1974 power wagon questions

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Rustie

Rustie

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I have a '74 power wagon with a 318 94, 000 miles. I have purchased a edelbrock performer intake, a holley 600cfm carb( both are installed, intake ports ground to fit gaskets, heads have not been touched... gas dam going into heads remains for now), headers, x pipe, resonators ( not yet installed).

I also just accuired a '75 Minnie winnie Winnebago with a 360. I don't know anything about the rv, not sure if it runs. I just want my wagon to have more power.

I thought the 360 RV cam would help in my 318 but do I use the valve train and rods from the 360 or can I just use my original 318 stuff with the new cam? Is this a "take one part out and put a new one in" thing or is there all sorts of specs and math to be done?

Thanks in advance!!
 
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The power in a Power Wagon is in the gearing & torque more than horsepower.
 
If i"m reading that correctly - you want to install a used 360 cam from a Winnebago in your 318? You'd be better of with a new small block mild truck type cam, or build a mild 360 with the RV 360 as the "core". I like 318's in trucks myself, personally. As Alaskan TA alluded to - what is your axle gearing?
 
Why not put the 360 in place of the 318?
If you pull the cam from the 360 keep the lifters in order. You can use the 318 push rods with the 360 cam and lifters.
My 68 PW with the 318 could pull stumps out of rhe ground. After 500k miles I put a 360 in it. Now it can pull houses down the street.
 
What was the name of that thread? On General discussion, a more purposeful truck? I took a 76 power wagon out of the weeds that hadn't been ran in 20 years with a 318 and a granny 4-speed and put a 360 automatic cut the floorboards out put in new carpet.... And drove it to Colorado and gave it to my son.
Well he broke a headlight bulb retainer and I can't find one for him LOL
 
Demonic said:
If i"m reading that correctly - you want to install a used 360 cam from a Winnebago in your 318? You'd be better of with a new small block mild truck type cam, or build a mild 360 with the RV 360 as the "core". I like 318's in trucks myself, personally. As Alaskan TA alluded to - what is your axle gearing?
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4:10 or 4:11 I cant remember. It runs great I just want enough torque and power to haul both heavy loads and a little ***. I guess what I'm looking for is the perfect vehicle where I turn the key then giddy up.
 
Jadaharabi said:
Why not put the 360 in place of the 318?
If you pull the cam from the 360 keep the lifters in order. You can use the 318 push rods with the 360 cam and lifters.
My 68 PW with the 318 could pull stumps out of rhe ground. After 500k miles I put a 360 in it. Now it can pull houses down the street.
Click to expand...

Hahahahaha. That might be what I will do if the 360 is gtg.
 
j par said:
What was the name of that thread? On General discussion, a more purposeful truck? I took a 76 power wagon out of the weeds that hadn't been ran in 20 years with a 318 and a granny 4-speed and put a 360 automatic cut the floorboards out put in new carpet.... And drove it to Colorado and gave it to my son.
Well he broke a headlight bulb retainer and I can't find one for him LOL
Click to expand...


I have all kinds of parts. This truck is just about mint. The only thing left is smartening up the heart. It's just that ive had the easy life for a long time and cant remember a lot of the things I knew when I was young.
 
Rustie said:
I have all kinds of parts. This truck is just about mint. The only thing left is smartening up the heart. It's just that ive had the easy life for a long time and cant remember a lot of the things I knew when I was young.
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I've been trying to talk my son into buying one of those $2,400 blueprint bottom-end strokers. And put all of his stuff on that. Couple of those Speedmaster $372 aluminum heads on sale for 35% off for about $500 total.
 
j par said:
I've been trying to talk my son into buying one of those $2,400 blueprint bottom-end strokers. And put all of his stuff on that. Couple of those Speedmaster $372 aluminum heads on sale for 35% off for about $500 total.
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Where have you seen that? If I could put an engine that was worth anything in for under $4000 I would be happy for a minute or two.
 
Rustie said:
With the heads you posted below, this block, and the intake and carb I have I think this would come in right around $3000. That doesnt sound bad at all. I wonder what the horse power and torque would be. And mpg lol.
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That would definitely depends on the cam you choose.
 
Rustie said:
I have a '74 power wagon with a 318 94, 000 miles. I have purchased a edelbrock performer intake, a holley 600cfm carb( both are installed, intake ports ground to fit gaskets, heads have not been touched... gas dam going into heads remains for now), headers, x pipe, resonators ( not yet installed).

I also just accuired a '75 Minnie winnie Winnebago with a 360. I don't know anything about the rv, not sure if it runs. I just want my wagon to have more power.

I thought the 360 RV cam would help in my 318 but do I use the valve train and rods from the 360 or can I just use my original 318 stuff with the new cam? Is this a "take one part out and put a new one in" thing or is there all sorts of specs and math to be done?

Thanks in advance!!
Click to expand...



Alright, I'm going to dig the Winnebago out of the snow this weekend. What do you all think is the best move?
1) rebuild the 360
2) rebuild the 318
3) buy new 408 stroker
4) buy new 318
5) buy new 360

Keep in mind I want to haul heavy things, I also want mpg and power to make me smile.
 
Mpg in an old power wagon?
Not easy. Mind you im running 35’s on mine and used to get 13 mpg on a good day with my 318.
2.73’s or 3.23’s make it really bagged on the highway, but plowing snow in low range was a breeze.
 
MPG with the gears of a Power Wagon may not be feasible.

Pulling stumps type power, sure.
 
When my 68 3/4 ton with 3.55s and 9.50-16.5 tires; had the 318 in it I got up to 16 mile gallon after tweaking the crap out of it over time. Pulling a trailer it would get 8 to 10. My trailer I'm talking about is a four horse trailer with horses in it.
When I switched it over to the 360 I'd only get about 14 but I'd get 12 pulling the same trailer that the 318 got 10. So that was a 20% increase in mileage. I was hauling horses All Over America and in parts of Canada. The one big mistake I made on the 318 was I used slick 50 oil treatment. It coated the cylinders and got me a couple more miles to the gallon but it made it start using oil. I also tried splitfire spark plugs they were only good for one mile to a gallon.

If you got the money do the stroker.
 
I have a 360 magnum i was thinking about, but too many modifications and im not going manual trans.
So sell magnum powered truck and start over.
 
Lol, My '79 Sno Commander W200 360 2 barrel auto got a whopping 9 - 10 mpg way back when as I recall. Ya' understand "oink, oink"?

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