Cam and carb selections

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RustyRatRod said:
People scoff at it all the time, but the Edelbrock Performer camshaft is perfect for an upgrade for a stick engine. And the good part is, Melling, Elgin, Sealed Power all make the same camshaft, so you can find it cheap. It's the one that's like 420/441 204 and 214 @ .050 It's a really great old school grind and works well in a stone stock engine, regardless of what the scoffers say. Likewise, the Edelbrock Performer 600 AFB carburetor and the Edelbrock Performer intake will really compliment the camshaft. Just food for thought.
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I aint got any suggestions , never messed w/ a 318 , have owned one , bone stock that got 18 mpg in an 87 dodge pick up, totaled at almost 10,000 miles .
A 6000 ft elevation change w/ a carb , aint gonna get it , go efi /just my not so humble opinion .
 
Princess Valiant said:
I think that is exactly what I have.
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OH! Doing a total rebuild are we? Or just a parts clean up and reuse? I just thought it was adding parts to a good running mill.
Princess Valiant said:
So why would 3 or 4 cylinders have broken top rings but no wall damage
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Did those pistons come out of the block easy? They could have broke when you took them out. Passing over a ridge can cause that damage.
 
George Jets said:
Pushing the pistons out without cutting out the "Top Ridge" first. Rings caught on the ridge and broke on their way out.

Look at the break on the rings, it will look like a clean fresh break.
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Replying at the same time are we???
:lol:
 
Princess Valiant said:
So why would 3 or 4 cylinders have broken top rings but no wall damage

View attachment 1715590729
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There are only three things I know of that does that to the rings.

One was already mentioned...getting the pistons out over a ridge. I NEVER EVER use a ridge reamer. If the block needs that, it needs to be bored anyway, so I just bash the pistons out and I’m not dainty with them.

The second is putting them in. It’s pretty rare these days with all the good ring compressors out there, but there are some who can brake a bowling ball in a sand box without any tools.

The third and most common (IMO) reason you see that is some joker has been in there with the above mentioned ridge reamer and they have taken a bunch of material off to get the entire ridge off, then they just hone the bores.

What you end up with is a very pronounced taper right at the top, and the top ring rides into that taper, expands to follow it, and then has to compress again on the way down.

Those big, thick, heavy 5/64 rings have poor bore conformability anyway, and making the ring follow that bore shape like that causes them to fracture. Then they conform to the bore much better, but then they are junk.

If you are good with a snap gauge and a mic you can catch it. If you have a dial bore gauge, you can find it easily.

Before I put that one together, I’d make sure there isn’t a ton of taper at the top of the bores.
 
No doubt. I hope it doesn’t need anything more than a home for you. If it does, it’s gonna jump in price quick. At least at that point, you can look into higher compression pistons. A little extra cylinder pressure even with otherwise stock parts will be a big help in power everywhere.
 
TQ and 360 intake. You have them and there is not much better for the street. Mileage and power. We have this cam in a 73 Dart 318 Auto with 273 Commando intake, carb, quick curve distributor, and dual exhaust. It has the original 7 1/4 Sure Grip rear with 2.76 gears. Runs nice. Used to run to and from Maryland to South Dakota every summer.
Mopar Performance Camshaft Kits - 248 int./256 exh. Advertised Duration
 
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Well, there you have it; the only thing NOT said was that you should get a 360!

I'm guessing you have made this trip already, with the 318;
so what was the result?
Are you towing anything?
Did you have to climb in second gear?
What speed were you able to maintain, in what gear, and how did you feel about that?
What trans and rear gear are you currently running?
Do you have alternates for either.
Are you expecting to make a lot of these trips?
I'm guessing, you were not happy, and are now looking for more power.

Why the Valiant and not a modern EFI-equipped car? They have automatic compensation for changes in elevation, for changes in air density, and so on.
I hesitate to say this, but,I don't see a cheap fix here.
 
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First time i use this puppy, I might need to actually read the instructions or find a video showing how to use it.

I bought it like a year and half ago and stashed it in the closet behind a stack of clothes and kinda forgot about it.

Seems this tool is very appropriate for the project at hand.

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I read through all the posts briefly, lot of good info already said. My thoughts, for what I think your doing, port match that 360 intake to your 318 heads, just the edge to smooth the transition. You can do it with the gasket marked and your choice of dremmel. Thermoquad for sure, I’m a big thermoquad fan. They’re not bad to tune once you go through it, great carb though, really ahead of its time. As far as camshaft, for your combo stock is good, or try one of those Hughes 318 whiplash off the shelf cams, I was reading into them and they are designed specifically to increase dynamic compression in a low compression engine, Same as what another member was trying to explain about closing the valve earlier, which it sounds like what you are trying to accomplish. They give a stout sounding idle but are an all torque camshaft. Which is a perfect upgrade for your situation I would think. Look them up. Lastly thinnest possible headgaskets and check valve train geometry just to be sure.

so my vote:
Hone if you can get the taper out that way.
Total seal rings.
Thinnest head gasket possible.
360 intake home style port matched to heads.
Thermoquad Carb.
Hughes 318 whiplash cam.
let her eat...
 
Sprayin73 said:
port match that 360 intake to your 318 heads, just the edge to smooth the transition. You can do it with the gasket marked and your choice of dremmel.

360 intake home style port match to the heads
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Do you know the sizes of the 360 intake manifolds ports?
Do you know what size the 318’s heads ports are?
A Dremel? Not a die grinder?
Hughesengines says;
“Your vacuum should be in the 9"-11" range using this cam.
(Figures calculated using stock stroke & compression at 750' altitude.)”

Hey Rani, is this a power brake car?
 
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