Why a 318 in a back-halved car?

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Jhenry70

Jhenry70

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Well... first and foremost with one kid in college and two more on their way in the near future tuition is priority. Secondly, I HAVE a 318. It's a complete motor out of a running vehicle, haven't dove into the internals just yet but was told it's pretty much all stock.

Yes, this 72 Duster (pretty much a shell right now) has been back-halved and has all the potential for major cubic inches but for now I want to focus on getting it completed, detailed, body work done, etc. etc. in the near future. I want to take the stock 318 (circa 1969) and take it from tame... to a strong running, great sounding, and reliable work horse that will put a smile on my face until such time I have the budget and time to drop something in her truly worthy of a tubbed, framed, and caged beast.

With that being said, I'm a pretty handy guy with body work and have a bit of tinkering experience with engines but by no means am I an engine builder. What do you guys suggest to get good, reliable, mild performance out of this 318 utilizing the stock heads? I've got an Edlebrock Performer 4BBL intake set aside for it and a couple FlowMaster 50 series mufflers under the bench. Suggestions on carb, cam, headers and head work that won't break the bank using what I have?

Automatic 904 trans
8.8 Rear with 4:10 Posi
Manual Steering
Disc brake BBP front/rear

Jerry
 

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My question would be why not? Do it. The car will be running and driving and actually be something you can have fun with. The CAR is the hardest part. Another engine is easy later on.
 
Why a 318? Why not. Use what ya have. Besides, some people like the challenge of a small cube engine.

Without knowing the rest of the car....rear gear and tire size, tranny and any mods to it...

Well then, I suggest milling the heads only if need be and as little as possible since that 318 is rated, but may spec out differently than the 9.0-1 ratio IIRC. If you can do some machine work, then I would go for a larger 2.02 valve and port as much as you can. Max ratio of 9.5-1 for a iron headed engine using pump gas and mild cams. (As I get to below)

Use the Performer since it is as good as a OE 4bbl. For the carb, a 600-650 will be good.
If you can rebuild a TQ or any other carb for that matter, all the better, but the TQ being a spread bore carb is an Excellent street strip carb that has the flow ability of 800-850 cfm. Find a small primary carb for best street manors.
A cam for some punch would be something like a 230 @ .050 duration with as much lift as you can find. Even a basic Comp Cam would do well. This is a 2000-6000 rpm cam. But thats the RPM range & duration @ .050 I'd be looking at.

Standard headers will do on the cheap BUT i HATE the 1 size fits all and drivers side issue of 3 tubes under the steering parts. There sure to be flattened. TTI and Dougs solve this but are pricey. Your call here!

Your trans can use a nice 2500 or 3000 stall converter, a Trans Go shift kit, a deeper pan and/or a trans cooler.

Your rear gear ratio can float between 3.90 - 4.30 depending on your tire size.

Whats your rear gear and tire size as well as what trans you have?
 
Smoked a lot of 350s with my 318 and it was so much more fun being the underdog.
 
rumblefish360 said:
Your trans can use a nice 2500 or 3000 stall converter, a Trans Go shift kit, a deeper pan and/or a trans cooler.

Your rear gear ratio can float between 3.90 - 4.30 depending on your tire size.

Whats your rear gear and tire size as well as what trans you have?
Click to expand...

Thanks! This is exactly what type of info and suggestions I'm looking for... I added the trans and gear ratio to the original post.

904 Auto / 8.8 shortened rear with 4:10 posi/ Ladder bar w/Coil over suspension

Haven't settled on tire size just yet, I'm on borrowed rims and tires now just to keep it rolling...
 
Opening question is more rhetorical than anything... I just keep getting the same question asked of me all the time. Why a 318 when you can go BB? My standard answer... Budget, and I HAVE a 318 already!! My buddies would like to spend all my money for me!!!
 
Tire height would be important regarding gear choice.

Back-half I'd assume a pretty wide and tall tire. You run 32-33" tall tire with a 4.10 gear and a 318, don't be surprised when a lady using a walker moves out faster than you. :)
 
crackedback said:
Tire height would be important regarding gear choice.

Back-half I'd assume a pretty wide and tall tire. You run 32-33" tall tire with a 4.10 gear and a 318, don't be surprised when a lady using a walker moves out faster than you. :)
Click to expand...

killjoy. lol
 
crackedback said:
Tire height would be important regarding gear choice.

Back-half I'd assume a pretty wide and tall tire. You run 32-33" tall tire with a 4.10 gear and a 318, don't be surprised when a lady using a walker moves out faster than you. :)
Click to expand...

Agreed! Not planning on even trying to fill up the tubs with rubber until such time I have the Cubic Inches and HP to move them. Just so happens the back half was well under way when I bought the car. Not important now but it will give me plenty room to grow in the future.
 
Don't go too small on the tires. In bracket racing, consistency wins more races than speed. The extra rubber will provide extra insurance for traction if track conditions aren't as good as they need to be.

It's easier said than done, but gear it so the rpm's peak at or are a bit over your shift points. It shouldn't be a lot with a moderate cam/springs and small ports. Rumblefish outlines it well, but I have to respectably disagree with a few points. An LD4B would make a measurable difference over a standard Performer intake, if feasible to get. OEM intakes are at least as good as a standard Performer, but you would have some port overlap between the bigger intake ports on the intake and smaller head ports. Port matching and a little bowl smoothing would help. I also believe 1.88 intake valves would work better on a 318. You just don't have the cubic inches and rpm capability to take advantage of 2.02's.
If redoing the heads, 1.92"/1.625" Magnum valves could work too and provide a slightly narrower stem, which would require smaller guides. Not sure off hand how their overall length would work with spring set-ups.

May have to watch piston-to-valve clearance is going up on compression and no valve notches. Work on torque and HP just below converter flash and up through the shift points.
 
Go with a 318, purple shaft cam, lifters, valve springs, timing set. Five angle valve job with PC seals. Clean, clean, clean. 2x locomotion recomends. swap meet headers. Lots of fun and your wallet will thsnk you (so will the kids). Been there, done that, Tom
 
Only 22 cubes less than a 340. That's not a game killer like some think it is. You can build a 350 HP 318 pretty easily and affordably. That will move that little car better than you might think.
 
I hear what your saying there Loco. No argument on the valve sizes.
The intake he has already. Not knowing the gears or tire size..... Something's are general.

I could also go a route like;

RPM, milled & bowl ported 360 heads, MP mechanical cam @ 296/.557, converter flashing @ 4000 LOL! That'll get him going but also requires more than what I think and guess he is willing to out into a temp engine.

Jhenery, focus more on the chassis suspension, trans and rear gear before the engine. Once there squared away, the engine will require less power to run hard and will really be the last in line to worry about or modify.
Locomotion can tell you all about it. He has his car well dialed in and understands the car very well.
 
guy used to run around town here in a baby blue 73 road runner that was a full tub/back half running a 456 spool and a 318 with a tunnel ram for power. it looked pretty sweet , but he wouldn't race ya
 
73AbodEE said:
guy used to run around town here in a baby blue 73 road runner that was a full tub/back half running a 456 spool and a 318 with a tunnel ram for power. it looked pretty sweet , but he wouldn't race ya
Click to expand...

All show and no go?

I'd put my 318 up against any stock 350.
 
A friend of mine, ( a member here, too...) Did exactly , what the O.P , conspires to do. He stripped a Duster, set up a S/S spring chassis, lightened up at much as possible. ( glass fenders & doors) A stock 318 with headers/ converter/ carb\ intake , squeaked into the 13's , no internal work done.. Go for it, it's a good tuning tool to set up the chassis at a minimum. ( J.M.O....)
 
Ford guys make due with 302's.....

I think in the past the 318 got dogged because it was hard to find something other than stock replacement pistons. So if you wanted higher compression or forged you had to cough up extra for custom pistons that 340/360 guys didn't have too. I think one advantage of the 318's small bore is better flame propagation during combustion.

Do you have a stall for the 904?
 
TRW used to make a Dome High Compression Piston for the 318...probably 25 yrs ago...at least....
 
LOL! That's the half of it! Lighter weight and a good chassis to get a bite off the line.
 
I'd wait til you put a real engine in it..the car is going to look the look without be able to walk the walk...seen many a prostreet looking car running 13'-14's and being laughed off the track..
 
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