Making power out of the 318

-
Status
Not open for further replies.
carmart1975 said:
Yes i will make sure not to do that. I missed a lot of the post because I was at school my bad. I also thought for some reason everyone could see the replies little new to this Form thing.
Click to expand...
Never a bad thing to be in school.
 
carmart1975 said:
So i listen al of your question in a later reply but i an hoping for 425hp-500hp but i know 500 is a stretch it will be a street/strip car
Click to expand...
No offense, not like there's no parts out to do that but that's a tall order, especially with stock unported 360 heads and 3.21 gears, were talking peak power in the 6300-7500 rpm range. 350-375+ hp at 5300-5800 rpms is more doable with stock heads you definitely don't want higher than that especially with only 3.21 gears.
 
Last edited:
carmart1975 said:
I would like to spend no more than 3000 but I’m really trying to build this as cheap as possible because I still have to buy a transmission and some other things for the actual car itself but it does run and drive right now with that little 225 slant
Click to expand...
Well, then there's zero need for people telling you to swap pistons out and other heavy work. I would concentrate on getting what's there now running as good as possible. Run a compression check. If those numbers don't look good, then you need to make some decisions. If they do, then give it a good tune up if it needs it. You can easily put a performance curve in the distributor. If you cannot, we have a member @halifaxhops who specializes in that and he can fix you up. I suggest getting what you have there running as good as it can FIRST, before you make any changes. That way you have a good base line, you will actually LEARN SOMETHING about how to work on a d tune an engine.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Well, then there's zero need for people telling you to swap pistons out and other heavy work. I would concentrate on getting what's there now running as good as possible. Run a compression check. If those numbers don't look good, then you need to make some decisions. If they do, then give it a good tune up if it needs it. You can easily put a performance curve in the distributor. If you cannot, we have a member @halifaxhops who specializes in that and he can fix you up. I suggest getting what you have there running as good as it can FIRST, before you make any changes. That way you have a good base line, you will actually LEARN SOMETHING about how to work on a d tune an engine.
Click to expand...
I guess I should’ve specified that the motor is not assembled. The motor was not assembled when I bought it and that’s how I know one of the Pistons is cracked because the previous owner was taking it apart and dropped the stock piston so I can’t do any of that and that’s why I’m building the motor because my original plan was to get one that was already running and put that in and do a very mild build but since it’s already all apart, I might as well go for It. Thank you for the suggestion though.
 
carmart1975 said:
I guess I should’ve specified that the motor is not assembled. The motor was not assembled when I bought it and that’s how I know one of the Pistons is cracked because the previous owner was taking it apart and dropped the stock piston so I can’t do any of that and that’s why I’m building the motor because my original plan was to get one that was already running and put that in and do a very mild build but since it’s already all apart, I might as well go for It. Thank you for the suggestion though.
Click to expand...
Then I would choose a stock cast piston with the highest compression height. KB167 and forged this and that will just burn up more of your money unnecessarily. You're not building a race engine here, just something to have fun with.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Then I would choose a stock cast piston with the highest compression height. KB167 and forged this and that will just burn up more of your money unnecessarily. You're not building a race engine here, just something to have fun with.
Click to expand...
I mean in my head, I’m 15 and anything is a race car but you’re right I will take this into consideration
 
RustyRatRod said:
Then I would choose a stock cast piston with the highest compression height. KB167 and forged this and that will just burn up more of your money unnecessarily. You're not building a race engine here, just something to have fun with.
Click to expand...
And honestly I’m just trying to be like my dad in a 1967 Plymouth satellite. Super commando is 440 was built. It made about 650hp 700hp range he said so I’m trying to make a smaller version of that to make him proud He really wanted me to do a big block but I said no it was too much money.
 
1st thing I'd is drop hp expectations, there's a big difference between a 425 and 500 hp even a 375 and 400 hp depending on heads. Heads basically decides power potential and cam cr etc. decides how much of that potential your gonna use.

Stock 360 heads with reasonable street cam for a 318 with 3.21 probably be in the 325-350 hp with some head work maybe 375 + hp. With a non reasonable cam you could make more obviously. To me reasonable would be under 220 degrees @ 0.050".

So first question are heads gonna be basically stock, minor ported or bigger valves and minor porting etc..

This is basically gonna decide how much hp your gonna make cause cam wise your hands are fairly tied mainly because of rear gears cause you seem willing to add any stall and cr. Could always get a trans with lower 1st and 2nd gears and get away with a little more cam.
 
i'd suggest you readjust your expectations.

you 100% can make 400hp with a 318, with stock components. i've done it.

the power band sucks, it's expensive, and a whole bunch of work.

are you starting with a LA or magnum motor?

ETA: DWB just posted the link, that's the exact motor i've built. twice.
 
If I was you, find a decent running 5.9l magnum add a airgap and headers, and a cam similar to the 288/296 230/2xx .500" 108. Create cam made 400-410 hp. A 212/218 .480 114 made 350 hp so somewhere around there.
 
RustyRatRod said:
No, the biggest nut is always the original poster who always refuses good, solid advice from over 90% of the respondents. Of course, with this thread, that remains to be seen. Hopefully he'll listen, but it won't be to me.

Besides, Mike is dead right. There are literally hundreds of informative threads on how to get power from 318s all over this site. Maybe they need to get all those threads in one forum, sticky it with big flashing boobs so people caint miss it. They still would.
Click to expand...
Sticky it with big flashing boobs……

I like that.
 
273 said:
1st thing I'd is drop hp expectations, there's a big difference between a 425 and 500 hp even a 375 and 400 hp depending on heads. Heads basically decides power potential and cam cr etc. decides how much of that potential your gonna use.

Stock 360 heads with reasonable street cam for a 318 with 3.21 probably be in the 325-350 hp with some head work maybe 375 + hp. With a non reasonable cam you could make more obviously. To me reasonable would be under 220 degrees @ 0.050".

So first question are heads gonna be basically stock, minor ported or bigger valves and minor porting etc..

This is basically gonna decide how much hp your gonna make cause cam wise your hands are fairly tied mainly because of rear gears cause you seem willing to add any stall and cr. Could always get a trans with lower 1st and 2nd gears and get away with a little more cam.
Click to expand...
I really like your thinking I was planning on buying a new transmission not a used one and it would be a built trans anyway so maybe I could find one with the lower gears but I will most likely be switching over to a eight and three-quarter rear end later down the road after this one shreds ,What if I use stock 318 heads and do a diy port job on them? Because I have those sitting in my garage. They’re the ones that came with the motor, but he also gave me those 360 heads. But if I was to stick with any of the heads, have to get completely redone because they have gunk and stuff like that so I would have to get new valves and all that stuff anyway but I just don’t know how much this machine work is going to cost I’m very new to the stuff. My dad hasn’t done this kind of stuff and 30+ years also
 
carmart1975 said:
I really like your thinking I was planning on buying a new transmission not a used one and it would be a built trans anyway so maybe I could find one with the lower gears but I will most likely be switching over to a eight and three-quarter rear end later down the road after this one shreds ,What if I use stock 318 heads and do a diy port job on them? Because I have those sitting in my garage. They’re the ones that came with the motor, but he also gave me those 360 heads. But if I was to stick with any of the heads, have to get completely redone because they have gunk and stuff like that so I would have to get new valves and all that stuff anyway but I just don’t know how much this machine work is going to cost I’m very new to the stuff. My dad hasn’t done this kind of stuff and 30+ years also
Click to expand...
Ported 318 heads can make power but you basically come out with a head that flows around a stock or mild prep 360 head, might as well do the 360 ones if you can do it, could practice on the 318 ones.
 
carmart1975 said:
I like the idea of a magnum 360 in fact my dad‘s friend suggested that, but I just could not find any in my area let alone within 200 miles and I got a really good deal on this 318 so I would like to use it and most likely I’ll yank it and either stroke it later down the road or put a 360 in
Click to expand...
There's like 3 different 400 hp and one 425 hp recipes in that magazine list I posted, there basically 220-240 cfm heads with headers and airgap and a 230-240 cam basically similar to the create magnum, besides 10:1 cr.
 
273 said:
Ported 318 heads can make power but you basically come out with a head that flows around a stock or mild prep 360 head, might as well do the 360 ones if you can do it, could practice on the 318 ones.
Click to expand...
I see what you’re saying, but the only reason why I asked about the 318 heads is because it has a smaller combustion chamber so it’s more compression from what I’ve been reading on this form and other forms so honestly, I made this thread because I could not find any answers or ones with people running 360 heads with KB pistons
 
carmart1975 said:
I see what you’re saying, but the only reason why I asked about the 318 heads is because it has a smaller combustion chamber so it’s more compression from what I’ve been reading on this form and other forms so honestly, I made this thread because I could not find any answers or ones with people running 360 heads with KB pistons
Click to expand...
Should need 9:1 to 10:1 depending on final cam choice should be able to get those with 360 heads and piston choice. I wouldn't go crazy with cr don't want to end up with a pinging mess or if you end up over camming it harder to go milder.
 
273 said:
There's like 3 different 400 hp and one 425 hp recipes in that magazine list I posted, there basically 220-240 cfm heads with headers and airgap and a 230-240 cam basically similar to the create magnum, besides 10:1 cr. i have read a few and saw that
Click to expand...
 
273 said:
Should need 9:1 to 10:1 depending on final cam choice should be able to get those with 360 heads and piston choice. I wouldn't go crazy with cr don't want to end up with a pinging mess or if you end up over camming it harder to go milder.
Click to expand...
Ok thank you, by chance do you know of a good cam that i could use with a nice lope i really want a bang for you buck cam if that is possible
 
What I would shoot for would be 325-350HP. Very reasonable goal and you should be able to get there with your budget. The Hughes Whiplash cam for the 318 would sound good. But remember, then you'll need a matching converter and better gears. More money. I'd concentrate on power output instead of sound.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
-

Back
Top