edelbrock heads on a 318

I'm sure the bigger bore helps. Unshrouding the valves, extra compression and all that.

Here's what I was originally looking at and thought might be fun...

Take my stock '71 318 (3.91 bore and 3.31 stroke)

Put on a set of the Edelbrock Magnum heads (58 cc chamber), and Eddy RPM Air Gap intake.

Use a Mr Gasket head gasket (4.140 bore, .028 compressed thickness)

ASSuming a worst case that my pistons are .080 in the hole (though the spec is .050), my numbers come up with a theoretical 9.14:1 compression ratio, which is a smidge higher than a stock 5.0 Ford. If they are .05, it would actually be 9.7:1 !!

These numbers would be reduced slightly if there are valve reliefs in the piston, or if the top ring is way down from the top of the piston.

Couple that with a RPM Air Gap and a well chosen camshaft to preserve dynamic compression (I think some of the Voodoo cams have a quick Intake valve close) and you might just be able to make some decent numbers with what would normally be considered a boat anchor.

Of course, the real downside to lower cubes is that you have to spin it higher to make the power, which means more gear, more converter, etc. and you don't get that torque off-idle like you do with the higher cubes, which is what makes them fun on the street.

I've got the heads, my Dart's original 32,000 mile 318, TTI exhaust, and the RPM Air Gap. I'm really tempted to try this out instead of bolting the parts on my 5.9 Magnum, just to see what happens, but since I've already spent the scratch on the Magnum, and a custom cam and oil pan for it, and I'd have to pull the 318 to seal it anyways (aka it leaks everywhere), its kind of hard to justify, though the 5.9 would keep. (I'd have to buy a cam, lifters, pushrods, and probably a balancer and oilpan).

It would also really suck if a 40 year old rod bolt lets go and trashes my high dollar heads! LOL!

Steve