318 to 360 crate swap in 70 swinger?

[johnniep]

I have a 70 swinger I am restoring and will soon be deciding on a motor. I am thinking a 360 crate and wondering what headers work the best with this car . It was originally a 318 ci , (power steering) with 727 auto trans. and 8.25 rear. I want to get the engine , headers( brand etc) and trans together then go to the rear. Anyone who has done this feel free to clue me in. I plan on a street car for cruising etc. and not the strip. I am new to the A body cars but have a B body roadrunner so I am familiar with some things. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Johnniep

 

[DaveBonds]

TTI makes the best header for these cars.

If It were me, I'd forget headers for the street and go with some reasonable manifolds.

I've driven both and on an A body, good fitting headers are not only expensive, they need room at the collector to clear the trans crossmember and hang low.

You will need a B&M counterbalanced flexplate.

If you are cruising this and not racing it, headers are a lost cause on a low RPM engine. There are also a lot of guys doing amazing things to stock 273's and 318 engines with late model closed chamber heads and getting impressive numbers from them.

If you are after a little more power, the engine in that car is a good start. It has a forged crank with floating piston pins, which you will be moving away from with a 360.

I'd vote to keep the engine you've got and build an awesome top and bottom end for it with a good cam and see if you are happy with that, before spending the same money on another engine.

Crate 360 engines are nice, but if you're not running it on the track, you can get just as much HP from your forged 318, with some good 340, magnum or truck manifolds and a few other parts.

 

[70DartMike]

8.25 rears weren't used until 73, after the 8 3/4 was stopped. With a 318, you most likely have the 7 1/4. You may have an 8 3/4, check to see if the backside has bolts or not. If its an 8 3/4, it'll be smooth with no bolts on the backside.
That is, if it's original like you mentioned. Someone may have installed an 8 1/4 at a later date. If it is an 8 1/4, you can leave it be with a 318/360. Plenty strong enough.

 

[DaveBonds]

Also, I'm not sure which crate engine you are looking into, but some of the complete ones I've seen run upwards of $6-$10k.

For that kind of money spent on parts for your 318, it would destroy that crate engine for performance. Not that you would need it, for what you are doing, but the idea is that I think your money would be better spent on what you have. Even if you bought all out race components for the 318 in total overkill, you'd likely come up shy of that price tag using your engine as a core to start.

 

[crackedback]

Dougs or tti for headers. Nothing else fits as well

Don't pay attention to the dougs don't fit with a 727... they do. I've installed them and so have others. I posted some pics in another thread.

Different, shimmed or welded drivers side motor mount bracket would be required.

I don't know how much you plan on spending. There are some builders here that will do an engine for you, even strokers that are competitively priced with those crate deals.

IIRC, 318's, unless trucks, generally had a cast crank after 1968

 

[70DartMike]

Dougs or tti for headers. Nothing else fits as well

Don't pay attention to the dougs don't fit with a 727... they do. I've installed them and so have others.

Here's a couple pics of my Doug's installed on my 340 with a 727. I had NO clearance issues at all, and my mini starter goes in and out without having to eff around. Same with oil filter.

Not to mention the nice price difference between Doug's and TTI's.