318 Boosted

Thanks Pishta.

I have the 5.7 Hemi.. sitting on a stand in my garage. I may have forgot to mention that my Hemi has a chunked up piston on the passenger side and that lead to a destroyed head. I have a spare head ( sitting here in my office actually ) but the hemi needs to be rebuilt. Rebuilding this engine is significantly more expensive than building either of the other two. I understand the technology and the potential of the 5.7 but I also understand that fitting it into my demon is a *****. It's been done. Many times. I googled 5.7 hemi swap and found TONS of a body cars with a 5.7. I also saw what they had to sacrifice to do it. Power steering has to be removed unless I purchase AlterK system. Power brakes are iffy and working on it will be a b!%#% to say the least because there is no room. Numbers wise if I drop the 3K into JUST the bottom end it's a 345 hp motor at the crank. Maybe a cam, headers ( pretty much only one choice of headers ) I can get it at 400 or a little more at the crank.

For the 5.2 I have more room to work with. It costs a LOT less to build that 5.2 with a bullet proof bottom end and add a turbo. Dollar for dollar a turbo 5.2 will put out more HP than that 5.7 and be more "fun". Not to mention I can have my power steering and power brakes.

Your answer to my biggest concern ( timing control ) is music to my ears so thanks for that. It makes this more of a possibility.

I don't think an actual number exists, but if you were to count the number of a bodies with turbo 318 setups and the number of 5.7 hemi setups in a bodies I am pretty sure the 5.7 setups greatly outnumber the 318 setups. With limited setup options I can't truly be different but the 318 turbo might be the least used.

I have a friend with a ramcharger that wheels with a stock early 91 318. That truck weights a million lbs with the 1 ton axles and 42 inch tires. It's a freakin PIG .. With that said his little stock 318 revs like a blender and just will NOT quit on him. he even managed to flatten a cam and concave 4 lifters. Swapped out the cam, lifter and changed the oil and it runs like a blender again. Just can't kill that motor.