Cheap 318 performance mods.

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It's funny how there is an official 3>18 day (March 18th), but no 3>40 day.

Guess the Working Man's 318 won out...


☆☆☆☆☆
 
It's funny how there is an official 3>18 day (March 18th), but no 3>40 day.

Guess the Working Man's 318 won out...


☆☆☆☆☆

Step 1- find alternate calendar

Step 2- convince population of Earth to accept and use it.

See? A simple 2 step process and you've got what you want.
 
Genesis 2-1 : On the 8th day God created the 340
Mistakes were made.....
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What year, body,of magnum manifolds are you suggesting?
I got mine off a 2001 ram 1500. Had to do a little work on the drivers side to get the downpipe to fit right but it fits using a floor shifter. Now a column shifter I dont believe it would idk tho it would be tight. I actually ended up using the factory downpipe from the same ram and cutting and modified it to fit my dart I started with a straight down pipe and it hit the torsion bar. The factory ram pipe had a curve in it that fit around it perfectly. I'm sure a good exhaust shop could make it work no problem with a custom down pipe but I just made my own. I have a thread on here somewhere about it it's a few years old now.
 
Just a note that Magnum manifolds hit the top of a PS gear box.

They clear a manual gear box, though.
 
I like the plan layed out by 318 will run. I also like a high stall converter but be warned- they are not cheap! Get it running and running as well as it can and enjoy. For future power increases you could work on a separate pair of heads. For the newbie try not to think of it as porting but more cleaning up the factory as cast blemishes- slag and such. Fopr example- the factory foundry may have designed and intended for a rectangular port but the finished product is a deformed oval kinda rectangular deal with stalactites and stalagmites....... Take a rotary tool with the appropriate abrasives and smooth out the junk. Do not re engineer the ports and bowls and most definitely ignore the term "Hog Out." Run exh manifolds or if you don't mind run typical cheap headers. Dougs and TTI are wonderful, beautiful headers but again- be prepared because they are $$$$$$
 
I would sell that motor and and drop in a magnum 5.2 from the junkyard better cam better heads better compression and roller camshaft and put a cheap rpm air gap and summit headers 600 cfm carb.

Think of it this way everything you’re going to be doing has already been done to a stock 5.2 magnum. People love buying a motor they can hear run in the car!

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I believe that you guys ran off the OP. As always a simple question concerning the performance upgrade of a 318 immediately turns into a 360 swap. Going to a 360 actually would increase his budget as he would have to get a 360 then the motor mount bracket and mount on the right side is different than the 318 ( I think it's the right side). All the OP asked was how he could make his 318 run a little better. I think that 318willrun gave him some good advice. In my opinion, he could recurve the distributor, edelbrock performer intake and a 600cfm carburetor, good flowing exhaust system, he's already going to add gears so a cam like 318willrun suggested and a mild converter and he's good to go. Not everybody wants or needs a ton of power, they may be just looking for ways to give their car a little more zip. I think that it would have been good if the question at hand could have been followed. I believe that you guys ran him off and that's sad.
 
And I can't be the only person here who is damn sick and tired of "how can I wake up a 318" and constantly hearing the answer "get a 360".
 
And I can't be the only person here who is damn sick and tired of "how can I wake up a 318" and constantly hearing the answer "get a 360".
I don't mind guys asking about how to wake up their 318, especially if they are new to the hobby, but I am sick and tired of hearing get a 360
 
Should do a budget build like the Sunday morning cable TV shows do it. Edelbrock heads, hyd roller cam, roller tip adjustable rocker arms, full MSD billet ignition, Holley sniper fuel injection, and the best part- a set of E3 Sparkplugs!!
 
There's 2 or so 318 haters left, that show up every time a 318 is mention and sometimes when it isn't but squeeze it in anyways just to start **** which is ridiculous but doesn't mean adding displacement can/should never be brought up, some don't know much why their asking and if it seems like their asking too much and or don't get the basic premise what added displacement can do, nothing wrong with bring it to their attention, but if they seem to understand and or made it clear that they only interested doing a 318 people should respect that unless their really asking unrealistic goals.
 
my point of contention is that some people just want a nice little cruiser. it doesn't have to be all ricky-racer burning up the tires, just something that's not a wheeze bag. starts easy, runs smooth, has a little more oomph and is still okay on gas.

yes, a converter and gears will absolutely wake right up a motor and set you back in the seat. and that's great if that's what you're looking for. but in that same breath, not everybody has the dough or the ability to do that work. an intake & carb swap is super low lift along with re-curving the distributor and for a lot of people that's within their budget and skill set. coincidentally, that would probably meet their expectations as well.
 
my point of contention is that some people just want a nice little cruiser. it doesn't have to be all ricky-racer burning up the tires, just something that's not a wheeze bag. starts easy, runs smooth, has a little more oomph and is still okay on gas.
Bet 90% of the cars in this hobby don't and probably never will make over 350 hp.
yes, a converter and gears will absolutely wake right up a motor and set you back in the seat. and that's great if that's what you're looking for. but in that same breath, not everybody has the dough or the ability to do that work. an intake & carb swap is super low lift along with re-curving the distributor and for a lot of people that's within their budget and skill set. coincidentally, that would probably meet their expectations as well.
Converter, compression and gears seem to be the mods people want to do the least especially the converter. So for the most part it kind of a moot point most of the time especially on low dollar hop ups.
 
Bolt on parts are ok. Pulling the transmission for a converter swap and a gear swap in the rear end (or a different rear axle) might be too much for many. Hey, at 67 I don't do that stuff anymore either. Like I have mentioned before, I have a LD4B and a AVS 2 in the wings but I am happy with my stock 2 barrel.
 
1] Free flowing exhaust
2] Timing curve
3]Carb and intake
4]Timing curve
5]Torque convertor
6] 440 swap
 
Exactly, you get it. Yep, the OP already has a 318 and want's to keep it but just tweak it a bit to make it run better and a little more snappy without breaking the bank. And then here comes the 340/360/Magnum, Gen 3 Hemi crowd. I should just delete their BS posts. If you don't have anything constructive for the OP, start your own thread about your 360 or what ever. Truth be known, you probably don't even own a Mopar let alone one with a 360 or what ever you are preaching. :poke: :rofl:
Well you have the power. You could easily ban those types from threads like this. They always come in with the same thing and never have anything to offer.
 
my point of contention is that some people just want a nice little cruiser. it doesn't have to be all ricky-racer burning up the tires, just something that's not a wheeze bag. starts easy, runs smooth, has a little more oomph and is still okay on gas.

yes, a converter and gears will absolutely wake right up a motor and set you back in the seat. and that's great if that's what you're looking for. but in that same breath, not everybody has the dough or the ability to do that work. an intake & carb swap is super low lift along with re-curving the distributor and for a lot of people that's within their budget and skill set. coincidentally, that would probably meet their expectations as well.
What stall converter would you recommend for a 318 with a stock to mild cam? Cam with like 204*/214*
 
What stall converter would you recommend for a 318 with a stock to mild cam? Cam with like 204*/214*
off the cuff, something like a factory 340 converter would be fine so what 22~2500 (that would be for a low end converter). i mean considering a stock 318 converter is like, negative stall (i'm kidding it's probably 1800) i'd think anything 2+ would be an improvement.

now if you're talking high end, 2800~3 would be a nice choice. but then you're looking at dropping 6~7 hundy
 
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