my Low dollar 318 hop-up project

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I like this idea, and I think you can get 275 to 325 hp pretty easy out of this, even with low compression and less CID. I like your effort, maybe try looking from a poor kid angle, what I mean is look at the Seal Power stuff, Summit and Jegs who have low dollar cam kits, stock intakes, internet, and so on. Link them to cam charts on line for RPM ranges for duration @50 for cam selection. Also how to talk and ask local motor heads for stuff that they have sitting around and not using, heck I give stuff away to kids all the time. One more thing we who have done it for a long time, sometime forget to mention the little things, to us it is something we do without thinking, but to a young kid it is an epiphany. You know like thin use of Permatex to hold gaskets in place and to cover pitting, using the thinnest head gasket to gain a little bit, and so on, but all and all great idea. P.S. Hope this was not too much impute, just want you to be successful.
 
hey, I have some new in the package mopar performance thin head gaskets you can have cheep if you want 20.00 and shipping... never used then, will bring up your compression closer to 8.5-9.0 to 1....
interested... they are collecting dust on the shelf...
 
joshua dewitt said:
hey, I have some new in the package mopar performance thin head gaskets you can have cheep if you want 20.00 and shipping... never used then, will bring up your compression closer to 8.5-9.0 to 1....
interested... they are collecting dust on the shelf...
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thanks, but I've got 8 dollars left in my build budget...
 
I hav a set of 302 heads now when using the sockets as a guide could i use the next size up on each. Say like a metric size to get more flow or wouldnt you advise that
 
318willrun said:
Great question! I had 3 choices. All three would have worked.

1). I could have put a lot of time into lapping them, and truthfully, I did start on a couple and they were coming along ok. But, there was a "edge" or "lip" I didn't really care for too much. I would have done this route if the money was more restricted.

2). I called a local performance machine shop, and they wanted between 25 - 30 bucks to grind them. They could have cleaned them up pretty nice I imagine. This would have been a cheaper route, but not that far away from new.

3). New was about 55 bucks at my door. I had pretty much bought all the components for the build, and there was room for them in the budget.

My thought process was the exhaust valves were 40 years old and had 120,000 miles on them. The exhaust valves take a beaten. Means the funds allowed it, why not new?
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Great decision, especially down the road. In my experience always replace the exhaust valves. Stems are worn below specs, displaced metal on the locks, tips scuffed unless good oil is used and changed religiously. Really should have the faces ground, they are typically way off, but your lapping will tell you that.
 
Jonnylightening said:
I hav a set of 302 heads now when using the sockets as a guide could i use the next size up on each. Say like a metric size to get more flow or wouldnt you advise that
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you can start small and work your way up.... sure, sockets are just a guide. Just be careful not to loose the tulip shape in the bowl area, especially on the exhaust. Don't do anything that would divert the flow from exiting straight to the port exit on the exhaust. Turbulence is a bad thing.... re-visit the video as often as you need for reference.
 
RogerK said:
Just enough for a can of spray paint to finish it off!
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LOL..... I'm going to paint, but I'm not counting that against the budget because cosmetics aren't a part of this build. They don't have to paint it to get performance gains.
 
66fs said:
Great decision, especially down the road. In my experience always replace the exhaust valves. Stems are worn below specs, displaced metal on the locks, tips scuffed unless good oil is used and changed religiously. Really should have the faces ground, they are typically way off, but your lapping will tell you that.
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I agree, I would have had the seats/valves ground but just not in the build money. So a lapping I will go..... LOL. I will do the alcohol/light test I talked about in the lapping video. I didn't mention this before but I will now: Many of the new valves advertised as a 43* and 44* faces, but the Sealed Power were 45* faces, and the exact replica of the factory. Even weighing 105 grams and having the stem cut out in the bowl area. That's why I choose them.
 
340BABY said:
I like this idea, and I think you can get 275 to 325 hp pretty easy out of this, even with low compression and less CID.

300 - 325hp wouldn't be easy.
Stock '68 - 70 hi compression 340's were only 275 hp.
doesn't matter though,318WR isn't too concerned about the numbers.
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^^^^^^

AMEN ! to the above - only I will add that the 275 hp advertised rating on the 340 was underrated. I think about 310 is more accurate, and I think even been proven.
 
340 wasn't actually that high of compression.
It comes down to your head flow if its close to X head flow you should be in the ballpark
 
273 said:
340 wasn't actually that high of compression.
It comes down to your head flow if its close to X head flow you should be in the ballpark
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'72-3 was 8.4-8.8, I forget which. The impressive part to me is that the E58 360s that replaced them with 250hp had 7.8-8:1 compression- and they did produce results.
 
318willrun said:
^^^^^^

AMEN ! to the above - only I will add that the 275 hp advertised rating on the 340 was underrated. I think about 310 is more accurate, and I think even been proven.
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I thought mopar muscle magazine rebuilt an early 340 to stock specs which was probably about
9.5 :1 (stock) and it dynod' 281hp.A stockish 7.8:1 318 may struggle to reach 325 through manifolds and small heads / valves.

..but as most agree, numbers are just "wow factor"..how it drives is what matters.
 
One head fully assembled. Did the leak down test with rubbing alcohol and light. 100% on both test :)
 
Good news! I'll drink to that....how much in the budget for booze?
 
As an owner of a lightly warmed over 318 myself and limited knowledge, I have to say I enjoy this thread. Really good concept.

I also agree it would be cool to take it a step further after as well. Personally I would like to see what you could do with another $1k or whatever. Lets assume the theoretical noob did well at the summer job and had some extra to spend. ;)
 
snailpower said:
As an owner of a lightly warmed over 318 myself and limited knowledge, I have to say I enjoy this thread. Really good concept.

I also agree it would be cool to take it a step further after as well. Personally I would like to see what you could do with another $1k or whatever. Lets assume the theoretical noob did well at the summer job and had some extra to spend. ;)
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I'm not all that "theoretical " !!!!!
 
snailpower said:
As an owner of a lightly warmed over 318 myself and limited knowledge, I have to say I enjoy this thread. Really good concept.

I also agree it would be cool to take it a step further after as well. Personally I would like to see what you could do with another $1k or whatever. Lets assume the theoretical noob did well at the summer job and had some extra to spend. ;)
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Thanks for following along :) . As of now it is not in the plans to "add another 1k" to see what I can do. I strictly did this for the "very low budget" folks needing direction on how to "spunk up" the little 318 2bbl. I'd go broke (more broke I should say..) putting together projects for all the scenarios .... lol ! This is not a paying gig for me..... :D
 
This is real nice man. Maybe when you get completely done, you can make one single post just listing everything out. That would need to be a sticky.
 
Though some act like it is a paying job and you need to do better.
(In which that itself can never be obtained! Making everyone happy!)
 
No, it was a simple suggestion.
 
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