Need Help With 318 Build

[Cruzin]

Looking for some good advise on my 318 rebuild. I have my first 71 dart ( very excited) coming soon, but the motor runs pretty good but its stock and will need rebuilt. I am not looking to build a race engine. I am just looking for the old school sound with a little performance. The car is going to be just a driver and to little cruise ins around my area. I am not a engine guru, so I wanted to ask you guys that are. I have added a link to a video of what I want the car to sound like. Love the big idle sound. I only got the comp cam specs, spring specs, and KB pistons used on this build. Can anyone help me with what else should be done to complete the items I would need? My relatives that used to wrench all the time have passed and I only have a few shops around here that do good work. As far as pricing goes, I only have ideas from this great forum. Any and all help would be truly appreciated. I also added a couple pics of the car for those who may want to see the ride (the dates on the camera pics are from a few months back: not 2007). I hope it loads up on the site right. Thanks again to everyone that can help out.




[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs-DxfPyPeM"]318 rough idle - YouTube[/ame]

 

[toolmanmike]

Nice car! You should get a lot of responses about your 318 build. With not much more than a good overhaul and a careful selection of parts you should be able to build a strong power plant. Zero deck pistons, the proper heads, and the right camshaft are the basics of a good 318 combo. tmm

 

[C130 Chief]

So use the Kieth Black KB167 pistons (zero deck), a Lunati 10200703 (old 60403) cam, some later "302" casting heads with 1.88/1.60 valves and basic porting, a medium sized 4 Bbl on a dual plane, headers and dual exhaust. Should put out 300 HP or so, sound strong and still have good street manners.

Then decide what you will be doing for a replacement rear axle so you can select a good torque converter. The above conbo will make the 7 1/4" rear end the weak point in the drivetrain. Expect it to fail at some point

 

[2 Darts]

Toolman X2

Careful selection of parts is very critical. It is easy to over-carb and over-cam a 318, especially with stock compression and a stock rear axle gear ratio. Stock heads stop increasing flow rate at around 5500 rpm. Recommend a cam that starts its torque band before 2000 rpm for a street car. Also recommend using the search function to look for other threads for 318 builds. There have been a few in the last year.

Here's what I did on the 318 street motor I built for the Demon. I bought the car without an engine. The goal was to build a fun street engine that makes respectable power, stays above 12 mpg, and is easy to drive (not too cold natured). I selected components so that the cam power band and the cylinder head airflow would come to a stop at 5500 rpm. Just to keep things honest, I installed an orange box electronic ignition that shuts down the fun at 6000 rpm.

The block is a 1968, with 302 heads from a Diplomat. Block was power washed with the freeze plugs out, honed, new bearings. The heads were given a mild clean up in the combustion chamber, new springs and seals fitted.

Pistons are cast for the 67-70 318. These were chosen for cost and because these years sit highest in the cylinder at the top of the stroke. I went for moly rings.

The cam is a flat tappet Summit special (Crane Fireball) 218º/228º @.050 .441"/.441". I got a set of SSI springs from PAW that are good to .500" Sadly PAW no longer deals in anything other than Gen 1 Hemis.

On the intake I used an Eddy Performer and a 625 Carter AFB. The Performer has the small ports that complement the small ports on nearly all 318 heads (exception if the 4 bbl cop car engine). I had a 3855 AFB (625 cfm) on my 66 Dart GT, so I figured it would work here.

Transmission is a 904 with a TransGo TF1 shift kit. I didn't want the hardness of a race shift. I used a kickdown kit from Bouchillon Performance. If you want more of a custom/hot rod look, Lokar has a sturdy kickdown you could use. The car originally had drum brakes, so when I did the BBP disk brake swap in front, I put in a BBP 7¼ rear (2.93:1) in it. I wouldn't recommend a 7¼, but I needed to be able to move the car. I'm in the process of piecing together a 8.75" that will have a 3.55:1 gear ratio.

 

[goldmember]

If you can find a magnum 5.2 or better 5.9 magnum running just toss the old 318 and go. Contact me by PM if you need some help with that.

 

[Cruzin]

Thanks for the responses. I just found out the car is coming with an 8 3/4 rear and factory front disk brakes with ac. I am not for sure of the trans or converter in it. It is a second owner car, with the second owner knowing the original owner for quite some time from what I understand. I'll start looking for parts once I see numbers are on the block and heads. It might be a mystery motor for all I know. Thanks again for all the help. Any additional info will always be welcomed. I'll start looking for parts that I will need.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Just askin a question here so no offense. You say you're not wanting to "build a race engine"......but going high dollar KB pistons you might as well be. Why not see what it looks like when you tear it down? It might not even need boring.

Hughes Engines makes a line of camshafts called Whiplash that are designed to maximize the cylinder pressure in a low compression stock engine while also giving it a nice rumble.

Not every single build has to have high dollar pistons. Don't let glamour get you into a project that you'll regret because you get yourself into a financial hole trying to build. This hobby is about having fun. You can have a lot of fun on the cheap of you do it smartly.

 

[dano]

Or buy this and a set of Doug's headers.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=229567&highlight=360

 

[Saetun]

Just askin a question here so no offense. You say you're not wanting to "build a race engine"......but going high dollar KB pistons you might as well be. Why not see what it looks like when you tear it down? It might not even need boring.

Hughes Engines makes a line of camshafts called Whiplash that are designed to maximize the cylinder pressure in a low compression stock engine while also giving it a nice rumble.

Not every single build has to have high dollar pistons. Don't let glamour get you into a project that you'll regret because you get yourself into a financial hole trying to build. This hobby is about having fun. You can have a lot of fun on the cheap of you do it smartly.

This Is Good Advice. After Tear down Of my 318 The Bottom End Was Rock Solid So I Decided To Run What I Brung And Only Focused My Attention On The Top End And Im Extremely Pleased. Even Better Is The Fact My Car Is On The Road And Dependable As All Hell And I Have The Luxury Of building My Car While I Drive It. Good Luck.

 

[moturbopar]

Are you going to be running headers? Anyways if you are I think a howards CL711451-08 Would be a more streetable cam. Does need some gear and mild converter. But being on a 108 lc will have a pretty noticeable idle in a 318. That cam with some head work, and the other part you have listed, should make for a pretty strong motor. I think a performer intake If keeping 318 heads, and a summit 4 bbl would work well.

 

[txstang84]

Maybe you can have better luck with the Summit 4bbl...my 600 ran great at WOT, but the throttle shafts leak like a sieve and it's a PITA to keep running until it reaches 180*...and is there for a few minutes, so I bolted on an Edelbrock 600 (#1405) I rebuilt years ago and had been sitting in a box since...filled up the bowls and it fired right up. I only ever had to do some minor adjustments to idle mixture and idle throttle...enough of my hijacking...

If you *need* to rebuild the bottom end, KB makes great pistons and they'll give you a bump in compression regardless of what heads you run since they come up to the top of the deck. Most stock 318s have the pistons about 030-060 in the hole. If you don't need to rebuild it, just clean it all up, get a cam that makes use of available cylinder pressure, a performer or similar intake, 600cfm Edelbrock or Holley 600 with vacuum secondaries, or something similar, and you don't even really need headers, but dual 2 1/4" pipes will really wake up a 318. If you do run headers, you won't need anything bigger than a 1 5/8" primary.

There are a few threads on here (and one sticky) about porting stock heads...I think I already saw a couple suggestions for using the 302 high swirl heads with 360 valves...Hot Rod did that a few years ago, but they did substantial work to a pair and managed to squeak out 400hp with a few other goodies...here's the link:

http://www.hotrod.com/howto/113_0304_318_small_block_build/viewall.html

Not saying this is the direction you have to go, but it would yield some tangible gains...one thing I would recommend...don't be tempted to go with 360 heads...what you gain in flow on the big end would be negated by a combination of a loss in compression, and poor port velocity until higher rpms.

Jeff (Saetun) has a great combo and it works great for a daily driver.

 

[Cruzin]

Hi Guys, well...............the deal fell through on the blue dart above. The guy sold the car out from under me. Not a happy experience. However, I did find this and the deal is sealed. It has a slant in it, but she's very clean ,all numbers matching, with all paperwork. I think this was a better choice for me anyway. That will give me time to save and buy parts to build a V8 for her. I appreciate all the help everyone is giving me. I am sure that I will count on you guys on the motor build. I am going to start searching for parts so I can get started. As I mentioned before earlier, the link to the motor I posted is what my car to sound like. Everyone has given me great advise. I got to start with a block first. Not for sure what tranny and rear are in this car yet. It is a 72. I won't know till the truck gets here with it. Such a great forum. Thanks to everyone again for all the help.

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[Cruzin]

Shucks. Pic did not load. Try this again.ops: Guess I am dainbranaged mode, I can't get pic to load.

 

[Cruzin]

 

[C130 Chief]

Clean 72! Arguably the best year.

 

[txstang84]

Think you might've gotten a better deal with this one! Looks good to me-looking forward to seeing any changes you may have for it! You'll have some info for us in the restoration section, right?

 

[sireland67]

That I really clean, how many miles?
What did you have to give for it if you dont mind me asking.

 

[Cruzin]

Think you might've gotten a better deal with this one! Looks good to me-looking forward to seeing any changes you may have for it! You'll have some info for us in the restoration section, right?

Yea, I'll be tossing her in there. Be looking for alot of motor help.

 

[Cruzin]

That I really clean, how many miles?
What did you have to give for it if you dont mind me asking.

I am not for sure on the miles exactly. Do I have to realllly have to give the price? Lets just say I have searched for six months for cars in the 3-4k range and have looked at about 1000 cars, and now I have one coming. Alot of work and alot of hit and misses.