1989 la 318

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Josecuda

Josecuda

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Hi there!
There´s a 1989 Dodge van with a 318 they´re selling for cheap locally. Do parts from this engine exchange with older 318´s? I´m planning to swap the newer 318 in my Duster but I don´t want the electronics from the 1989. Can I use older intake/ cam/ ignition/ ex. manifolds? Has anyone done a swap like this before? Any help appreciated 8)
 
You'll gain roller cam and lifters with this motor , as well as much , much better heads .

Yes , most -- if not all -- of the parts from a 1968 - 1990 318 will interchange ; the electronics are of zero concern ; just use a pre-Lean Burn distributor ( vacuum advance , which is an absolute necessity for ANY street-driven vehicle ) .

Good swap !
 
That sounds great. The engine im buying comes from a 1989 Ram van with just 14,000 miles. Cant wait to throw it in the Duster with a 340 cam, a dual plane and street headers
 
Josecuda said:
That sounds great. The engine im buying comes from a 1989 Ram van with just 14,000 miles. Cant wait to throw it in the Duster with a 340 cam, a dual plane and street headers
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your 340 cam will NOT work with this engine. This 318 is a FACTORY ROLLER not a flat tappet cam. Intakes, ignition and headers and such will still work.
 
you can put a cam in it but you MUST use a ROLLER cam, they are more expensive but worth it, way better than your flat tappet 340 cam
 
You might have to be careful on the intake too. If it's a magnum motor doesn't it have the different intake bolt angle on the heads? You didn't mention magnum (not sure what year they started), but you might double check. Though you can just buy a performer intake in a magnum variety if you are buying the parts new.
 
If it's not a magnum engine you can use your old 340 cam.
If it's a pre magnum engine then it's a LA small block.
They put roller cams in the last of the LA blocks, but that does not change the fact that you can use a regular hydraulic cam in it also.
I forget what year they started using roller cams but it doesen't make a difference.
My 1994 commando crate engine had a regular purple shaft cam in it, but has the newer block that can run a roller cam set up also.
 
Don't count on getting the '302 high-swirl heads in an '89 truck 318. All the passenger car 318s got those, but not the trucks. My '89 D100 with original 318 had big stone-age open chambers, and the factory parts catalogue says that's what they meant to put there.
 
Josecuda said:
Its a pre magnum engine. Still, I´ll have to get a roller cam then. Read wrong at first
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Not true, but;

If you want to put in a stock Hyd. 340 cam, you'll need the cam and lifters, Hyd. pushrods and hyd. rockers. By the time you purchase all this stuff, you could have paid for a (Or close to it) a nice roller cam to replace the broom stick cam in there now and re-use all the parts that are in there now. A roller cam is a tick over $300 (Or so, give and take on this)

You can call up several places that grind/sell cams and select a better profile cam that the stock 340 cam. Or spec on close to it. The roller will out perform the Hyd cam well.

From Summit racing prices are;

Cam and lifter kit. $188 OE 340 cam
push rods $30
rocker arms $80 (Last when I gott'em)

So far, that's $298. For what? A lesser cam! Lesser performance! THPH!!!!

Roller cam from Huges approx $365
$320 from Comp Cams, $330 from Lunati.

Go roller, your allready set up and good to go! Screw the Hyd. cam!
 
slantsixdan said:
Don't count on getting the '302 high-swirl heads in an '89 truck 318. All the passenger car 318s got those, but not the trucks. My '89 D100 with original 318 had big stone-age open chambers, and the factory parts catalogue says that's what they meant to put there.
Click to expand...

Now THAT makes me sad. I´ll confirm about the heads as soon as I have them out.
 
I betcha they are 302 heads................

Betcha betcha betcha!!!!!!!!!!!


Anyone wanna bet??????

:)

Grumblefish is wrong, dead wrong!
















OK, he's right, every word.... LOL
 
hatetosayit........butitoldya'llso!


8)

LOL, of course they are 302 heads..... It's a late model roller TBI motor!

Here's a little trickerdoo to the not telling without knowing.

I have yet to see a non closed chamber head that will fit the fat pooshrods that come with the roller cam, and have yet to see a flat tappet cam on a TBI. (unless some doodah prestochango'd it) I know motorworks and other low budget engine suppliers put non roller cams in them and sell them to you as a replacement, want your roller cam core, but yet charge you MORE to get a roller motor, if you so are for wanting one..

But thats another gripe.

Glad it had 302 heads.
 
dodgetkboy78 said:
LOL, of course they are 302 heads..... It's a late model roller TBI motor!
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*shrug* I'm glad for the original poster that his engine has the good heads, but just 'cause you ain't seen one without, doesn't mean they all came with. I sold my truck a couple years ago, and though it still lives a block away and I still have a key kicking around somewhere, the present owner probably doesn't want me monkeying around under the hood, otherwise I'd invite you over for a beer and a look at those open-chamber heads you think were never installed on roller-cam 318s.

Lacking the truck to convince you to take my word, let's take a look at Chrysler's word; I've attached to this post the relevant pages from the factory parts catalogues for '89 passenger car and '88-'89 truck/van. You can see the expected P/Ns in the passenger car book: 4323 423, which is the head with the '302 casting number, for all 318s except cop-spec 4bbl units. You cannot see 4323 423 in the truck/van book.

Either head selection in the '89 truck and van line was inconsistent, or I had an incredibly scarce one-of-none unit that I let slip through my fingers. :eek:ops:
 

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I cant read the pages, they are too small......... But I believe you.

Also, it is possible that the truck 318 head had a different part number? There IS another closed chamber "302" head, that wasn't a 302 casting, I have them on my truck engine.... I'll post the number when I pull the covers off to adjust the valves...

Not saying I dont believe you, I just have never seen a TBI that didn't come with them, or a roller motor, minus the cop car, that got 360 heads.
 
dodgetkboy78 said:
Was it roller cam??
Click to expand...

Yup!

I cant read the pages, they are too small......... But I believe you.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, lookit that. First time I've attached pics directly in here; figured you'd be able to click to embiggen, but looks like not. I can host 'em locally and point to them, if you care.

Also, it is possible that the truck 318 head had a different part number?
Click to expand...

Yep, it does, that was the point of my posting the FPC pages. The heads I pulled off my '89 during a reseal and refresh of the original engine had casting numbers corresponding to the part numbers in the '89 truck FPC, and they had wide-open chambers.
 
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