'92 magnum 318?

-
MI_Mopar

MI_Mopar

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2009
Messages
215
Reaction score
0
Location
Ann Arbor MI
a buddy of mine has a magnum 318 engine in his '92 pick up and he will be getting rid of it soon and wants to know if i want first dibs on the engine...so pros an/or cons to putting this in the 73 dart compared to keeping the reg. 318 i have in there now?
 
If the price is right I say get it and keep it even if ya don't put it in right now, good motor for later. I have a 98 360 Magnum and it makes good power and reliable. I'm pretty sure the 318 has the same heads.
 
I might take a free 92 engine and pile it somewhere. I wouldn't just throw it in my car as is. It is 17 years old afterall. I would rebuild a 92 318 before I would rebuild a 73 318 . Not only the technology has change but the composition in materials has changed. The later the engine is the more compatable it will be with lower octance fuels, synthetic lubricants, higher operating temperatures, on and on.
 
I had a 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 5.2L in it and that thing ran great. I also wondered how it would run in a car with a good exhaust and 2000lbs less to move.
 
I was just looking at how expensive it is to retro-fit a hydraulic roller cam this morning in the "Library" before work.... Maybe you can find some EQ heads for free from one of your other buddys, then there's the Air-Gap for Magnums, ...... dang, that's how it all gets started! Next thing is another A body to put it in....and a 4 speed! Yea, 4 speed, that's the ticket! 8)
 
4 speed would be nice but im workin on a tight budget as it is. I just want something that gonna be sweet all said and done. it erally depends on the price. ill set it on a stand in the corner and slowly build it up for now and get my stock 318 running decent for now. was just curious if i could do anything with the 318 magnum that would be worth doing. just want a mildly built street car, around 400hp. more reliablity, better fuel ecomomy all sound good to me. whats the highest u would pay for a currently running 318 magnum,ecu and harness?
 
Forget the ECU and harness. Run a good carburetor/intake/cam combo and save yourself tons of agg and $$ !! There's tons of those 318 magnums out there. You should be able to pick one up for $300-$500.
 
You might be able to if you could find a compatible setup from an older Mopar or maybe check out JC Whitney or someone else for a universal cruise control setup.
 
sumbitmopar said:
I was just looking at how expensive it is to retro-fit a hydraulic roller cam this morning in the "Library" before work.... Maybe you can find some EQ heads for free from one of your other buddys, then there's the Air-Gap for Magnums, ...... dang, that's how it all gets started! Next thing is another A body to put it in....and a 4 speed! Yea, 4 speed, that's the ticket! 8)
Click to expand...

I have a flat tappet cam and magnum heads on a 360 with a 4-speed. The car is without a doubt, AWESOME...its even a low compression engine!!!!
 
I bought a 93 Dakota short bed std. cab truck with a 318 mag and it was not only a great truck but ran dang good. With just shorty headers and dual exhaust, a Mopar perf. computer, and a K&N drop in filter it ran 14.40's. In a A-body that weighs 600 lbs. less and has decent aerodynamics compared to the brick face of that truck I bet it'd run real good and get decent mpg.

Only thing is your expectation of getting 400 hp out of a mild 318 and still get great gas mileage is about like me wanting to get 600 smooth idling hp out of my 408 and also get 20 mpg. Can't be done easy at all. (unless you add nitrous or forced induction that costs alot). You can get 400 hp out of a 318 no problem but with a small cube engine you'll have to go with a pretty large cam and that means alot of overlap which generally means a rough idle and bad fuel mileage. Now 325-350 hp is much more realistic. You could do that and still have a nice smooth street engine and get decent mpg.
 
Well, now the 'ol gears are in motion once again. I just found a 360 Magnum motor on CL for $125. Hard to beat a hydraulic roller cam. Waiting for the guy to call me back. I just bought a 70 Duster 340 with a rod-knock 360 in it. And so it begins....
 
sumbitmopar....seriously! i hate u, i want to do that! lol, my buddy wants like $400 for his motor and his help to put it all in, but im not feelin it for that much. now for $125, now that i could do
fishy68...I could deal with a NA car that does 350hp and idles decent, would want lots of torque though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top