318 performance

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74Dusterkid

74Dusterkid

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can anyone tell me what could i expect out of a 318/904 combo. we dont know if we are putting the dusters 360 in the dart or just putting the 318 that comes with the car.and i just want to see if its and option. i just want to get some opinions.
 
Don't sell that 318 short. Plentiful and can be made to run like a scaulded dog. Yep, there are those that will say build a 340 or 360 but if you already have a 318 it can be fun. Add some heads and bump the comp a tad and throw on a set of headers, intake, carb and duals and you're good to go. If you have lots of money and you want to go crazy you can do that also. The 318 is economical fun.
 
because we have the duster and someone transplanted a 360 into it and it did run til somehing in the wiring took a dump on it. we have found a 73 dart(pics in need help in suspension thread) and it comes with a 318/904 combo and he said it ran and could spin the tires fine til they took it out. i dont know wether it is 2 or 4 bbl or any thing like that i just know it ran.and i want to see if it is worth to put the 318 into it and not kick my self later for not takin the 360 and puttin it in to start.
 
on a stock 318, don't expect too much...now if its an 85+ engine it will wake up real fast with a cam and 4bbl, along with headers.

IMHO, the 360 is still better...but if you'll be fixing your duster you should just put the 318 in the Dart.
 
no were not going to fix the duster we are going to sell it. its possibly going to a friend. but we are going to take the mags and the rear. so i will have to see is we can take the 360 and put the 318 in the duster.or just keep it. i will have to see what is going on either way im gonna have a motor.
 
well we went and saw the motor it is a 1973 318. its 8.5:1 compression isnt it. it has a 2bbl with manifolds,power steering,and ac compressor. no power adders or anything. and we will be putting it into the dart. any more suggestions would be appreciated.
 
74Dusterkid said:
because we have the duster and someone transplanted a 360 into it and it did run til somehing in the wiring took a dump on it. we have found a 73 dart(pics in need help in suspension thread) and it comes with a 318/904 combo and he said it ran and could spin the tires fine til they took it out. i dont know wether it is 2 or 4 bbl or any thing like that i just know it ran.and i want to see if it is worth to put the 318 into it and not kick my self later for not takin the 360 and puttin it in to start.
Click to expand...


If you have a wiring problem why not just fix it?

Another motor wont solve a wiring issue!

Whats wrong with it? What are the symptoms?
 
well we are selling the duster and just want to get rid of it.

second were just gonna put the 318 in the dart.

well it was running for like 10 minutes and all of a sudden it just stopped. it wasnt like running out of gas sputtering it just stopped cold. still has a half of a tank of gas. and when i look at the motor last it had a wire coming from the ignition box but i havent had time to fix it between work,school,and the new cars.

and i would put up a pic of where its comin from but my computer wont let me upload it.
 
So let me get this straight... The 360 in your '74 Duster stopped running and you're just going to sell it as-is, and put the 318 that you now have in a Dart?


....... Don't you think it would be a good idea to get that 360 running again, if it's just wiring?
 
Not to seem like a vulture... but if you're looking to get rid of the 360... I need one tha ran :D.
 
well the reason we are getting rid of the duster is the car is too far gone with rust to actually save with our tools,money,time,etc. and the motor ran fine it just stopped and since we just bought the dart we havent had time to work on the duster. i will fix it before we sell it i just want to get the dart home first and get that situated.(story in need help thread in suspension section.)
 
Try bypassing the ballast resistor. Run a wire from the positive terminal of the battery to the coil wiring side of the ballast. This might start the car,just be aware it wont shut off until you pull the jumper wire. and dont run it for long like that. If it is the ballast,they are under $10.
 
ok i will try that but i wont get a chance til wednesday and if i cant then i can on saturday after we pick up the dart. and if the ballast resistor isnt bad i have to find my voltmeter and see what doesnt have power going through it. will that work?
 
Im assuming the motor still turns over,but wont start. Check the ballast resistor first and if the engine fires up,run the 360 in your Dart. If no start then...



I would start by checking for spark. Pull the coil hi tension wire off the dist cap and short it to bare metal. Look for a nice clean blueish white spark. If no spark check the condition of your cap and rotor. All this is assuming you have a strong battery and better than 12.6 volts.

I really suspect the ballast or the spark box,due to it dieing so suddenly. I've had a few ballasts pop on me and it's just a mopar thing. Always carry a spare and I space mine out from the firewall for better air circulation. Those things get hot!!!!
 
well when i turn the key it clicks and the fan moves like 3 inches and thats it it wont go any further. i really havent had time to mess with it.i thought it was the battery to so i took one out of my dads truck and it did the same thing. so it could be alot of things til i look at it in depth and narrow the search down. its electric or fuel. cause it just stopped instantly.
 
Well at least it's not locked up. Could be that it threw the timing chain...Best thing for getting it cranked over is to jump it from a running vehicle. Your Dads battery may have been low too,just as a coincidence.

Could also be a bad alternator. You say it ran for a while and quit. Maybe the alternator wasnt charging the battery,so it ran until it sucked the battery charge.

Lots of stuff to check. Just dont give up too easy!
 
If the fan olny moves about 3" on a known good battery try turning by hand with a breaker bar and socket. Sounds like it might be seized up.
 
well seizied was our first thought but the fan moves every time we try and crank the motor. then i thought the battery just got drained by the alt but the same battery ran my other car with no problem. then the loose wire is coming out of the little orange mopar ignition control box i think i just need to see where the wire goes.
 
well depending on what we need for the dart we may be taking the motor out eventually.cause if the dart needs most of the parts off of the car then we will take the motor and trans out. and if we do that it will get torn down and checked. and if it checks out good then it will get all new ignition and stuff like that so the wiring will not be a problem. but only time will tell if we will. but at the moment it is looking like a good possibility.

thanks craig jr
 
Absoloutely!!! Keep the 318.

I ran a 1968 Cuda Fastback with a 1970 318 +.030" stock bottom end, 8.8:1 flat top forged stock pistons, cast iron rings, MP653 284/.528 solid cam, 587 home ported 360 heads w/ 2.02/1.60 stock valves & MP double springs- milled
.040" on the compression face and .010 on the intake face, Victor 340 intake (port-matched), 750 Holley DP, stock dual point dist.

904 trans w/ 3800 converter, 8.75 rear w/4.86 gears and SS springs... Ran 11.59 @ 115.29 on a 10" tire and 92 unleaded gas.
 
well if we do pull the duster apart to finish the dart there a good 360 to use and i'm think that if there is a 360 to be used then we should use it. dont get me wrong i wont just throw the 318 away that will be stored at my normal house in the garage. cause that is the darts original motor and trans.
 
Well the 318 is good and can be pretty peppy... But the 360 will always be capable of making more power...... Fix the 360 first , sounds like nothing serious....... for no other reason than it will make the Duster easier to sell.... But I would keep it .. Direct bolt in and more H.p. potential..... JMO..
 
how much do you think that i could get for a 904 that came off a 318 and was in good running condition? thanks craig jr
 
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