE Mopar Performance Distributor in minutes. Quick easy and changeable as you build your engines performance level. One Masterfully Engineered Part gives you 0-10-12-14-16-18* of Mechanical Timing limits, changeable at any time.
How to limit mechanical advance in a mopar distributor, tuning for street, strip or all out racing, cure that rich stinky idle, win races.
Cley
How to limit mechanical advance in a mopar distributor, tuning for street, strip or all out racing, cure that rich stinky idle, win races.
Cley
Those work sweet, I put them in every mopar I own.
I'm gonna be doing some of these mods later this month on my (b body) 78 fury 2 door hardtop, with (of course) a 318, a 2 owner car, (I'm that #2 owner, had since 2007) 56k original miles, needs a lean burn ectomy badly. It actually ran pretty good on that lean burn til Middle of last summer, it now pings at odd/weird times which I attribute to that box on the air cleaner.
I have
A set of fresh from the machine shop #302 heads I wish I'd have cleaned up the rough edges on the castings before I sent them in. will do before the install
A couple of different aluminum 4 bbl intakes, a Performer and an Offy
A few different 4 barrel carbs in the attic
A brand new melling SPD25, which is stock replacement 360-2bbl cam
A set of new from 1984 DC small block lifters
A couple of small block electronic ignition distributors
A couple of new from back in the day, us made Niehoff 4 pin Mopar ignition boxes
Enough gaskets on hand for the job
I already have put an Edelbrock true roller timing set on about 10k ago when the original water pump went, because I was "only 4 bolts away" at the time. I was getting afraid of the aging nylon cam gear teeth at the time.
I have
A set of fresh from the machine shop #302 heads I wish I'd have cleaned up the rough edges on the castings before I sent them in. will do before the install
A couple of different aluminum 4 bbl intakes, a Performer and an Offy
A few different 4 barrel carbs in the attic
A brand new melling SPD25, which is stock replacement 360-2bbl cam
A set of new from 1984 DC small block lifters
A couple of small block electronic ignition distributors
A couple of new from back in the day, us made Niehoff 4 pin Mopar ignition boxes
Enough gaskets on hand for the job
I already have put an Edelbrock true roller timing set on about 10k ago when the original water pump went, because I was "only 4 bolts away" at the time. I was getting afraid of the aging nylon cam gear teeth at the time.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Does a 4" stroke crankshaft count as a bolt-on? 
But not "stock" as they came.
Many years ago, we traveled across South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa on a big loop vacation in a '72 Polara with a stone-stock factory 360 2bbl. We averaged about 17 mpg on the road running right along.
This is what I did to my '66 poly in the 80's, when my budget was basically $0-
1- "recurve" the mechanical advance, so it comes in earlier. You can stretch the springs yourself or buy weaker ones- $0
2- set timing for max advance before "ping"- $0
3- gap plugs and ignition system properly- $0 (and stay on it)
4- low restriction exhaust. I used a junkyard "straight through" but not "glass pack" muffler- $5 but would have put on duals if I could have afforded it. Make sure "butterfly" valve is not stuck (wire open if necessary)
5- low restriction air filter. This can be as simple as turning the lid upside down- $0
6- remove the ball and enlarge the hole in the trans valve body. This is 90% of a "shift kit" for $0
7- if you have air shocks- separate the lines and run more pressure in the passenger's side. This compensates for the crown in the road and for most power going to the right wheel. If done correctly wheel spin will change from one side to the other under WOT and can approach "limited slip" performance. $10
8- remove rear leaf spring clamp and move to front. Super poor man's "almost" traction bar. $0
9- clutch fan (or flex if you must) and shroud, if you don't have one already- $25-ish
10- adjust and clean carb regularly, perhaps install glass filter (great easy troubleshooting aid)- $15
1- "recurve" the mechanical advance, so it comes in earlier. You can stretch the springs yourself or buy weaker ones- $0
2- set timing for max advance before "ping"- $0
3- gap plugs and ignition system properly- $0 (and stay on it)
4- low restriction exhaust. I used a junkyard "straight through" but not "glass pack" muffler- $5 but would have put on duals if I could have afforded it. Make sure "butterfly" valve is not stuck (wire open if necessary)
5- low restriction air filter. This can be as simple as turning the lid upside down- $0
6- remove the ball and enlarge the hole in the trans valve body. This is 90% of a "shift kit" for $0
7- if you have air shocks- separate the lines and run more pressure in the passenger's side. This compensates for the crown in the road and for most power going to the right wheel. If done correctly wheel spin will change from one side to the other under WOT and can approach "limited slip" performance. $10
8- remove rear leaf spring clamp and move to front. Super poor man's "almost" traction bar. $0
9- clutch fan (or flex if you must) and shroud, if you don't have one already- $25-ish
10- adjust and clean carb regularly, perhaps install glass filter (great easy troubleshooting aid)- $15
Last edited:
Scrolling ahead... the question in life is always how fast ya want to go and how many $$ do ya have to get ya there!!!!
I just want a sorta lumpy cam and convince myself I am FAST!! Good enough for me. OK add a good sounding exhaust. I AM convinced!!
I just want a sorta lumpy cam and convince myself I am FAST!! Good enough for me. OK add a good sounding exhaust. I AM convinced!!
Gotta love those "Thumper" type cams. They call them poser cams because they idle like a top fueler but smooth out at 2000 rpm like grandma's 318. Just the perfect thing for cruising around the car show. Here's one now. A 318 with a Whiplash. Love the sound for sure. Great looking car as well.
-
