which year best 360 to start with?

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mopars

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Hey.
I"m curious if a 360 out of a 82 4 wheel drive truck would be a good engine to make a street dart or what would be a better year to find to start a good build? I already own the engine and run into 360's some times due to work?
thanks
 
There are those that believe that the older (pre-74) motors have thicker castings than the later ones and I have found thru sonic testing that this is not true. I have found some later blocks were actually thicker than some early blocks. Any given block can be thicker or thinner than an other block regardless of year so your '82 will be just fine to use.

Chuck
 
340mopar said:
There are those that believe that the older (pre-74) motors have thicker castings than the later ones and I have found thru sonic testing that this is not true. I have found some later blocks were actually thicker than some early blocks. Any given block can be thicker or thinner than an other block regardless of year so your '82 will be just fine to use.

Chuck
Click to expand...

Thats true.I think the thickness of the block has more to do with core shift,where a casting core would be replaced when it was worn out.Apparently they could just replace whichever cylider was worn,and the core would shift...

Im using a 79 4 bbl 360 truck motor for my Dart.
 
The less you overbore it, the stronger it will be and longer it will last. Theres nothing wrong with going .030 or even .070. Just so long as there a suffiecent amount of cylinder wall.

This is where a sonic check comes in. If you can bore the block only .020 and fins pistons for the job at hand, you in better shape than a .070 overbore. This area, less is truly better.

Any year 360 is fine.
 
I am using and 89 360. 89 thru 92 have provisions from a roller cam. Comp Cams makes a retro-fit roller cam for $300. Using the rest of the stock roller setup is not that expensive.
 
I have been holding onto a 1972 360 block for over 15 years for a someday project. So you guys are saying that i bought into a myth about thicker cylinder walls, and have really been holding on to this for no good reason but to just watch it take up shop space? That really blows if that is true because i have had several chances to sell it over the years. Oh well seems to be the story of my life, holding on to something that i think is special and find out that i have something that is as common as, a or not any better than any other! Unfortunatly thanks for the info.
 
Ron, I have a 360 with a '70 casting date and had it sonic checked and I have a few from the mid to late '70s and one from '88 and they were sonic checked too and there is no real difference between the blocks to even report. This doesn't mean that you can't sell your early block to someone that still thinks the early ones are better. There are a ton of guys out there that stilll think this is true, why do you think I bought the '70 casting date block? I also used to think the early blocks were thicker until I had it and other early blocks tested sonic tested. The only thing that might possibly be better with the early blocks is the nickel content and alloy of the iron used. But to confirm this samples of the blocks would have to be sent in for analysis, which I don't think it is worth it.

Chuck
 
Well, I think it is '74 or '75 that the valve seats were changed to Hardened seats, this could make the heads easier to run in there current form. (Less Machine work)
 
Robb, good thinking. On a low performance side of it, yes. Making room for a 2.02 or upgraded set of valves is an extra expense along with hardened seats of something older. (Thinking race side of it all. or heavy street fighter.)

A 1.88 is very good for the street. It can provided enuff flow for a good engine. Back cutting the 1.88 is a inexpensive way of upping the level with some bowl porting and etc......
 
As long as its mopar! I believe larry shepards book " How to hot rod small block mopars" states that chrysler has always used the same high nickel content in its production blocks as its race engines. Where chevy and ford used the high nickel content in their race engines only.I believe this to be true in my small mopar laced brain!!!!!!!!!!!:mrgreen:
 
Yes sir, you have read and remembered correctly!!!!!!
 
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