The Mighty 318 Part II ….. LOL

[brodphish]

Just got finished reading all 4 pages of The Mighty 318 thread about getting 590hp out of a 318. More BS in one place than I ever recall seeing but the smiles per mile were worth it. Also this kernel of truth:

To me the two main reasons you build a 318, 1st one you got a running 318 and you want to add basic performance (4bbl, rv cam, exhaust, tune) to me a no brainer.

I recently became owner of a good running 318 in a very nice 66 Barracuda. This was unexpected as the car was advertised as a 2 BBL 273 car. A bonus, right?

My wife forced me to buy this car to complete the red white and blue 66 collection (see “Happy Belated 4th of July” in the Early A Body forum). The other cars are stock FS Commandos and pull to 5k. This 318 is torquey and runs good but is out of breath sooner than any other car I’ve owned (3 -3,500? No tach just the “performance indicator”).

Looking for the best answers to the scenario 273 so correctly outlines above.

Don’t need a stroker I’ve got a Koffels 417 in a 67 notchback. Just want a 318 that pulls past 5k with some lungs left. 300 - 350 hp would be a good target, I think.

 

[brodphish]

Pics

 

[273]

Just got finished reading all 4 pages of The Mighty 318 thread about getting 590hp out of a 318. More BS in one place than I ever recall seeing but the smiles per mile were worth it. Also this kernel of truth:



I recently became owner of a good running 318 in a very nice 66 Barracuda. This was unexpected as the car was advertised as a 2 BBL 273 car. A bonus, right?

My wife forced me to buy this car to complete the red white and blue 66 collection (see “Happy Belated 4th of July” in the Early A Body forum). The other cars are stock FS Commandos and pull to 5k. This 318 is torquey and runs good but is out of breath sooner than any other car I’ve owned (3 -3,500? No tach just the “performance indicator”).

Looking for the best answers to the scenario 273 so correctly outlines above.

Don’t need a stroker I’ve got a Koffels 417 in a 67 notchback. Just want a 318 that pulls past 5k with some lungs left. 300 - 350 hp would be a good target, I think.

275-300 hp is pretty easy, over 300 hp gonna need heads and possibly cr.

Your basic 4bbl mild cam duals and maybe headers and good tune, some gears and a higher stall is a bonus.

3-8-Teen Dream

 

[318willrun]

318 2bbls from the factory will shift around 5k if you want them to. Probably 4400 rpms is ideal for the 2bbl. Just a good 4bbl and dual exhaust you'd probably shift at close to 5k rpm's shift point (if the rest of the engine is up to snuff)

 

[junkyardhero]

eddy performer intake, 625 eddy/carter, electronic igntion, true duals and it'll sing the song of our people.

if you're feeling saucy, stab a small cam in it.

if you've got the dosh, headers really bring the band together.

 

[brodphish]

Shoulda mentioned this is a 4 speed car. Just plain runs outta breath in my opinion. A tach would help me know, I’m gonna take out the performance indicator and put in a factory tach. But surely there’s a lot more top end and prolly pretty easy with the right bolts ons, starting with the heads. So many opinions on heads, where to start?

It has a good dual with flow masters on it so that’s a start. The 4bbl with a right intake might even be enough and the (lack of) cost factor hard to beat. This and as 273 says a mild cam might be enough.

 

[brodphish]

Junkyard I think you nailed it.

 

[318willrun]

Shoulda mentioned this is a 4 speed car. Just plain runs outta breath in my opinion. A tach would help me know, I’m gonna take out the performance indicator and put in a factory tach. But surely there’s a lot more top end and prolly pretty easy with the right bolts ons, starting with the heads. So many opinions on heads, where to start?

It has a good dual with flow masters on it so that’s a start. The 4bbl with a right intake might even be enough and the (lack of) cost factor hard to beat. This and as 273 says a mild cam might be enough.

If this helps, my stock 318 2bbl came from the factory shifting at 4400 (I do believe) from the factory in my van. I have a tach in it, but don't floor it enough to remember. I promise it's definitely well past 4k rpms with the factory kickdown linkage. Pulls nice to that too, seems fine there. I could probably hold it manually to 5k rpms without issue but it wouldn't help the performance.

 

[junkyardhero]

Shoulda mentioned this is a 4 speed car. Just plain runs outta breath in my opinion. A tach would help me know, I’m gonna take out the performance indicator and put in a factory tach. But surely there’s a lot more top end and prolly pretty easy with the right bolts ons, starting with the heads. So many opinions on heads, where to start?

It has a good dual with flow masters on it so that’s a start. The 4bbl with a right intake might even be enough and the (lack of) cost factor hard to beat. This and as 273 says a mild cam might be enough.

1- get a tach on it. you might think ya know, but ya don't know, ya know.

2- i wouldn't just snap heads on a motor unless i knew it was rebuilt/what the bottom end was.

you spend a grip of dough, knock some heads on thinking it's gonna be a world beater and then it turns out to be dog water for whatever reason. i'd do everything else and then if i found myself still wanting, then i'd be going for a set of heads. which would *likely* mean pulling the motor and giving it a go thru as well.

also, because you've got a 4spd there's a little more leeway in cam selection. you can definitely get away with a little bit bigger cam

 

[ch1ll]

Where is the "Mighty 318" thread? I want to read it too.

 

[fishmens67]

I'd slap a set of 360 heads, hemi grind cam, a tunnel ram and 4.88 gears to it a rev it to the moon. lol

 

[mygasser]

i'm putting together a 318 for the 58 (nash) rambler american gasser i'm building. so far i have an early 340 cam with roller timing set, 2.02 340 j heads (1.88 360 heads would do), weiand stealth intake (performer rpm from another mother, lol), 770 holley street avenger, fenderwell headers and kb399 pistons. i chose the 399's over the 167's as they have a small 'dome' to recoup some of the compression lost with the bigger combustion chambers of the 340/360 heads. both pistons give a decent jump in compression with their increase in compression height so.... either way even just using the 340/360 heads on a stock bottom end will improve hp, it's been done many times so a proven mod'. oh, and i have a 2500 stall converter for the 904 trans' and 3.73 gears in the exploder rear end which'll both help me too.
neil.

 

[toolmanmike]

I'd slap a set of 360 heads, hemi grind cam, a tunnel ram and 4.88 gears to it a rev it to the moon. lol

 

[DeltaV]

Where is the "Mighty 318" thread? I want to read it too.

Maybe these, maybe others?

The mighty 318! Help with compression, and head/piston combos…or even a stroker!


UTG -The Mighty 318


318 upgrades


Stock .318 upgrade!


Making power out of the 318


What would you do?


The "Throw Away 318"


Need 318 Gurus


318 head porting for the average joe


318LA Myth's still being created!


Today, dollar for dollar, is the 318 faster than the 340 ???


Scream'n 318 ?


my Low dollar 318 hop-up project


318 and 10's


Show off your 318's****


The mighty 318. Cams, cams, cams. What to do?


Cams for 318's


The 318 NON believers


415HP from 318ci IS POSSABLE!!


318 combo's

 

[318willrun]

I'd slap a set of 360 heads, hemi grind cam, a tunnel ram and 4.88 gears to it a rev it to the moon. lol

Had a friend that raced stock eliminator in a truck with a 318. He turned 7200 rpm's for years and held the record for 4 yrs straight in his class in the mid 90's. 318willturnhighrpm's

 

[318willrun]

Had a friend that raced stock eliminator in a truck with a 318. He turned 7200 rpm's for years and held the record for 4 yrs straight in his class in the mid 90's. 318willturnhighrpm's

here it is.....

 

[brodphish]

Delta - thanks for all the links. I’ve read about half and will come back for the rest.

273 - I like the Hot Rod article. I think this will be my template due to the tested results, right around my goal.

Chill - the thread to which I refer is the first one in Deltas links.

One final thought - the car in question has a 7 1/4 rear end with 3.23 gears (don’t think it’s a sure grip). I am aware this is a limiting factor but prolly ok in the 282-300 hp range of The Hot Rod article?

 

[PRH]

A few pulls on a chassis dyno might reveal some answers as to why it runs out of steam so early.

I’d try and determine where it noses over(get a tac), and if it’s as low as you say, I’d find the reason for that, and get it rectified before adding any go-fast parts.

 

[brodphish]

Good idea PRH. I’ll get the tach and have a few dyno runs done soon. Once that’s sorted I’ll do a build over the winter along the lines of the Hot Rod article.

I feel good about this strategy! Thanks all for the input.

 

[junkyardhero]

Good idea PRH. I’ll get the tach and have a few dyno runs done soon. Once that’s sorted I’ll do a build over the winter along the lines of the Hot Rod article.

I feel good about this strategy! Thanks all for the input.

which hot rod article?

i feel like i've built them all (and some of them twice!) and i'd be happy to separate the wheat from the chaff on them for ya.

 

[273]

which hot rod article?

i feel like i've built them all (and some of them twice!) and i'd be happy to separate the wheat from the chaff on them for ya.

He's talking the stock 318 long block and cr with a xe262h 4bbl and headers for 282 hp, I posted on #3

 

[AJ/FormS]

Leave the 318 cam in it; but Re-spring the valves for 5500,
install any 4bbl, open air-cleaner, headers, and a free-flowing exhaust.
Finally, the piece-de-resistance;
Put an 833od in it and no less than 3.55s .
The starter gear of 10.97 will rocket her off the line,
Out-shifting at 5000, will get you into Second at 32mph= 3070 in Third, and second will get you to 60@4740. Overdrive will get you 65=2350
If it was me, I'd install a Thermoquad, just for the roar.
Oh wait; I already did all of that, lol.
She was a real nice winter-engine.
Why headers?
well they were already in the car lol, on my hot-rod summer engine.

In your case tho, in an early-A, for a lil pep;
I'd just drop a stock 360 into it with log manifolds, 2bbl and all, but dual exhaust. You'll have all the engine the chassis can handle, for at least two gears or 5200 or 65mph whichever comes first. you don't need no stinking tach.
Oh sorry, did I cross the line there? Hah!
Well, Just try getting under-chassis headers into that car, with a 4-speed. Let us know how that works out for you.
Listen, I'm not being an A-hole; just try it.
You'll be back to thinking logs in no time, and when that happens, your teener is gunna fall over long before it runs outta rpm.
and then
and then yur gunna start thinking 360.
I'd even run a 340 thru logs with a complete 318 top end on it, before I'd try to run under-chassis headers on a 318 with a 4-speed in that Early-A chassis.
Oh wait, I already did that. lol.
What a tire-frier that was, lol.
BTW.
I'm 72 so I grew up in the 70s. I was a lousy student in school but I grew up with 340stick cars. back then, our only choice for headers was Hooker fenderwells.

With a 318 only, my advice is to install headers or 340-type logs, duals, a 4bbl, valve springs, a nice 904/998/999LU with a 2800 stall, and maybe 2.94s, or better, it'll be a riot.
and 65=2470 with 2.94s and 26"tires@ zeroslip.

Happy HotRodding

 

[273]

Do a mild hop up on an already installed 318 vs swap in a low power 2 bbl 360, ya that makes no sense lol.

 

[273]

The blue lines Torque and Hp at the bottom of the dyno graph is a stock 2 bbl low cr 360 with manifolds, it show basically zero advantage to the torque (and hp not shown) of the dyno numbers of mild 318 at bottom of the post, xe262h 4bbl and headers.

Make it make sense AJ

3-8-Teen Dream

TORQUE SUPERFLOW 901 DYNO-TESTED AT WESTECH
RPM	BASE	MOD 1	MOD 2
2,000	292
2,500	287
3,000	287	338	336
3,500	272	335	340
4,000	248	326	330
4500	218	309	319
5,000	188	285	296
5,500		250	258

 

[AJ/FormS]

I'm not doing yur homework for you.
I already did theses combos, no print-outs, no graphs, just real-world results.