yet another 318 cam /head question

[jim in seattle]

Okay newbie has read 100 threads, and every time there are so many options that my head spins. I want to buy a "bolt-on" head and cam combo that will last me until I either build or replace this engine. Here is what I have:

stock 318, '69

edel 1406 carb (600cfm)
edel 2176 intake (performer)
340 ex manifolds
dual exhaust
904 trans
2:76:1
Everything else bone stock
Daily driver

Objective: drive it, have fun, go fast on occasion. Lots of freeway time (75%). I don't care how the idle sounds as long as it isn't a dog off the line even with the tall gears.

From another thread, these heads look like a decent deal:

http://www.aeroheadracing.com/id6.html

But I can be talked into anything. I really don't know and I can't figure it out from reading these threads. I just want to take it apart, install the parts, and drive. No bottom end work this round.

So- heads and cam? Off the shelf, not scavenged and rebuilt. I work like 70 hours a week so I need simplicity. Thanks...

 

[RustyRatRod]

If all you want is heads till you do something different with the engine, why not simply find some stock replacement heads and something like a summit cam? That way you'll save money for the future project. Seems logical to me. whats wrong with the heads and cam you have now? If nothing, then do nothing until you're ready to upgrade. Just my 2 cents.

 

[hcharles]

Get a cam with short duration about 260/264 with 460 +/- lift, for the set-up you now have. Do some work on the timing of the distributor, new plugs and wires, and an orange box. For the carburetor, put in a carb rebuild kit, and set the floats with enclosed instructions. The little things can add up to enhance your ride. Take it slow on just buying "stuff". If anything putting in some gears for the rear end go to a 3.23 or 3.50 to allow the cam to work. Have fun.

 

[jim in seattle]

If all you want is heads till you do something different with the engine, why not simply find some stock replacement heads and something like a summit cam? That way you'll save money for the future project. Seems logical to me. whats wrong with the heads and cam you have now? If nothing, then do nothing until you're ready to upgrade. Just my 2 cents.

Whats wrong with the heads and cam now is that I understand from popular opinion that I can greatly improve performance by replacing them. It may be 3 years and 50k miles before I do anything else. From what I read I can get a significant (50?) HP boost with this move. I don't have to replace them-but I don't HAVE to do anything.

You tell me: Whats wrong with the stock heads and cam I have now? I am just newbie trying to learn here.

Ps. I like the pic of your girlfriend.

 

[SirDan]

I think you should get a bit more gear, cam and spend some time tuning it. a converter might be worthwhile too.

right now im running a stock bottom end 73 318 with a 340 cam and ld4b with a 600cfm edelbrock, dual exhaust with stock 318 manifolds. Man this thing has some nuts and I think i could tune it better. I have the stock converter as well but im going 4 speed when i have time to do the swap so i refuse to waste money on a converter.

I know early heads were set up for lead gas, so i dont know if your losing power there. from what i understand they did not have hardened seats. maybe someone could shed more light on that area. If they are an issue id get some cheap heads, or freshen what you have whatever is cheaper. it sounds like you want to go with another motor in the next few years, so i would spend as little as possible. Definatly think about messing with your carb and distributer for the perfect tune. This should be a cheap way to get a few hp.

 

[67Dart273]

Before you get too excited, I'd be for finding the casting numbers on the heads that are ON there and see just how good/ bad things are. As old as these girls are, someone could 'ha stuck newer heads on along the way..........

 

[RustyRatRod]

It may be 3 years and 50k miles before I do anything else.

...and I guess I was supposed to read your mind about this since you left it out in your first post?

From what I read I can get a significant (50?) HP boost with this move. I don't have to replace them-but I don't HAVE to do anything.

It depends on what you have now.

You tell me:

No. You need to tell us. what you have. Year engine and casting numbers.

Whats wrong with the stock heads and cam I have now?

I have no idea. Does it use oil? Does it make noises? If it runs and does not skip or burn oil then there is likely nothing wrong with them. If you're asking if there are better heads you can run then, without knowing what you have now, that cannot be answered accurately. There are several things you can do without tearing into the engine to make it much better....if they have not already been done. .....and smartin off somebody trying to help you when you've given limited info isn't a good start.

Glad you're a newbie trying to learn. I'm not a newbie and I'm trying to help you out by answering your questions that you threw out with very limited information. You can add as much as 30 or so HP and never take a valve cover off, much less change heads with a few tricks. Best thing to do is follow the advice here. Find out what you have now and let us know. Head casting numbers will be helpful. Which 340 manifolds? There are two types. Early and late. The early are the better ones to have. Casting numbers once again will be helpful.

 

[jim in seattle]

...and I guess I was supposed to read your mind about this since you left it out in your first post?




It depends on what you have now.



No. You need to tell us. what you have. Year engine and casting numbers.




I have no idea. Does it use oil? Does it make noises? If it runs and does not skip or burn oil then there is likely nothing wrong with them. If you're asking if there are better heads you can run then, without knowing what you have now, that cannot be answered accurately. There are several things you can do without tearing into the engine to make it much better....if they have not already been done. .....and smartin off somebody trying to help you when you've given limited info isn't a good start.

Glad you're a newbie trying to learn. I'm not a newbie and I'm trying to help you out by answering your questions that you threw out with very limited information. You can add as much as 30 or so HP and never take a valve cover off, much less change heads with a few tricks. Best thing to do is follow the advice here. Find out what you have now and let us know. Head casting numbers will be helpful. Which 340 manifolds? There are two types. Early and late. The early are the better ones to have. Casting numbers once again will be helpful.

didn't mean to be "smartin off" ; just trying some humor. sorry if it came across that way.

everything i have is stock and has been on there since new. (except what i mentioned as being replaced) that's all i know for now but i will work on casting numbers.

when i said "you tell me"- what i meant was it seems like the stock heads can be replaced with better parts no matter what shape they are in. same with the cam. I get this from endless reading in this forum. there are hundreds of references to the stock heads being junk, low compression, etc, and the same with the cam- "don't use it" is what i see everywhere. i do not understand the basics of why this is so- but i want to know. so a better way for me to phrase "you tell me" when referring to "why replace what i have" it would have been to say "please someone explain to me why the stock stuff should be replaced, and what should I replace it with given my other parts and my objectives"?

 

[moper]

What I would suggest if you want more power is to simply add a camshaft. Either the XE256, the Summit "small" cam, or something like that. Stick a set of new valve seals, a decent timing set, and Comp 901-16 springs on it and run it. You have 80% of what you need already. You must set up the ignition for performance if you haven't yet. If you want to spend more, I'd advise you to get a set of EQ Magnums (Hughes sells them assembled) and then use the same cam as above. I don't think you'll find "50hp" without also adding headers, but you'll find some power.

 

[rapom65]

Moper are those true Magnum heads? If so he would need valve train, pushrods, lifters, head bolts and intake specific to the Magnum motor.

Seattle - without knowing the casting numbers of your heads they could be any LA head. A stock 318 head has small valves designed to work with a 2 bbl carb. You have a larger than stock carb, medium performance level intake and much better (not as good as headers) flowing exhaust. Your prior mods are all low to mid range performance enhancers so we need a cam and heads to compliment the low end to mid range. The 1.88/1.60 valves in the 318 aeroheads are a step up in size from stock and would be a good match to our goal. If your stock heads are worn out you couldn't rebuild them for the $400 price of the aeros. These also match your bolt on and go desire. Are there better heads out there? You bet. But your motor isn't up to their level of performance. Keep your cam reasonable. Small displacement motors like a smaller cam. I would recommend a cam with specs in the range of a stock 340 cam up to the XE 256 recommended by Moper. No bigger. Call a couple manufacture's tech lines and see what they recommend. Other things to do: learn how and then recurve your distributor and tune your carb. Replace your timing chain with a quality double roller while your cam is out.

 

[moper]

The EQ heads have an LA intake bolt pattern, and pretty much all hydraulic cams now come with the oil feed in the top. So he'd need pushrods, which more than likely will be needed anyway, the bolts, which can be bought new at any parts store, and the rockers which can be bought for next to nothing at a junkyard (or gotten free if you ask the right people here). Because the heads are cheap to get assembled, you're still not looking at much even if you have to buy the parts new from a dealer or jobber store. It's not a hard conversion. As I said, if it were me, I'd throw a cam in it and call it compelte until there's more money or more need for bigger power.

 

[LXguy]

I'd go with the RHS heads. They should be a bolt on and the smaller chambers (like those on the EQ magnums) will give a nice compression boost. They will flow a ton better, even though you'd be choking them with the stock manifolds.

You need a camshaft. Stock 318 camshaft is not a performance piece by any stretch of the imagination. Err on the small side though, as you don't have the dynamic CR to spare.

Compression is the death of a stock 318. Classic Mopar heads have gigantic combustion chambers and the pistons on those old 318s tend to be down in the hole a mile.

Anything you can do to bring compression up is a good thing.

Steve

 

[Oldmanmopar]

Moper's advice is the most logical in your case. Not that others are not also good. It just seams that with what you have and your funds. His advice gives you the most bang for the buck.