318 mild build suggestions

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Pana.Mopar

Pana.Mopar

Duster Down Under
Joined
Apr 25, 2008
Messages
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Location
Sydney, Australia
Hi All,

Purchased myself a '76 Duster with 318 and 904.. Just need your help in regards to a build up... I want a good streeter, wont be a daily driver and need a few suggestions on what I should do to the engine. It needs a freshen up. It's currently got a Holley 650 D/P but otherwise most of the driveline is stock.

Will purchase mild grind cam and lifters (any profile suggestions?)
New alluminium intake
Extractors (Headers) car currently has stock exhaust manifolds
Will change basic stuff like water pump, oil pump etc...
Should I do anything to the heads or will stock 318 heads be sufficient?

Any suggestions would be great! Not looking for big horsepower (not out of a 318 anyway) but a mild combo that will sound good but will have some punch to blaze the tyres if need be...

Cheerz from Down Under...
 
for what your wanting i'd say a edelbrock performer intake, a crane engerizser cam, would give you good lowend power,A set of 302 heads would help even more,What gears are in the rear?
 
Well, before I even think of a cam recomendation, what gear ratio do you want to end up running?

Otherwise, I only differ from above with the stock heads could be made to work well. It just depends on where you want to end up.
 
put a good dual plane intake, stock 340 spec cam, and headers on it, and a decent 600 carb. That 318 will wake up and still be as streetable as ever with every thing else being stock.
 
rumblefish360 said:
Well, before I even think of a cam recomendation, what gear ratio do you want to end up running?

Otherwise, I only differ from above with the stock heads could be made to work well. It just depends on where you want to end up.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what gearing is in the car. I think it would have 2:92's or 3:23's.. I would probably stick with 3:23's in it as I want to do some highway crusing. Just want the engine to be able to wake up when hitting the loud pedal... It's not going to see the race track or anything. It's a weekend cruiser and bruiser...
 
I just finished my 74 duster 318. It's a wheel burning mother. I used a set of 360j heads, stock lower end but rebuilt, edelbrock performer intake, 650 holly, mild cam, 904 trans with shift kit and a 3:55 detroit locker.
 
OK, are you going to rebuild the engine?

I'll surf for a few cams to look at.
 
74 dustaar said:
I just finished my 74 duster 318. It's a wheel burning mother. I used a set of 360j heads, stock lower end but rebuilt, edelbrock performer intake, 650 holly, mild cam, 904 trans with shift kit and a 3:55 detroit locker.
Click to expand...

Hey 74 Dustaar, sounds basically similar to what I want from my engine. If I can find a set of 360 heads then I will definately put them on. I will keep the bottom end stock as well..
 
All these cams have a similar power band.
I gave a mellow grind and a more agressive grind that moves up a few RPM's and in power output.


Each mellow cam will work with stock heads and converter though a tad more stall wouldn't hurt.
Each slightly more agressive cam should use a higher stall converter for best results and increased compresion. I would not exceed 9.5-1 for pump gas reasons with small cams like this.

Crane split petterns;
(Again) No converter change needed. Would help, but not needed.
http://cranecams.com/?show=browsePa...=318 C.I.&partNumber=693941&partType=camshaft

A little more arrgresive, sa tall converter would be real good to upgrade.
http://cranecams.com/?show=browsePa...=318 C.I.&partNumber=693801&partType=camshaft

A set from Comp Cams in the same order listed above.
http://www.compcams.com/Cam_Specs/CamDetails.aspx?csid=626&sb=2
&
http://www.compcams.com/Cam_Specs/CamDetails.aspx?csid=627&sb=2

A page from Crower; http://crower.com/misc/m_cat.shtml
Click on the pages 111 - 139 for the MoPar S/B cams.
Level 3, power beast and ultra cams.

And; http://www.lunaticamshafts.com/

http://www.lunaticamshafts.com/Product.aspx?id=1543&gid=287
& http://www.lunaticamshafts.com/Product.aspx?id=1544&gid=287 or
http://www.lunaticamshafts.com/Product.aspx?id=1545&gid=287
 
360 heads aere not a great idea with the all ready low copresion you have. It'll make the velocity slow down and create a soggier bottom end. The ports of the head are a bit large.

Though they are a cheaper alternative to porting the OE head.
 
rumblefish360 said:
360 heads aere not a great idea with the all ready low copresion you have. It'll make the velocity slow down and create a soggier bottom end. The ports of the head are a bit large.

Though they are a cheaper alternative to porting the OE head.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the cam information and general info.. So it may be a better idea to put in mild cam, lifters, intake, headers and carby and leave the rest alone. Should I do anything to the heads? Perhaps polish and slight porting or will it still be O.K. stock...

Apologies for all the questions.. I've always had /6's and Aussie Hemi 6's so never had much experience with V8 car...
 
Pana. No problem, just ask. Thats why were here.

The 360 heads would be a great "On the cheap" addition to a performance 318. I myself would rather get a set of 360 valves installed in a 318 head, light mill and bowl blend the head. IF a 340/360 intake is used, I would open up the intake port to size. But the performer will do very well on the 318.

The 318 will use a 600 cfm well, a 650 can be used, but it's alot and is more so seen with higher gear ratios like 3.91 or 4.10's.

My current Duster is a stock '79 - 318 with some basic bolt on's and the small Crane I listed above. A 904 trans and 3.21 sure grip rear on stock tires.
Heds are stock 318. I have another set I look foward to doing some port work on.

Wait, follow along in my fun project disaster here; http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=10508&page=1&pp=20
 
The smaller cams listed are very good with the smaller stock tire, gear ratio's, compresion ratio, stall converters and OE heds with bolt ons.

The larger cams could use a stall converter to match, increased compresion, lightly ported heads would be a plus and a traction will be an issue when you mash the loud pedal. Not that the smaller cams can not do it, in fact they can, but the added power with all the matching upgrades will leave you behind in the dust while looking for some grip.

The OE heads will be fine to use, but your leaveing alot of power on the table with the heads all stock.
 
rumblefish360 said:
360 heads aere not a great idea with the all ready low copresion you have. It'll make the velocity slow down and create a soggier bottom end. The ports of the head are a bit large.

Though they are a cheaper alternative to porting the OE head.
Click to expand...

Yeah, might just clean up the bowls and ports a bit on the 318 head and keep it as is. As I said, I want the car streetable an original as possible as is a two owner matching numbers car... I've bought a few parts from Summit Racing so should be cool... dual plane intake, headers, gasket set, water pump, high volume oil pump, hooker headers etc... Followed your advice and reckon a few ds on parts should do the trick... Great advice as well...
 
I would put magnum or EQ heads on it if your budget allows. They flow better then the old 340 or 360 heads, have a closed chamber design for a quench combustion chamber, and will increase compression. The quench combustion chamber will make more power and allow you to run higher compression on pump gas. You will get your best performance going this route and it will still look like a stock head.
 
Keep in mind if you go with the magnum head your rocker ratio increases from 1.5 to 1.6, which effects the cam lift and spring set up. We found the choice of cams somewhat limiting because we wanted to keep the lift under .500" on the conversion we did on my bro's 'teen. Ended up using a stock 340 grind. havent run it yet, so we don't know the actual performance of this set up.
 
Years ago I ported a pair of 318 heads and ran stock 318 valves, had a
443"/465" 214/224 @.050 cam. It screamed pretty good. I sold the car and the guy took the 318 heads off it, milled a set of 360 heads and bolted them on thinking it would be much better. When I asked him if he noticed a difference in power between the two he said "NO" and looked very disappionted that he had just spent a bunch of cash on the 360 heads.
 
Thats a preety good set up Brambles. The cam is similar to my current Crane I have in there. ( http://www.cranecams.com/?show=brow...=318 C.I.&partNumber=693941&partType=camshaft ) The thing I like about the cam size is no stall converter required. Saves me money and time in doing more on the set up to get going. Though a converter wouldn't hurt, it is needed to drive around.

It'll retain good mileage, run well and hard and be tame enuff for grand-ma to drive it. Though she'll notice the difference. He he he.
 
340sFastback said:
I would put magnum or EQ heads on it if your budget allows. They flow better then the old 340 or 360 heads, have a closed chamber design for a quench combustion chamber, and will increase compression. The quench combustion chamber will make more power and allow you to run higher compression on pump gas. You will get your best performance going this route and it will still look like a stock head.
Click to expand...

Thats what I keep saying!

As far as cost goes,pay for the porting to your small port 318 heads and it's likely cheaper to bolt on the magnums.
 
Even more so if you do not mind the hassle of the swap, which isn't to bad if your fairly OK in the work and knowing the parts you need, but it really kicks when you can take advantage of the head with a zero deck piston. Otherwise, quench qualitys and bennifits are out the window.
 
For the engine it would be hard to go wrong with MP 4452761. I put a set of 302 heads on the Demon with an Eddie performer.
When I re-built the tranny, I slipped in a TransGo RV shift kit to sharpen up the shifts. Guys who have put in the more radical kit complain about rough shifts on the street. You don't need to rebuild the trans to fit the kit in, but I'd make sure when it's done that everything is OR clean. Otherwise, you will be rebuilding the transmission.
 
Hi 72 Demon, I've actually just ordered a set of 302 heads as I've heard good things about them and theyre relatively in-expensive. I have also order my cam and lifters too which is virtually similar profile.

In regards to the Shift Kit, should I get a 2000+ converter for it as well. I just dont want the car to be shifting to hard on the street...

Thanks for advice...
 
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