What engine would you build for a Ramcharger?

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gliderider06

gliderider06

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Like the title says, of the options I have, what would you build. Mind you, this is a 87, daily driven about 100 miles a day, A/C, power everything. 3.21 gears, 31x10.50x15 tires. Has manifolds dumping into 2-1/4 true duals, HEI ignition, 2bbl carb. Has 140,000 on the clock and currently get about 15mpg.
I have a complete 88 roller cam 318, all stock. Needs a single ball hone, rings bearings and valve job.
Just picked up a 76, 360 from a boat. Low compression. No ridge, cylinders look great. Hone will clean them up. Crank may need cutting if one spot doesn't clean up. No heads for this motor, but thought of using the #302's off the above 318 with a @318willrun port job. I do also have a complete set of 1.88/1.6 valves I could have cut into the heads, but my thoughts is that it's not really necessary since its a low rpm ramcharger.
Option 3 is a 98 5.9 magnum that will need EVERYTHING and a magnum specific intake, which I do t have.
So for extra parts, an Eddy performer and a SP2P intake. Eddy 1405 and a holley 80457.
Cams I have a stock 360 cam and the stock 318 roller cam. I will retain my exhaust, A/C and HEI ignition. I'm not opposed to purchasing a new cam kit, just it needs to be one to maintain fuel milage, reliability and stock converter.
Hope I covered everything.
Thanks Paul
 
What motor is in it now?

Off the top my head, looking over the options and usage.....

The complete roller 318, Performer intake, 4bbl(or a Sniper), very very very minimal bowl clean up on the 302 heads.
 
I like the plan with the marine 360 and the 302 heads for a big heavy Ramcharger. I remember some of your posts about optimizing fuel economy. I wouldn't worry about the large valves in the 302 heads because your best ticket for fuel mileage is going to be a functional EGR and that super restrictive SP2P (let the hate mail fly!). But your going to need a carb with the cruise circuits calibrated for EGR usage, this would actually be a good place for a 318 4 barrel Quadrajet. Use the 360 magnum manifolds, if you have them. If I were going more performance oriented, I'd build the 360 boat motor with a magnum head conversion, but it would be a more expensive route and a lot less practical on your daily drive. I would buy one of the modern high efficiency cam grinds from Lunati, Crower, etc. in the economy build, should be worth a few more MPG.
 
Sorry, forgot to mention it has a 2bbl 318 in it now, which is the factory motor with flat tappet cam.
 
Garrett Ellison said:
I like the plan with the marine 360 and the 302 heads for a big heavy Ramcharger. I remember some of your posts about optimizing fuel economy. I wouldn't worry about the large valves in the 302 heads because your best ticket for fuel mileage is going to be a functional EGR and that super restrictive SP2P (let the hate mail fly!). But your going to need a carb with the cruise circuits calibrated for EGR usage, this would actually be a good place for a 318 4 barrel Quadrajet. Use the 360 magnum manifolds, if you have them. If I were going more performance oriented, I'd build the 360 boat motor with a magnum head conversion, but it would be a more expensive route and a lot less practical on your daily drive. I would buy one of the modern high efficiency cam grinds from Lunati, Crower, etc. in the economy build, should be worth a few more MPG.
Click to expand...
Yes, I have posted in the past on this beast and fuel milage. I just had it painted a few weeks ago, and now have the bug to change the engine. I just don't know which way to go with it.
Thanks Paul
 
Assuming your marine engine has the 7 cc dish volume pistons .080 down the hole, the 302's have 64cc chambers (typical real world measurement), and a Fel-pro Permatorque 8553 gasket, you'd have a junk gas friendly 8.5:1 compression. Put the pistons in backwards, ala Uncle Tony's Garage, for some cold weather piston slap but reduced operating friction. Less friction=more power/less load/better mileage. With the lower combustion temperature with EGR, the HEI will be a definite benefit, as well as whole lot of vacuum advance at cruise. I'll have to dig a little more to find out how much cruise timing it will take, but even with the more efficient 302 heads, it's probably going to be upwards of 54 degrees total at cruise speed. It wouldn't be a world beater, but your mileage goal of 18 mpg would be within reach.
 
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had a 75 with a mild 440 in it , it just dug holes . still have the running gear from it 440 727 married transfer case , ? just added a couple pics of it before i piled it apart .
 
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I'm leaning more towards the 318 since you drive it so much, built the same a 360 will get around 3-4 MPG lower but obviously has more torque and power. Also think a roller cam is the way to go, they have a lot less friction at low RPMs = fuel economy.

My idea: rebuild the roller-cam 318 with whatever it needs to be solid and reliable and get a mild reground cam, something similar to the factory 5.2L Magnum cam. The 318 LA roller cams were literally the exact same as the flat-tappet engines (TINY), just designed for use with roller lifters. I had a 1988 Chrysler Fifth Avenue with a roller-cam 318 and it was smooth as silk, quiet, and grunty right off idle but ran out of breath around 4000 RPM (after I had converted to 4-bbl and dual exhaust), not like you'd need any more RPM but I think a modern roller cam profile could get you more torque across the whole RPM range. Add the Performer intake and Eddy carb and you have a 100k-mile truck that will go anywhere reliably. And get decent mileage at the same time.
 
My vote is the 88 318. Roller cam and good factory head. Add some magnum manifolds. Everything will be plug and play with minimal effort and money. The gear and large tire helps with the mileage. My 91 318 d150 with 3:55 gear gets 12-13.
 
Alright, I'd go with applying some modern engine techniques and management to either small block.
To me, improving combustion efficiency and reducing detonation sensitivity is job one for mpg, so I'd use whatever heads with the best combustion chamber, tighten up the piston to head clearances ( zero deck or go slightly out of the bore and use the head gaskets to get things right ), put at least 10:1 compression into it and get a cam ground that will make the dynamic compression compatible with junk 87 octane gas. Add a small runner dual plane intake, carb to suit and the REAL SECRET SAUCE: a J&S Safeguard knock controller. Tune for best power and mpg, add the controller and it will keep this analog combo out of detonation. Look into the unit, it's been around for a very long time.
 
I think with 3.21 gears, and a 31" tire, and of course they have tight converters, I would use the 360. It sounds like you are going to be under 3k rpm's pretty much all the time. The low end grunt of the 360 is what I'd want. Under a load all the time like the RC will work it, the 360 may even offer better gas mileage.
  • Boy, just a side note, not sure I'd double duty the sp-intake with 302 heads on the 360. I'd probably get something like a weiand action plus intake....
 
I had a friend , the late Jim Mitchell) (went by MRMOPAR) he's deceased but we must have built about a half dozen ramchargers
He had a stroke and I got to liquidate his hoard of spare parts
I too like the roller 318 motor
cc and maybe mill the heads try and get a true 9:1
check the seats and especially the middle exhaust guides- if you need guides post back cut for viton seals if not already the two center run hotter
stock valves should work fine but do a better multi angle valve job. back cut the intake if not already- the usual good VJ
me I'd use larger valves with 30 degree seats then a .060 45 and 60 then a 72 and pocket port (given the more low flow with the stock small lift cam
QJ a good idea (I like TQ's myself) Magnum manifolds should work well depending on where your drivers side dumps, if not try Jeep (there are several)
with moly rings I'd do a few strokes with a medium rigid hone and then finish with a fine bottle brush (moly rings) I like ductile tops with any hard working rig

on the 360 you have to figure out how to get the compression up so do the math with the 302 heads you just cc'd 302 heads will be fine and better with a little DIY port work

Magnum tempting get a complete 94-95 EFI from the wrecking yard (no tranny BS) you can run the 318 cam and lifters 0r drill the heads for early manifold
 
Django
absolutely agree on the detonation
this build is going to be working down below the torque peak most of the time
The magnum heads are best if they are not cracked (in the bad places) double quench if you can get the pistons up high enough
then the 302's (as shown by how they need less advance)
I have some Carter ping eliminator boxes they also work great but when they are gone they are gone thanks for the lead to J&S
so for the 318 he could use the KB or Icon domed pistons - that-s too easy
 
I would stick the most cubic inch in it you can afford personally.....

However my 85 W150 had a 340 (9:1) in it with stock 915 heads. Roller Rockers, 268 RV cam, headers, performer RPM, stock converter and 3:21 gears. 1406 Eddy. I got around 14 on the highway and whatever in the city. It wasn't a killer piece but it did a fair amount of towing for me and never missed a blink.

If I did it over again the truck would have gotten a motor with a slanted dizzy lol.... But I like cubes in a older truck....

JW
 
@Wyrmrider ......the EQ CH318A/B heads are the best compromise for strength, price and performance....I'm going to use a properly clearanced set on my nitrous 318 Magnum engine with the goal of drowning a stock style bottom end with tons of juice before I do my turbo combo.
 
Since the ramcharger is your daily driver you should find a rusted out dodge with a 5.9 Cummins with a 5 speed manual and do a swap of the whole power train. You would love the power and the mileage. I have done this many times in short box pickups and suburbans and have loved the results.
 
Left field answer, I would find a 1st gen Ram with a Cummins and do the whole swap. Now that would be a pulling truck, mileage and it would pull a battleship! I had an 86 Ramcharger, it was a great truck but the 360 was gutless and it sucked gas!
Ramcharger001.jpg
 
Ah, I was waiting for the oil burners to rise up! Can't agree any more, but I get the feeling it probably isn't in the budget. I quoted 360 for much the same reason as 318willrun, but failed to mention the detail of possibly even further leaning down the 318 Q-jet to use the largest available seat orifice size in the EGR valve. More exhaust gas recirculated, less air to add fuel to. Well, to a percentage point anyway, but that’s not going to be an issue with your low restriction exhaust, as most EGR systems were pressurized by a restrictive catalytic converter and single exhaust with a junk muffler. If you can afford the machine work, zero deck the block to the cast pistons, this will bump compression to close to 9:1 or higher with thinner gaskets. Kudos on the ping eliminator, as well as Kudos on the action plus, I mentioned SP2P because you have it, but indeed it will choke down output on a 360 above 3000 rpm. Optimal intake is probably an edelbrock performer EGR. If you visit the RV forums, The SP2P with EGR is a revered piece of hardware for improving fuel mileage on even a 360, even if it barely matches the power of a stock two barrel EGR intake. But the all the aforementioned combinations are very viable, just each one will have to be tuned individually. I'm just factoring in that your probably trying to do it as low budget as possible with what you have and using what will take the least work. What is the altitude in your part of Delaware, and I am assuming mostly flatland highway driving at 100 miles per day? Very much stop and go? Is just you driving it or carpooling? Are you hauling stuff back and forth? How much stuff can you live without if you put porky on a diet?
 
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Apples to Apples comparison.
My dad bought a 1978 power wagon, 360 4-speed, 3.55 gears brand new, he still has it, 14.5 mpg almost every tank, he has documented every gallon of gas put in that truck since new, it now has about a 250K miles on it.
I just sold a 1978 power wagon 318 4-speed, 3.55 gears it got 14.5 mpg but was gutless, added a LD4B intake and 4 bbl, mileage stayed the same, and it was still gutless.
I put a built 360 mag in it, power went up considerably and the mileage stayed the same.

Honestly if I was driving 100 miles a day, I would be spending my money on a 4cyl front wheel drive car from any manufacture, just find something clean and used. Wear items like tires etc, are cheap.
The difference you are paying for fuel, would most likely pay for the car in a year.
 
I like the 360, 302 heads with 318willrun port job but put the bigger valves in. Keep the SP2P on the shelf. In a heavy Ramcharger with big heavy tires and a 360, it's going to need more intake than the SP2P, IMO, so use the Performer you have.

What are your plans for camshaft? Either I missed that or it's not there. One of the smaller VooDoo grinds would be good, or even the Comp 255DEH.
 
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