318 Advice

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Z

zapimpulse

76 Duster
Joined
Dec 9, 2009
Messages
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Location
NJ
Hey everyone,
Just recently got my '76 Duster a few months ago and joined the forum recently as well. I need a little advice in regards to performance please. I plan to drive on the street and for the Duster to have some snot to spin the tires and get up and go. However, like to cruise to the beach (~50 miles) and run around town as I plan to use it as a sunny day daily driver. Here are my specs:

318 rebuilt w/ 302 heads 5k miles ago
new Mopar Performance Electronic Ignition,
Mopar Air Filter/ Valve Covers,
Edelbrock 4 barrel 500 cfm Performer Carb,
new Ignition coil, ballast resistor
new radiator, water pump, timing chain, oil pump, and bearings
Magnaflow exhaust.
8 1/4 rear and 904 trans
-as per previous owner's ad.

So I'm not sure of the gears in the differential but I feel that it could have a lot more power (or a gear change). What do you recommend for more power...headers?...cam?...a totally new engine!!? hahaa. I don't have a big budget and am looking for advice for a powerful, reliable engine. I really appreciate your help! Hope you have enough info/not too much to make some good recommendations. :)
Thanks,
Trevor
 
My dad had a performer carb on his 327 in his truck. He took it off and put a holley avenger series carb on it and its got a ton more down low! it wouldent even powerbrake with the performer but with the holley it powerbrakes up every time you try. Alot of people say these are good carbs but idk the one my dad had was a POS. this may not be your problem but i figured it couldent hurt to throw it out there.
 
Here's what I pieced together off the build sheet. You tell me the ratio if any of this helps...

Build Sheet.jpg
 
zapimpulse said:
Hey everyone,
Just recently got my '76 Duster a few months ago and joined the forum recently as well. I need a little advice in regards to performance please. I plan to drive on the street and for the Duster to have some snot to spin the tires and get up and go. However, like to cruise to the beach (~50 miles) and run around town as I plan to use it as a sunny day daily driver. Here are my specs:

318 rebuilt w/ 302 heads 5k miles ago
new Mopar Performance Electronic Ignition,
Mopar Air Filter/ Valve Covers,
Edelbrock 4 barrel 500 cfm Performer Carb,
new Ignition coil, ballast resistor
new radiator, water pump, timing chain, oil pump, and bearings
Magnaflow exhaust.
8 1/4 rear and 904 trans
-as per previous owner's ad.

So I'm not sure of the gears in the differential but I feel that it could have a lot more power (or a gear change). What do you recommend for more power...headers?...cam?...a totally new engine!!? hahaa. I don't have a big budget and am looking for advice for a powerful, reliable engine. I really appreciate your help! Hope you have enough info/not too much to make some good recommendations. :)
Thanks,
Trevor
Click to expand...


Actually not a bad little set-up.
Biggest problem is weight. 76 Duster is a pretty heavy car.

I think your a little under carbed with the 500. Go to a Edel 600.
Stock manifolds are killing you. Headers or 340 manifolds will open it up.
Little tunning,Timing advance etc will help.
If you like cruising to the beach,dont touch the gears.Otherwise go to a 3:55 gear.
 
Awesome! Thanks for the valuable advice! The 500 is under carbed in your opinion... I thought you have to be careful with too large a carb? Guess not!
I was thinking headers definitely too. Hooker, Hedman, ...., any preferences?
 
zapimpulse said:
Awesome! Thanks for the valuable advice! The 500 is under carbed in your opinion... I thought you have to be careful with too large a carb? Guess not!
I was thinking headers definitely too. Hooker, Hedman, ...., any preferences?
Click to expand...

Yes you can over carb an engine,but a 600 Ede works good on a 318.
Headers can be a pain,but if I was to chose it would be TTi's or hookers.

My favorite 318 build.
Stock (60,000mi) 318
Edel Performer intake
600cfm Ede carb
340 Manifolds
Dual exhaust,Flowmaster 40's,turn downs.
Mopar electronic ign
This little bugger would roast them all the way down the street !

Picture 498.jpg
 
Awesome!! Hahah. Thanks again for the great advice! Sweet lookin engine you got there too! That's pretty much the type of build that I'm looking to do and will look into headers and maybe a new carb as well.
 
This is how it looks now..except it is a 360 now...8)

Have fun !!!!!!!!

30 D pics 013.jpg
 
Hi Zapimpulse. Sounds like we have the same expectations for our cars so I'll share with you my setup that suites me pretty well on my 66 barracuda.
I have the Edelbrock performer series 318/360 intake with a 600cfm #1405 with electric choke. Stock headers with flowmasters. It feels and sounds beefy but nothing out of this world and pretty decent with gas. Here's some pics that are not as pretty as Johnny Dart's masterpices there but gives you an idea.
exhaust.jpg

IMG_0510.jpg
 
A D52 axle translates to a 2.94:1 8¼ axle. Not too shabby considering that most cars of that vintage had 2.76 or 2.45:1 rears for better fuel mileage.

Your combination is very much like my own. I'm running a 625 cfm AFB and an old Crane Fireball cam. If you have to pull the heads, have a good three-angle valve job done on them and a little port clean up work. If you don't have problems, leave 'em alone for now.

For a little better dig the recommendations for a hotter cam are well taken. If you want to keep things civil, look for a 340 re-pro cam. That would go well with a 3.55:1 set of rear gears. (This will aid your quest for spin, too.)

You can aid looks and performance with a wheel and tire swap. There are plenty of threads here on the subject. A lot has to do with the look that you're after for your car. Since you said you wanted to be able to spin the tires occasionally, let me recommend Jetzon tires. Some would say they are POSs but they spin and slide on asphalt better than anything I've seen. I personally would not consider them if I were buying tires for my cars.
 
I also have a 318 in my Dart, although its not as purdy looking as Johnnys, though I wish it were. Its a little peppy, here are my specs:

68 block .030 bored over
stock heads
340 crank
flat top pistons
Holley 600 cfm vacuum secondaries
it had headers, switched back to manifolds
Edelbrock Performer series 318/360 intake
2 1/2 inch exhaust with off brand mufflers, turn downs
MP purple cam
stock ignition
727 slant six torque converter <--- that torque converter is killing me
3.23 rear end (open) <--- as well as the gears

but overall I am happy, especially since I did all the work myself. Original \6 car

l_77f174c5d6c04639b4a4cc5e64527e46.jpg


l_a99b3831f1e7448a9334c6b5dca9ea70.jpg
 
Typical stock 318 car gears are 2.76. Also 7 1/4 rears were standard. Either way, there should be a ratio tag under a cover bolt. The stock 318 cam was a broomstick, anything would be better. Shoot for something in the 260-268 degree range, or even a stock 340 cam.

What do you have now for an exhaust system?
 
zapimpulse said:
Hey everyone,
Just recently got my '76 Duster
I need a little advice in regards to performance please. I plan to drive on the street and some snot to spin the tires and get up and go. cruise to the beach (~50 miles) and run around town as I plan to use it as a sunny day daily driver. Here are my specs:

318 rebuilt w/ 302 heads 5k miles ago
new Mopar Performance Electronic Ignition,
Mopar Air Filter/ Valve Covers,
Edelbrock 4 barrel 500 cfm Performer Carb,
new Ignition coil, ballast resistor
new radiator, water pump, timing chain, oil pump, and bearings
Magnaflow exhaust.
8 1/4 rear and 904 trans
-as per previous owner's ad.

What do you recommend for more power...headers?...cam?...a totally new engine!!? hahaa. I don't have a big budget and am looking for advice for a powerful, reliable engine.

Trevor
Click to expand...

Trevor, welcome aboard, good advice above. This is what Idid with the same frame of mind you have.

'74 Duster w/a Bone stock 79 - 318 with;

K&N filter
Carter 625 (Or Holley 600)
LD4B Edelbrock intake (Stock iron 340 or Performer is great as well)
Crane cam @ .050 - 216/228-.454/.480 lift
Hooker headers and Jegs exhaust @ 2-1/2 inchs
(All headers suck except the expensive ones like Dougs or TTI's.)
3.21 sure grip equiped rear.
Electric fan

On a cold Oct. day down at ATCO (N.J.) untuned, it ran, 15.14 @ 89 mph and gets 18 Hwy. Rear tire is a 225/70/14

I'm sure I can get a high 14 outta her and a larger cam is a shoe in for 14's.
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=10508
 
Wow! You guys give me great advice!!! It sounds like many people are similar in that they want just enough horsepower to have fun with but mild enough where it's not unreliable and you have to refuel every two miles. There are some great pictures of some prettttttty engines as well :)

C130 Chief said:
Typical stock 318 car gears are 2.76. Also 7 1/4 rears were standard. Either way, there should be a ratio tag under a cover bolt. The stock 318 cam was a broomstick, anything would be better. Shoot for something in the 260-268 degree range, or even a stock 340 cam.

What do you have now for an exhaust system?
Click to expand...

I have Magnaflow Dual exhaust that meet up in the center. I believe 2 1/4"

Seabee, Do the Flowmasters drone?

2 Darts, thanx for the decode/tire advice. I agree with you and will stick with a decent set of tires that handle well and are safe as I don't plan on doing only burnouts but driving as well.

It sounds like headers aren't all they're cracked up to be judging by your posts? Maybe manifolds are a better choice off a 340??
 
take the heavy spring out of the distributor and only run the 1 lighter one that is left, get the carb tuned right , then get at least 2.93-3.23 gears.
 
The problem with headers, besides the huge pain inthe *** it is to install them, is 3 out of 4 tubes hang low and run under the steering linkages (That you have to take apart in order to install the headers no less) that run to close to the ground and get banged up and flattened out.

Dougs and tti's avoid this at a high price tag.
 
Zapimpulse, yeah they do tend to drone. I wish it had your Magna's instead. My neighbors wish it had stock ones.
 
like rumblefish said, headers...for the most part are a pain in the, well you know. Unless they are the tti or dougs. I had a cheapy set of summit headers on mine, and they met the asphalt many a times. Thats why I opted to put manifolds on it, dont have the pocket book for those nice headers
 
I took a ride today and it has been stalling at low rpms like when I begin to slow down for a stop sign etc. It hesitates when I step on the gas from a stop. I'm told I need a carb rebuild by my local shop.
....So! I think I'm going to concentrate on the carb right now as my first performance mod. It needs a carb rebuild so it's probably worthwhile to just buy a new 600cfm carb, (correct size?) with the rebuild money. Any particular advantage on brands like Holley, Edelbrock etc? I'm leaning towards holley right now because I don't know how I feel about the Edel now with it running crummy (although I admit, it may just be due to needing a rebuild)
 
An Edelbrock 1406 should be pretty close right out of the box. Double check the float settings before you install it. Also, how much timing advance are you running?
 
C130 Chief, I'm unsure of the timing advance/how to even go about checking it! I guess I should do some research
 
small block headers are awful unless you spend the cash on good ones. they will give you more power but definitely hold out and save as long as you can for a good set like tti or dougs. keep your existing exhuast, you arent going to really get any better for your current setup. i wouldnt go nuts with a big cam unless you are going to go with a little more gear and a converter with a little more stall. there are some good recomendations here. my brother had a 318 in his barracuda he just had turbo mufflers with dumps and and aftermarket intake with a carter carb and hv fuel pumpt, otherwise it was stock. it moved pretty good. i liek that car i checked it out a few times when for sale on my way home from work. definitely a good start to work with.
 
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