Engine dilema.. 318 or 360?

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POPS6T6

POPS6T6

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So does anything ever go as planned when restoring/building a car?

I had bought and built a 318 a few years ago, nothing special, bored .40 over, crane cam, stock heads. I also have a set of stock 360 heads that I was going to put on after getting them machined etc. Well now I have found a 360 with J heads that I am picking up tomorrow. Lets just say for the price I couldn't pass it up. With that in mind, and also know that I am not an engine guru by any means, would you rather run a 318 as described above, or would I be better off with a stock 360 with J heads, maybe put a cam in it? I know there are so many factors to consider, the 318 is a fresh rebuild, while the 360 has about 20k on it. Or I could put the J heads on the 318 and save the 360 and start building that for future use. I'm starting to realize I have way to many parts now..

As always, any input, advice, opinions or just plain sarcastic slander is greatly appreciated!
 
I'd say it depends on your needs. Does the 318 have enough power to satisfy you? The 360 will certainly supply more low end and mid range grunt where you can use it.

Me personally I'd use the 360 every time,just for the extra cubes.
 
needsaresto said:
I'd say it depends on your needs. Does the 318 have enough power to satisfy you? The 360 will certainly supply more low end and mid range grunt where you can use it.

Me personally I'd use the 360 every time,just for the extra cubes.
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So as they say.."bigger is better" right?

I was leaning towards the 360, just hurts knowing I built that 318 and it is just sitting there, hopefully will be able to sell it and recoup some of my cash from it, but you never get out of it what you put in it...Hmmm sounds like my last marriage..
 
Is your car a daily driver? If not and you want the 360, sell the 318 and use the cash towards some go fast goodies for the 360. Clean and paint the 360 and drop it in with all the new shiny stuff bolted on. Could also use the cash to freshen up your engine bay if it needs it or both.
 
I was always told that the 318 did not have enough bore and stroke for the j heads.It would only work if you ran the motor at higher rpms.
 
The 360 automatically has a longer throw crank so therefore you have extra torque which is a good thing.
 
I say stab in the 318 and work on the 360 lil at a time and make it a hoss.
 
Bigger ports on X, J, or better yet 308s on a mild cammed 318 will tend to be lazy on throttle response, especially running street gears. I'd slap a set of freshened up 302 heads on that fresh 318 short block to get a torquey street runner AND decent mileage.

That said, if you're willing to give up the additional gas mileage the smaller motor will give you over most 340s or 360s, 20K on any Mope smallblock is nothing, relatively speaking and additional torque and/or power is already built in. Freshened up J heads with a modern cam tailered for the car's weight and gears on that 360 will definately put a smile on your face.
 
im running a stock stroke la360, stock x heads, and a mild .484 lift comp cam. for how simple th 360 is it runs great!! the car has been 13.00 with 3.55 street gears at 3200 pounds. cant ask for much more with that mild of a setup with street gears and pump 93. for you, i would either drop the 360 in beat the balls off it till something breaks, than pull it out and run the 318 while building up the 360 for more horsepower. orrrrr like said above, drop in the 318 and do work to the 360 slowly as money comes in.
 
I would actually go for a 383 or bigger or just keep the 318. If you're going to do all that work it'll be that much more rewarding with a 383. I have a pretty fast 318 in my dart and I know a 360 would be an improvement. But to pull out the 318 and replace it is a lot of work so I'd want to go as big as possible.
 
And 'the solution to pollution is dilution'... if you got into the motor at a good price, why not spend $1200 and drop an eagle stroker kit in it. 408 torque monstor. About the same HP and torque as a factory 426 hemi in the day, hundreds of pounds lighter.
 
If you go 360 I have a complete balanced bottom end that has less than 600 miles on it. KB107 pistons 360 crank .10 under and reconditioned rods with arp bolts. Willing to work a deal because of shipping...Check that the parts are in San Jose which is about an hour or 2 from you and would be cheaper to meet up if you wanted.
 
Fst73_360 said:
If you go 360 I have a complete balanced bottom end that has less than 600 miles on it. KB107 pistons 360 crank .10 under and reconditioned rods with arp bolts. Willing to work a deal because of shipping...Check that the parts are in San Jose which is about an hour or 2 from you and would be cheaper to meet up if you wanted.
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I think I am going to go with the 360, this car is definately not a daily driver, and I think that in the end, with a cam and heads freshened up, this will be more than enough power for this light of a car.

With that being said, just so happens I am driving close to San Jose tomorrow, but can't really afford the parts just yet, unless of course I get a buyer for the 318! PM with a price and so forth, and maybe we can work something out in the near future. The car is not going to be ready for the motor until the spring anyways.

Thanks for everyone's response, as always, informative and entertaining!
 
64ValiantConv said:
And 'the solution to pollution is dilution'... if you got into the motor at a good price, why not spend $1200 and drop an eagle stroker kit in it. 408 torque monstor. About the same HP and torque as a factory 426 hemi in the day, hundreds of pounds lighter.
Click to expand...

Just curious, would $300 for the motor be "getting into the motor at a good price"?

Not that I'm bragging, but after today and having my chopper die on me on the way to work and it is now in the shop, and then having my truck die on me after work and it is now in the shop, I need something to look forward to!!
 
POPS6T6 said:
I think I am going to go with the 360, this car is definately not a daily driver, and I think that in the end, with a cam and heads freshened up, this will be more than enough power for this light of a car.

With that being said, just so happens I am driving close to San Jose tomorrow, but can't really afford the parts just yet, unless of course I get a buyer for the 318! PM with a price and so forth, and maybe we can work something out in the near future. The car is not going to be ready for the motor until the spring anyways.

Thanks for everyone's response, as always, informative and entertaining!
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Im not in sj, the parts and my parents are, but my friend could meet up with you at my house to show you the parts
 
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