besides pulling off the intake, is there a way to tell if a 318 is a factory roller? I know that in the late "A" series run that Mother started putting hydraulic rollers in the 318 but short of tearing one apart how can you tell?
pre Magnum roller engines
- Thread starter mtandrews
- Start date
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Look for the date on the side of the block, late 80s very early 90s and you could very possibly have a roller pre-magnum.
1988...
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
think the first 360 was 89. 318 was before that.
63dartman
Well-Known Member
88 was first year for the 318. Not sure how to tell really quick except maybe the throttle body verses a carb.
daliant
Befuddled
85 was the 1st year for pass car, 88 1st year for trucks. My 86 powerwagon w/318 had a roller block with the tall lifter bores and bosses for the lifter spider but had a flat tappet cam. You could pull the distributor to look inside valley, would be alot easier than pulling the intake.
its a carb. Guess I'll find out when the eddy intake I bought from a FABO member gets here and I peel the lid off of it. It runs good (started it in the 5th ave before pulling it out) but I still want to add a mild cam. I'll do like Daliant sez and pull the dist.
all roller LA's were painted BLACK from the factory...and here is the rest.
1985 started production of the LA Roller 318 in Dodge Diplomats, Chrysler 5th Avenues, and Plymouth Fury's....and d150 trucks in 1988.
360's remained Hydraulic Cam until 1988 when they received the Roller Cam/Lifter galley from the Roller LA 318....and electronic fuel injection. Chrysler swapped from the Roller LA 360 to the Magnum 5.2/5.9
in mid 1992.
1985 started production of the LA Roller 318 in Dodge Diplomats, Chrysler 5th Avenues, and Plymouth Fury's....and d150 trucks in 1988.
360's remained Hydraulic Cam until 1988 when they received the Roller Cam/Lifter galley from the Roller LA 318....and electronic fuel injection. Chrysler swapped from the Roller LA 360 to the Magnum 5.2/5.9
in mid 1992.
well alrighty then! Good info, thanks man. Mine is completely black, March 88. Now the next question... will a magnum replacement roller work or am I gonna have to get a LA based roller cam. Don't wanna go crazy with stock heads and exhaust, but more than the stock stick.
63dartman
Well-Known Member
A magnum replacement cam for a 318 will work. If your using a mechanical fuel pump you will need the cam extension part. I believe Mancini's has them. I'm not totally sure but I remember reading that the 360 magnum and 318 magnum cams do not interchange. I may be wrong though.
A 88' 318 should have 302' casting cylinder heads.
That is good and bad.
302's castings suffer from the same disadvantages as most 318 heads,...but they have a good side too.
Small 1.78/1.50 valves, anemic valve springs (for the opera like camshaft), and small ports.
The good part:
302' heads are closed chamber, heart shaped "swirl port" Small block heads....and flow surprsingly well with a few worthwhile modifications.
The thing to do if you intend to use them on any kind of a performance build is:
Weld/Plug the Smog Air Ports
Have them checked for cracks
Have the Valve Guides cut down for race oil seals, AND
cut down enough for .550" lift at the valve, clearance at the Retainer/Valve Guide
Install a NEW set of .550" single springs at the recommended installed Height
Have the Seats/Bowls Opened to accept 1.88/1.60 valves, 3 angle VJ
Gasket Match the intake ports to 340-360 gasket size, port as desired
Cut the Deck Surfaces .010" to true them up
Keep your Cams' Max lift .030" under your springs' rated lift.
Enjoy!!!
That is good and bad.
302's castings suffer from the same disadvantages as most 318 heads,...but they have a good side too.
Small 1.78/1.50 valves, anemic valve springs (for the opera like camshaft), and small ports.
The good part:
302' heads are closed chamber, heart shaped "swirl port" Small block heads....and flow surprsingly well with a few worthwhile modifications.
The thing to do if you intend to use them on any kind of a performance build is:
Weld/Plug the Smog Air Ports
Have them checked for cracks
Have the Valve Guides cut down for race oil seals, AND
cut down enough for .550" lift at the valve, clearance at the Retainer/Valve Guide
Install a NEW set of .550" single springs at the recommended installed Height
Have the Seats/Bowls Opened to accept 1.88/1.60 valves, 3 angle VJ
Gasket Match the intake ports to 340-360 gasket size, port as desired
Cut the Deck Surfaces .010" to true them up
Keep your Cams' Max lift .030" under your springs' rated lift.
Enjoy!!!
Badart
Senior Member
I just picked up a completely rebuilt roller block and non magnum heads from a buddy for free :cheers:. 0 miles on the block or heads. The 318 was rebuilt by a machine shop about 5 years ago and never ran. He tried to sell it in the local classifieds and nobody even called so he was going to sell it for scrap. It took me about 5 minutes to load it up. He even threw in a new comp cams double roller timing chain. Thanks Jeremy. I don't know what it is going in yet, but I can't wait to pop it open to see what pistons are in there. LOL
Badart
Senior Member
I know Prine. I have gotten a few rebuilders for free, but this is the first on a rebuilt engine. I guess nobody likes 318s.
2 Darts
A-body Addicted
Another way to tell a roller from a flat tappet engine is to measure the length of a pushrod. The flat tappet cams need 7 31/64 (7.4844), rollers use 6 49/64 (6.766) inch long pushrods.
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