Anybody ever build a 318?

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hotrodron

Drives the Batmobile... er... Ratmobile!
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
1,228
Location
Randolph, OH
I've never really messed around too much with a 318, and really have no current use for it, but it seems like around Christmas time people always sell stuff cheap. Ran into somebody who needed a little extra money and he offered it to me for $50. I couldn't pass it up.
Just gonna throw an intake and carb and some cheap headers on it. Any of you Dodge guys have any advise on what has worked well for you?
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Don't laugh too much at the jackstand holding up the front. We were in a hurry and it didn't look too safe just hanging there.:D
 
I've built tons of them (currently have about a half dozen), they are excellent engines and are SUPER durable. What kind of performance you want out of it? And what year is it? Judging by motor mounts and oil pan it came from a truck or full size van.
 
Best engine ever built! Get yourself a set of 360 heads, a 340 cam and a 4bbl and you're on the way to a hundred thousand miles of effortless cruisin'!
 
I`m a chevy guy , but when I built the `24 I wanted to keep it all Dodge , easiest engine I ever built , I`ll probably have a couple more in the future.
 

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Yeah, its out of a 76 Dodge truck. Like I said I really don't have any use for it now, but I'm sure I'll use it someday. Not too worried about makin tons of power just want to buy the right parts the first time. Took the intake off and there is a small flat spot on the cam so I'll be replacing that, intake, carb, fuel pump, gaskets. Haven't gotten any further than that in to it yet.
 
Great engines, Hot Rod Magazine did one that they claim got 400hp. Check the Alpar or Allpar web site they have all kinds of info on these engines or any Chysler engine for that matter. I have a fairly warm 318 I am going to put in a 66 A-100 van when I finish my roadster.
 
The biggest problem with making honest HP from this particular engine are the heads..................some early J or X heads or even some mid 80's 302 casting and possibly the late model magnum heads off a 5.9 litre truck engine...........................honestly you are just chasing your tail without some different heads or at least some minor porting and larger valves in your existing heads.
 
When I started this Rat Truck project, I knew a 318 was the motor go with. Its been the best V8 I have ever owned.

The damn thing never left me stranded, never overheated, and with an Eddy 600 and a Holley Street Dominator it was surprisingly snappy with a stock cam/converter as well as having decent gas mileage. Also, they sound great with that pull from 50-80mph.

hotroddon, you gotta find something to put that thing in.
 
I used the 302 castings on my barracuda and supposedly that setup is better that using 340 or 360 heads because the 302 casitings have a much smaller cumbustion chamber. A word to the wise though, be careful if you port and polish because they have a tendency to weep when hogged out too much causing the engine to smoke. The smoke can be stopped by puttingsome bloke sealer in, I recommend finding a junk radiator to use this so you dont clog up your good one. Comp springs and 1.8 inch intake valves (cant remember exhaust) round out this portion of the motor.

The headers I used are generic ebay 1 inch into 2.5. The intake is an Edelbrock dual plain. The carb is an Edlebrock 650 double pumper. And I went with a Mopar Purple Cam.
 
I have a 318 in my Coronet, replacing the 273. Good solid engine, the heads are the draw back as they have smaller valves and ports. However, due to the 3.91" bore the larger heads used on the 340 and 360 engines (4" bore) can be used without block clearancing (not so on the 273 with the 3.675' bore ). I am using the magnum heads off a 5.9 on my engine they bolt right on but you have to replace the lifters and pushrods as well as redrill these heads to use the 90's style Torker manifold that I have. The exhausts match up. The magnum heads have a closed chamber and make the compression a little higher and use the 1.9" intake valves (hi performance stuff can get up to 2.02") along with the bigger ports.
 
never built a 318, but i did bore a 360 .040 to match a 340 and added a direct connection purple shaft now mopar parts cam. bugger ran alot better then i thought it would.
 
Very very well made engines. I wasn't in anyway going to put anything other than Mopar power in my '41. Proven workhorse to. My friend got rid of his van with 341,000 miles on it. Like any other 318, I've owned, it has never ran hot or gave me any major issues at all.

I'm waiting to get this on the road. It has the Mopar '68 spec 340 4 speed cam, shaved 360 heads and a few other things. It has a pretty good thump to it as well.
 

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