new 360 advise needed please.

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The heads, those 1.88 tulips are crap.
That needs to be addressed 1st, imo.

Throw some **** Master heads on it with a decent valve job done to them, then use a hydraulic roller in the 225* at .050 range in about 490/500. Lift...or if that's not cost efficient... go with a 223* .050 and around .490 lift.


Or save and use the 340 grind with some 1.6 and call it good.

I Like the small valve heads, if theyre 1.94 11/32 valves...but those 1.88 tulips are low,/mid lift flow killers. They suck...and something tells me you don't want to spend on some porting and valves.
The heads are most of the problem..that and the cam could be advanced some.
If you change to 1.94 and blend the bowls.. they'll pick up 20 cfm down low.
 
Deck the block and/or mill the heads to get a true 9.0-1 . Should still be fine with pump swill and do everything better.
 
Wasn’t the E58 basically a 360 a 340 cam? The 74 360 4 speed Duster was among the quickest cars of the year if I recall correctly.
 
gdrill said:
Wasn’t the E58 basically a 360 a 340 cam? The 74 360 4 speed Duster was among the quickest cars of the year if I recall correctly.
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Yes, also came with a windage tray and IIRC a double roller chain. Some other stuff as well. I can’t remember anymore. I had one a while back.
 
Regular gas is no problem with a "74" 360. I'd put some stainless steel valves in the J heads, clean up the bowls, and run the 340 cam and springs. Try a TQ and run the 3.23 gears, that is close to all the small block performance engines came with. We used to cruise all day at 100 mph with those gears. Should be a bullet proof combination.
 
If the 904 you have has the low gear set in it the 2.76 or 2.94gear 26" tire works great for a cruiser. I've run fast ramp SFT cams with EDM lifters for years with great longevity. The XE262 hydraulic had 2 lobes and lifters start to go flat in 6 months which is why I won't run a hyd any more.
If you decide to go SFT, a [email protected] in a 360 is very streetable IMO. I hope you get in and get to enjoy the trip.
 
i build my stuff and lot of client cars like this. just good over the road cruisers with nice manners that get reasonable mileage and have good power. i think you're on the right track.

you've got the 904 which is great, and you're 100% not going to want to hear this... but i'd look to upgrade it with either swapping in a 998/999 or putting in a low 1/2 into the cases you have and rounding that out with a shift kit. that combo with 323's will absolutely rip around town and you'll be able to cruise nicely on the highway with 26" tires. but, this would open up the possibility to running 2,90's or 2.70's and giving you longer legs on the highway without giving up much stop light to stop light.

as for the motor, everybody is right on the money. personally i'd stay below .500 and 280 because that wants compression, stall and gears to shine. all of which are concerns in touring: fuel quality, mileage, continuous RPM, heat in the trans. the comp 260 gets high marks, and that's what i'd aim for: 460~470's lift and 260's maybe tickling 270 duration.

spend the money on heads, getting everything just right and maybe even popping for a pocket port. i think the stockers are a perfectly acceptable piece here but if you wanted to splash the cash, the options are out there. the RPM intake is perfect for the combo. i'd top it with a 750 holley, vac 2ndaries and downleg boosters.

the killer here is going to be the stock 360 bottom end, and with notoriously low compression it's going to need some help to get those numbers. so, there's options of: deck the heads and run a thin head gasket, pistons, deck the block... and out of those i'd probably choose pistons. but, you really won't know until you pull it apart and check everything and measure up all the bits to calculate. you'll need *some* compression, but 8~8.5 is just shooting yourself in the foot.
 
If you use 'new' lifters, you will be rolling the dice.......
Have your current, reliable, lifters, re-faced.....
 
abodyjoe said:
needs to keep stock style heads on it for the look. car is done to look like a stock 340 car under hood.
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Do the guides for 11/32 stems and have the seats cut for 1.94 intake
Use the affordable elgin stainless valves and you can stay under 600 in cost.
That's real power at a fair price.
@.300 lift the 1.88 are allowing 170 cfm, maybe. Change over and blend it and now its 190cfm @.400 and peaking higher like a 2.02 would.

You can change the cam and make it work better, though that's just a power shift more so than an increase
 
He is trying to keep it simple and avoid any extra machinery costs. It is an exercise in the K.I.S.S. method. Also consider he is in New Jersey and wanting to attend this event that starts in (IIRC) Missouri, and ends in New Mexico. Then it’s a drive from New Mexico back to New Jersey.

Reasonable mileage and drivability are more in the forefront than power without the extra expense of porting heads and OD transmission swaps.

When I was speaking with AbodyJoe about this, it’s not a thin wallet or being cheap, it’s just about a reliable set up that runs well with longevity.
 
thanks @rumblefish360 , i do appreciate all the opinions and options posted in this thread. for me/us though its not about the most power i can get. its about a peppy fun cruiser that i can take anywhere and not worry about it.. to be honest i had the most fun in my old yellow dart when i blew up the low 12 second motor and put the box stock 74 360 in the car with a 2.94 gear.. could piss in the gas tank and it would run and go anywhere.. it was getting 17mog with a freaking 780 carb on it..lol its what i had at the time.. i have these two cams and if one or both will work well i'll use one.. if not i'm not against buying another but i'm not getting all into porting heads, alumn heads or anything like that. car has to look like a stock 340 car. its what the wife wants it to look like.. nice simple cruiser with what i already have here is what i want to put together.. the car is running and driving now so i want to put togteher the fresh motor before doing anything so its a weekend swap when i'm ready. the car gets driven but just isn't as fun as i want as a cruiser..i know jamie will drive it more when done like i have in mind. we will be more excited about taking it on longer trips, i'll drive it 3+ hours now but its just not enjoyable enough in its current configuration..
 
Dudicus, your first post says you're going to rebuild the bottom end and you're hoping it doesn't need to be bored and honed ...but you probably know it's going to have to be bored and honed ,it's a 1974 stock short block, right? So lets just assume so. ..and now you're considering tossing those wasted worn out heads on there? Nah brother... you don't wanna do that. I'm jkn with you now but I'm completely serious with the advice ive given you... cuz tossing those heads back on the better sealing bores n rings are gonna suck some ******* oil down the intake valves of your new Cruiser motor ...and it will soon be a cruster motor.
You'll be wondering why the thing starts detonating in a year and has higher than before cranking compression..and to throw it further into imagination land...perhaps some "run on" as well.

You don't have to port them, just have a shop cut the VJ using a bowl sweep lower cut and simply leave it or just literally transition the cut to the as cast so it isn't instead a curb.
Otherwise why bother with any of that just put the 340 cam in there and go Cruise to Missouri with some heavier oil and a few extra quarts in the trunk
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Dudicus, your first post says you're going to rebuild the bottom end and you're hoping it doesn't need to be bored and honed ...but you probably know it's going to have to be bored and honed ,it's a 1974 stock short block, right? So lets just assume so. ..and now you're considering tossing those wasted worn out heads on there? Nah brother... you don't wanna do that. I'm jkn with you now but I'm completely serious with the advice ive given you... cuz tossing those heads back on the better sealing bores n rings are gonna suck some ******* oil down the intake valves of your new Cruiser motor ...and it will soon be a cruster motor.
You'll be wondering why the thing starts detonating in a year and has higher than before cranking compression..and to throw it further into imagination land...perhaps some "run on" as well.

You don't have to port them, just have a shop cut the VJ using a bowl sweep lower cut and simply leave it or just literally transition the cut to the as cast so it isn't instead a curb.
Otherwise why bother with any of that just put the 340 cam in there and go Cruise to Missouri with some heavier oil and a few extra quarts in the trunk
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heads will be rebuilt. if it needs to be bored it will be bored. hope it doesn't but we will see..
 
Does it use oil now and did you do a compression test?
 
when it last run it did not use oil. it was as maintenance free as they come. its been in a bag for years now... no i didn't do a compression test.. it was a real good running 50,000 mile motor when in my yellow car.
 
abodyjoe said:
when it last run it did not use oil. it was as maintenance free as they come. its been in a bag for years now... no i didn't do a compression test.. it was a real good running 50,000 mile motor when in my yellow car.
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You should be good to go. Change oil, filter, slam it home.
 
"Shimasters"? thats what everybody does...I'm waiting for the used ones to show up on here... :thumbsup: :lol:
 
abodyjoe said:
so i've never been real happy with the motor i have in the dart right now.. i want to put together something a bit more mild that is more a cruiser.
i'm going to try to get signed up for the Sick 66 (Edelbrock Sick 66 — Sick the Mag) event and participate in the sick ward part of it. no need to race the car... if i can get in we are looking at a 4000+ mile trip in october so this thing has to be simple and reliable. i'd like a little pep to it too but nothing crazy.. i could spend nothing and just take my 08 mustang and be more comfortable but what fun is that..lol


my plan is to go through and freshen up the 360 that came out of my yellow car. its a box stock 74 360. its a pretty low mileage motor so i hope i don't need to bore it and will reuse the stock pistons (hopefully). trying to keep costs down as much as possible..

like i said it needs to be more a over the road car.. i think we will enjoy it much more that way.. use it a ton more too..

what i have already that will be reused..

70 dart.
3.23 gears (may go to 2.94)
26" tires
904 trans, its in the car and nothing needs to be done.
9.5" convertor that i'll just call dynamic to tighten up some.
small valve J heads
performer RPM intake
stock 340 manifolds.
full TTi 2.5" exhaust with X-Pipe
MSD rtr dist. in the car now.
multiple carbs i can use.
the bottom end will be as stock as possible. if replacement pistons are necessary then i'll buy stock replacements in the bore size i need.

i don't mind running 93 pump gas in it if i have to but 87 would be nice to be able to run..

i think my biggest question is about the cam. i'd like something a little bigger then stock but nothing crazy. i have two brand new ones here laying around. a old MP 340 replacement cam P4452782 (Mopar Performance P4452782AE Mopar Performance Purple Camshaft Kits | Summit Racing) . and have the hughes seh1620al-12 (https://www.hughesengines.com/Index...110&searchmode=partnumber&page=6&partid=30239). a couple friends think the hughes would be great for what i'm trying to do.. my question is, its a fastrer ramp and .503 lift. will that be reliable long term or is it harder on parts? or should i be looking for something other then what i have? i have no problem ordering a new cam.


if i need to provide more information then what i posted please say so....



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I would say run the Hughes with good valve springs.
Yup, having to run 93 or 94 is expensive now. Especially when looking at a 4k mile trip. Think about a water injection instead and use 87 fuel. For the summer you can run distilled water with just a bit on water soluble oil to control detonation. The water injection kits have a vaccum switch to turn the pump on when the vaccum drops. For the winter, put some methanol in and drive it before parking it to prevent freezing.
 
Dale Davies said:
I would say run the Hughes with good valve springs.
Yup, having to run 93 or 94 is expensive now. Especially when looking at a 4k mile trip. Think about a water injection instead and use 87 fuel. For the summer you can run distilled water with just a bit on water soluble oil to control detonation. The water injection kits have a vaccum switch to turn the pump on when the vaccum drops. For the winter, put some methanol in and drive it before parking it to prevent freezing.
Click to expand...

i've heard about those kits for years but have never really looked into them.. i'll have to educate myself on them some.
 
abodyjoe said:
when it last run it did not use oil. it was as maintenance free as they come. its been in a bag for years now... no i didn't do a compression test.. it was a real good running 50,000 mile motor when in my yellow car.
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I bet it wont need to be bored. I took my orig 340.to shop to get rebuilt at 70k miles and at drop off shop said we bore all engines. Then later came back and said taper under spec and honed it. Its still std bore today sitting in garage covered up.
 
Dale Davies said:
Yup, having to run 93 or 94 is expensive now. Especially when looking at a 4k mile trip.
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i love it when people complain about the expense of having to run premium.

like a whopping 8~10 bux extra per fill up is gonna break the bank. that's what, about $250 more on a 4,000 mi road trip? i'll admit, that's not chump change but i'd rack it up to the cost of doing business. and really, besides a handful of people here how many are really stacking mileage like that? i'd guess that might be more than what most folks here pile up annually.
 
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