Best Top 10 Bolt Ons For a 318

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Assuming the rotating assembly is in good working order. Isn’t the answer just like any other production LA? Make it breath better. Intake/carb/cam/head flow/exhaust. Does it really matter if you are starting with 318CI or 360CI or 273CI. Get the most volumetric efficiency out of however many cubes you have. Budget was not in the question, seeking the top 10 best bolt on performance improvements. The top ten are so dependent on one another, can you really separate them and get the most out of a single one?
 
furrystump said:
The top ten are so dependent on one another, can you really separate them and get the most out of a single one?
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I agree with your post above but limited my response to the quoted above and would say yes! For sure. But which one is better than the other is up for debate as I think for “The Engine Alone” would be a 4bbl upgrade. While that would be two parts, intake and carb, the single part added on would be headers. If someone wanted to split hairs, they would say exhaust since it’ll also be said you can’t run open headers in the street.

For the exhaust after the header, one could do it very cheaply. 2 - 4’ cut down to fit the available space exhaust pipes into your favorite muffling device. Glass packs are cheapest and for me personally I hate the sound but there cheap. Then a cheap muffler. The Summit turbo or like muffler will allow the engine an easy 450 hp. Way more than that 318 will produce with just the exhaust system change.

When I went from a 2-4bbl on my ‘79-360 engine, it was a really nice improvement. The added WOT cfm was very well noticed as well once it was well tuned, the gas mileage improvement was really good. The 2bbl it replaced was shot. Very bad condition.
(Also being a ‘79, it had the Leanburn ignition system which was not working well at all. Ultimately, my one and only good working MSD VI box replaced it and added another 2 mpg’s for a total of 20 Hwy.)
 
Cam and valve springs? Even with the 2 barrel it will improve. Then carb and intake.
 
volaredon said:
I wish that I could split this post and rate the "THANKS"/"LIKE"/"DISAGREE" to different parts of it.
I'd disagree with the "cheaper to put a bigger engine in", and "LIKE" the rest.
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it would be WAY cheaper to swap in a 360 and get it to perform well, than to keep the 318 and get it to the same level.
I say that as a guy who has had a mid 11 sec 318, and a low 11 sec 360.
So disagree all you want. Facts don’t back up your assertion
 
B3422w5 said:
it would be WAY cheaper to swap in a 360 and get it to perform well, than to keep the 318 and get it to the same level.
I say that as a guy who has had a mid 11 sec 318, and a low 11 sec 360.
So disagree all you want. Facts don’t back up your assertion
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While this is true, the topic of discussion is a 318 and he top 10 bolt on parts.

Is not a discussion about replacing the 318.

It’s called messing with what ya got.
 
rumblefish360 said:
While this is true, the topic of discussion is a 318 and he top 10 bolt on parts.

Is not a discussion about replacing the 318.

It’s called messing with what ya got.
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I get it..lol
Just responding to somebody else ( besides me) who stepped out of bounds before I did.
 
B3422w5 said:
I get it..lol
Just responding to somebody else ( besides me) who stepped out of bounds before I did.
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Thanks but it’s a regrowing problem as of late where every 318 thread, question or picture gets hammered with “Why did t you go bigger?” “Why mess with the boat anchor”

This is being a dick to the OE poster looking for help. At times I can see where that is called for.
Most times not.
B3422w5 said:
who gives a poop about gas mileage in a performance car, I know I don’t, not even a consideration
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Exactly!!!!!!
 
Cuz at least in my case I don't have a dedicated "show car" , everything I have had to earn it's keep at least part time as a daily driver or have been my daily driver in years past.
so is mileage the end all/be all? No of course not. But especially these days it needs to be a consideration
 
volaredon said:
Cuz at least in my case I don't have a dedicated "show car" , everything I have had to earn it's keep at least part time as a daily driver or have been my daily driver in years past.
so is mileage the end all/be all? No of course not. But especially these days it needs to be a consideration
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I don’t have a “ dedicated show car” either. I race and street drive my car. It gets a good bit of use.
I am 66 and work 50 hours a week still. Everybody has different things they put priorities on. Maybe you are younger, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I went without anything for years raising my kids. And while I was in the service.
But I do know that if having gas money was a big consideration, I most definitely wouldn’t have my Dart, it’s a luxury, not a requirement.
 
I'm kind of surprised almost NO ONE seems interested in a happy medium between full on performance and decent economy.
 
YY1 said:
I'm kind of surprised almost NO ONE seems interested in a happy medium between full on performance and decent economy.
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Im not.
I can honestly say I know nobody personally who has a hot street, street/ strip or strip car that gives a hoot about mileage.
 
YY1 said:
I'm kind of surprised almost NO ONE seems interested in a happy medium between full on performance and decent economy.
Click to expand...

Being concerned with fuel mileage is normally going to be a reduction in gears, converter and cam. The best way I have found to bridge the gap between the two is to use an OD trans. IMO, the automatic, 904 or 727 based transmissions, are the best bet here as a cheaper MoPar 4spd-OD has a big gear split which some find distasteful & the final drive isn’t on the main shaft, it’s where 3rd gear is in normal 4spds. And also the bell housing is a huge PIA to come by.

The thing to do with the engine is still a mild camshaft but what a lot of guys don’t seem to get is 99% of the off the shelf cams are not that good for what there seeking.

A few things you want in your camshaft is a narrow LSA for the engine size and then a quick lifting valve as high as possible. This needs to be coupled with a high flowing head! Most people just get a cylinder head and slap it on OOTB and go. The heads in most cases should be ported.
In the case of the trick flow heads, there really hood flowing OOTB.

Yes this is expensive! It is worth the power return since it will do so reliably over and over again. The cam you using with this should lift the valves as much, at the least (IMO) to take advantage of the cylinder heads port flow abilities.

Most will also not investigate or spend the money on the best power adder available and that would be a super charger or a turbo. Besides the expensive, there’s more to it than just getting one and slapping it on and go!
Fuel and ignition requirements are also expensive.
(And a little bit of a PIA to instal.)

A mild cammed engine with excellent heads will work really well and the addition of a super charger doesn’t drink more gas until that peddle is well depressed downwards. Believe it or not, the centrifugal super charger can add mileage since at low rpm’s there is little to no boost but it is still pushing air in helpful if the engine to breath easier. Since it is doing that easier, power is freed up and less fuel is needed to keep things rolling.

B3422w5 said:
Im not.
I can honestly say I know nobody personally who has a hot street, street/ strip or strip car that gives a hoot about mileage.
Click to expand...
I agree, mostly. The people I know concerned with mileage are not looking for 20+ out of there rides but a more reasonable 16-17 mpg. I really don’t think that’s out of line. This should be possible with your first two mentions. Not so much the strip car LMAO! We don’t care there. There really is only one goal.

Of course a street strip car can get less per gallon. A lot depends on how radical that build is. I do t see a lot of mileage out of a 4.56 geared rear and a cam of 260@050 getting good mileage. Hot Street & Street/strip is pretty subjective.
 
rumblefish360 said:
Being concerned with fuel mileage is normally going to be a reduction in gears, converter and cam. The best way I have found to bridge the gap between the two is to use an OD trans. IMO, the automatic, 904 or 727 based transmissions, are the best bet here as a cheaper MoPar 4spd-OD has a big gear split which some find distasteful & the final drive isn’t on the main shaft, it’s where 3rd gear is in normal 4spds. And also the bell housing is a huge PIA to come by.

The thing to do with the engine is still a mild camshaft but what a lot of guys don’t seem to get is 99% of the off the shelf cams are not that good for what there seeking.

A few things you want in your camshaft is a narrow LSA for the engine size and then a quick lifting valve as high as possible. This needs to be coupled with a high flowing head! Most people just get a cylinder head and slap it on OOTB and go. The heads in most cases should be ported.
In the case of the trick flow heads, there really hood flowing OOTB.

Yes this is expensive! It is worth the power return since it will do so reliably over and over again. The cam you using with this should lift the valves as much, at the least (IMO) to take advantage of the cylinder heads port flow abilities.

Most will also not investigate or spend the money on the best power adder available and that would be a super charger or a turbo. Besides the expensive, there’s more to it than just getting one and slapping it on and go!
Fuel and ignition requirements are also expensive.
(And a little bit of a PIA to instal.)

A mild cammed engine with excellent heads will work really well and the addition of a super charger doesn’t drink more gas until that peddle is well depressed downwards. Believe it or not, the centrifugal super charger can add mileage since at low rpm’s there is little to no boost but it is still pushing air in helpful if the engine to breath easier. Since it is doing that easier, power is freed up and less fuel is needed to keep things rolling.


I agree, mostly. The people I know concerned with mileage are not looking for 20+ out of there rides but a more reasonable 16-17 mpg. I really don’t think that’s out of line. This should be possible with your first two mentions. Not so much the strip car LMAO! We don’t care there. There really is only one goal.

Of course a street strip car can get less per gallon. A lot depends on how radical that build is. I do t see a lot of mileage out of a 4.56 geared rear and a cam of 260@050 getting good mileage. Hot Street & Street/strip is pretty subjective.
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to be brutally honest, I guess my point is that, for the most part, having a “ hot” muscle car is a luxury.
My point is maybe people need to rethink priorities and not have such a car if gas mileage considerations are important.
If I was worried about gas for my Dart, I have learned enough over the years to know I probably shouldn’t have it/ can’t afford it…..and wait till I can….like I indeed did.
 
B3422w5 said:
to be brutally honest, I guess my point is that, for the most part, having a “ hot” muscle car is a luxury.
My point is maybe people need to rethink priorities and not have such a car if gas mileage considerations are important.
If I was worried about gas for my Dart, I have learned enough over the years to know I probably shouldn’t have it/ can’t afford it…..and wait till I can
Click to expand...
I agree there.
 
Build what you want, drive it how you like. I drive my 318 2 barrel Swinger 4 hours north to Mopar's in the park. Many of my friends have hot rods and either leave theirs home or trailer it to the show. Mine get's almost 20 mpg, theirs gets 10 or 12. It's all about what you want.
 
Dan the man said:
On a completely stock 318, 2 barrel carburetor and single exhaust what would be the top 10 most popular bolt ons?
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With the pistons 0.080" in the hole and the original 675 heads with exhaust valves that didn't look so hot, he bolt-ons I did were
  • new timing chain
  • lunati 10200701 cam
  • eddy performer intake
  • 600 cfm summit carb
and then a year later, the 2.76 7 1/4 pegleg kinda grenaded. It had absolutely nothing to do with slowing down wayyyy back for lights to turn red, or mashing the go-pedal at every stop sign.
 
Gotta have these too. Bolt on No 2
T handle.jpeg
 
No, not judging one way or the other, but mileage for me has never entered my mind. I find it funny that it hasn’t. Actually not true. When I drove it to the track I got better mileage from from the stock carb and for an instant I thought “hey, drive it to the track with the stock carb and swap!” Too lazy!
 
To much of a PIA!

Same with third member swaps, dropping/disconnecting headers, swap tires from street to slick, etc….
Just let me get there and run for cryin out loud!
 
318willrun said:
  1. chrome valve covers,
  2. chrome air cleaner,
  3. 318WR sticker on the air cleaner (oops, that don't bolt on)
  4. chrome dipstick,
  5. chrome alternator,
  6. Yellow spark plug wires
  7. red distributor cap
  8. Yellow coil
  9. Chrome fan
  10. chrome breather cap
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Reminds me of a funny happening to me years ago. I would play with my 340 Van (of course not factory) at home and one day my neighbor stopped me and ask me to look under his Ford Fairlane hood. He opens the hood and asked, "what else he could do to make his car faster", as he is pointing at his new chrome air cleaner and valve covers.
 
Dan the man said:
On a completely stock 318, 2 barrel carburetor and single exhaust what would be the top 10 most popular bolt ons?
Click to expand...
Dan the man said:
Most effective.
Click to expand...

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.
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.

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.

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;
>the biggest bang for the buck is the higher stall.
>the second biggest is more cylinder pressure and/or more torque-multiplication which is more or less the same result.
> 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.
 
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