Help Needed - Budget 318 Sprint Car Build

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racerdude5

racerdude5

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I'm looking for all the help I can get, I've raced on the dirt for about 9 years. Due to going to college we sold the race car, however I ended up staying local and going to my community college. This will be my second year out the car and being away from my passion is painful. I'm attempting to start piecing together a 318 based sprint car engine which will eventually power a USAC West Coast 360/VRA 360 sprint car. You may be familiar, but these small block V8s are very expensive to build due to the high number of extremely specialized parts required. For now I'm just going to try to get the ball rolling on an engine, while the cost may be too high to jump right into sprint cars; at earlier stages in the process I may be able to get it into a VRA Hobby Stock then maybe an IMCA modified. I need all the help I can get; I'm looking for mentors, supporters, sponsors, fans, and anyone else who is willing to help. I need all hands on deck. Here in minor league racing in local So-Cal, Mopars on the dirt tracks are almost non-existent. I'd like to change that. It might be easier and cheaper to build a small block chevy, but unless someone gives it to me I'm not gonna spend any money on something that isn't a Mopar. It's been my dream to have a Mopar sprint car for about 7 years now, and I'm on the search to make it happen. I have a 74 Duster, everything that has been done to it I have done myself and I strive to be as self sufficient as possible, daring to do things that are tedious and difficult; but I'd rather spend the money I have on the tools to do something than to spend the money on labor. As a result of this mentality I continue to learn more and more about cars, I love it. I'm willing to do all the work myself I just need someone to help me by either teaching me, or supplying me with the resources to do it myself (for example, the machining to the crank and rods).

Here's what I have:

-I've got a forged 273 crank that needs to be turned, I'd like to have all the old school hands on work done to it; radiused journals, nitrided, lightened, etc. It needs to be inspected and worked someone who knows what they're doing.

-I've got a set of bushed 318 rods that need to be worked over; I'd like to get them shot peened, inspected, lightened, machined also by someone who knows what they're doing.

The Goal:

Okay, so this thing is going to be a beast. Unlike almost any high rpm race engine built today, I'm going to be using almost an entire OEM short block that's been reinforced and done up old school to maximize strength. I wanna pull out all those old tricks for when there were no specialty parts available. I have the rods, and the crank. I'm gonna use an 318 block. I'm not sure what heads would be best, but they will need to flow 300+ cfm. This engine is going to make max power between 7000-9000 rpm in sprint car trim. Maybe less if it's to go in a hobby stock or a modified first. It will need to be built for maximum longevity due to the very tight budget I have. Roller lifters, rockers, and maybe even a roller bearings for the cam. We're talking 13:1 compression at the least, so it's gonna need to be o-ringed. All the hardware will be ARP. I'd like to maintain shaft mount rockers of the LA variant because I strongly believe that they're just better than the oil through the pushrod stud mount type. It will be a dry sump also. The class limit for displacement is 360 cubic inches, which will be hard to get out of a standard 318 possibly, at a later time a stroker crank could be installed possibly but for the time being about 326-332 c.i. should suffice.

Idea for what's going to go into it:

-Early 70s 318 block (maybe a truck block for the thicker casting) or a late 80s block for roller lifters
-Bore Sleeves
-ARP Rod bolts
-ARP Main studs w/windage tray
-King Bearings
-Main Stud Girdle
-Forged Pistons
-Bushed Piston Pins
-O-rings for heads/block
-Double Roller timing chain or gear drive preferably
-SFI Harmonic Balancer?
-ARP Misc. Hardware
-3 or 4 Stage Dry Sump oil pump
-Cam mount or belt drive for Oil Pump
-Kevko Oil Pan
-Oil Tank
-Magneto or electronic ignition with a small alternator (No battery)
-Roller lifters
-Roller Rockers
-Titanium/Chromoly Retainers
-Hardened locks
-Dual Valve Springs
-Oval Track Cam
-Heavy duty rocker shafts
-Heavy duty rocker hold downs
-High pressure Fuel pump
-Carburetor for now (hilborn injection eventually)
-Brodix/Edelbrock/Procomp Aluminum CNC-Ported heads (eventually)

and probably more that I can't think of off the top of my head. Thanks for reading
 
Well I will tell you this, I am a die hard Mopar guy through and through and have been involved in alcohol winged ashpalt sprint cars and Mopar engines were just to cost prohibitive to run. We have like almost every one else run the small block Chev, our 650HP cast iron dry sump engines complete with injection and mag ready to run were about $35,000 Canadian and you need two to keep them fresh. Up here in Canada the Mopar would run at least 30% more to build maybe more. We now run a non wing Beast chassis car on gas with a 2 barrel carb and wet sump, makes a bit less than 400 HP but its still fun but a fraction of the cost of the alcohol engines. We have considered building a small block Mopar for this class and so have a couple of other teams as in this configuration the cost would be closer to that of the Chev, we would use the 358 combo.
 
I know what you mean, I'm just gonna need to find a lot of help. I'm going to do all of the assembly myself so that should save some money, not to mention using an OE bottom end. Also, our track is fifth mile so I might be able to use that to my advantage. We'll just have to see what happens.
 
Why use stock rods ??

Actually even the crank, 9000 is a lot of rpm at those piston speeds everything needs to be top notch
IIRC stock tops out around 7500.
 
Cost; I'd be all for using some H beam rods if somebody wants to give me a set or sell them to me for $100. To be realistic the rpms would be more around 7800. Stockers should be fine after getting shot peened, treated, etc.. with some ARP 2000 Rod Bolts.
 
Please leave comments, suggestion, etc. If you wanna help, just let me know. Thanks!
 
Don't take my comments the wrong way, but this sounds like a recipe for disaster. Your wanting to run parts that are WAY out of there design limits. The proper valvetrain alone to run SUSTAINED 7500-9000 RPM in a mopar smallblock are going to be very costly, and you would need a bare MINIMUM W2 or better heads and a "R" block. That's a few of the about 50 things wrong with your plan.
 
I understand what you're saying. But 50 years ago they didn't have specially made blocks, cranks, or rods. They modified what they had and hoped it would work. They used what came from the OE. Am I wrong? I'm just trying to get the ball rolling and get back on the track. I'm sure if it only turned 7000 rpms it would be fine for the time being. Don't forget that this is just an idea as of right now, that's why I came here to find people who can help and make suggestions.
 
racerdude5 said:
I understand what you're saying. But 50 years ago they didn't have specially made blocks, cranks, or rods. They modified what they had and hoped it would work. They used what came from the OE. Am I wrong? I'm just trying to get the ball rolling and get back on the track. I'm sure if it only turned 7000 rpms it would be fine for the time being. Don't forget that this is just an idea as of right now, that's why I came here to find people who can help and make suggestions.
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Your not racing 50 years ago, your wanting to race now days. You will be racing against chevy engines that cost 35K dollars.....your not gonna get it done with a 318 block, rods, and porting templates. Call Dave at hughes engines, or Bill at richarson auto machine in VA. I have bought lots of specialty oval track parts from both places and they will tell you straight.
 
go for it! the steel crank does not need nitriding unless u get it done for free. magnaflux the rods. balance the assembly, with light pistons the stock based stuff can work, a short track does not need killer revs. add some block fill cement, some run it on the street. why cylinder sleeves? a few ported heads can flow 300, what do the rules allow for heads
 
Exactly, I don't have $35k to spend though. One of the things I've learned from racing is that having a car that is slower, makes you a better driver. I like the challenge. I think I mentioned that the track is a fifth mile. We have 410's come once a year, and quite a few guys will race with their 360's and even finish in the top 5, and win heat races. The average race night is just 360's. I know guys who race the sprints and they are rarely on the throttle, and only give it full throttle occasionally just before entering the turn. I don't mind if my car isn't equal to theirs. I love racing and I can always upgrade my equipment at a later time. I'm just looking to get back on the track and to compete. There's no doubt that a stock 318 crank, rods, and block with some special work done to them can withstand some serious punishment. I mentioned a few of the ways that I would improve the stock stuff significantly. This puppy isn't going to make 700hp on the first day out, my goal is around 500-600 hp, and I know that is definitely do-able. I never said anything about cylinder heads in my post above, I know I made another post asking for porting templates but that's not for this project; thats for fun, to increase my knowledge of what makes a cylinder head flow well. I like getting hands on. I'm completely aware that the valvetrain is going to be expensive, and yes some w2s that are ported would be good. But what would be a better investment would be to get some Edelbrock Super Victor heads CNC Ported by Hughes or some Brodix B1-BAs. I know I can make it work. It's not gonna be easy, but if I wanted life to be easy I wouldn't have bought a Mopar to begin with, I would have gotten a Chevy.
 
racerdude5 said:
Exactly, I don't have $35k to spend though. One of the things I've learned from racing is that having a car that is slower, makes you a better driver. I like the challenge. I think I mentioned that the track is a fifth mile. We have 410's come once a year, and quite a few guys will race with their 360's and even finish in the top 5, and win heat races. The average race night is just 360's. I know guys who race the sprints and they are rarely on the throttle, and only give it full throttle occasionally just before entering the turn. I don't mind if my car isn't equal to theirs. I love racing and I can always upgrade my equipment at a later time. I'm just looking to get back on the track and to compete. There's no doubt that a stock 318 crank, rods, and block with some special work done to them can withstand some serious punishment. I mentioned a few of the ways that I would improve the stock stuff significantly. This puppy isn't going to make 700hp on the first day out, my goal is around 500-600 hp, and I know that is definitely do-able. I never said anything about cylinder heads in my post above, I know I made another post asking for porting templates but that's not for this project; thats for fun, to increase my knowledge of what makes a cylinder head flow well. I like getting hands on. I'm completely aware that the valvetrain is going to be expensive, and yes some w2s that are ported would be good. But what would be a better investment would be to get some Edelbrock Super Victor heads CNC Ported by Hughes or some Brodix B1-BAs. I know I can make it work. It's not gonna be easy, but if I wanted life to be easy I wouldn't have bought a Mopar to begin with, I would have gotten a Chevy.
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Well I wish you luck, you asked for advise, and I gave you mine! Keep us updated!
 
Thank you. Thanks for your advice and I'm definitely considering everything you said. I will keep you updated.
 
Like you said, stock stuff can work. Hopefully I won't find that threshold, but I'm going to put it to the test. I'll take the stuff I can get now as far as it will go, and when it can't go any further I'll have to upgrade it. But I'm going to learn so much along the way. It will be a constant work in progress. For the first year if I have to run some lousy heads I will. It will allow me to get better car control and learn the car, then when I have the money I can get some 300+cfm heads and see what that baby can do. Once I get on the track it will hopefully open more doors, I can't get any sponsors without a car so hopefully I'll be able to find some funding and buy equipment that is better and go from there.
 
To be more specific about my target; rpm is about 7500, hp is around 550-600.
 
One of the reasons sprint car motors cost so much is that only the best parts are used. The sprint car guys around here ship their motors off to have them refreshed depending on the number of laps they run. At the end of the season they get a full rebuild. If you think about it you might run ok for a few nights but the wear and tear on your motor will probably sideline you when you break something. Also the cost of running a sprint is quite high when you consider fuel(alcohol) and tires. I think it is admirable that you want to do this but the cost is going to be quite high and you have to decide if it fits in your budget.
 
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