What do you think about this 318 guys.

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My point always is a 318 isn't a 340 and cant be made into one there are similarities in and around the crank stroke etc but why go to the lengths to make it into something its not the chrysler engineers didn't even waste their time on a 318. They redesigned it to be a 340. The 318 is or was cheap they were laying around every where other than that dumping money into them negates what they really are a cheap reliable v-8 I get into this discussion all the time and all it is is internet arguing next youll say "but 340s aren't around" I say yes they are they will cost you just for a core...if someone really wants a 340 they still can be had 360s also I see people who cant give away 318s on here occasionally thw 273 is even worse if these engines are so great why is it noone will give a guy 100 bucks for one? There was a 318 in CT on here once and the guy was like "come and get it" i thought about it as Im about 5 hours away but themn i thought " what the hella m I going to do with it it wiill sit..." the 318 thing is internet bullshit I really think and thats my opinion. Uncle Tony perpetuated it and his nut sniffers really beat that drum.
I'm not arguing with you... i owna 318 cause it's what i could find :) I don't LOVE them.. i also don't get the hardon guys have for 340s.. i will be using a 360 when i find the right one. Just .090 less bore doesn't bug me much..
 
I'm not arguing with you... i owna 318 cause it's what i could find :) I don't LOVE them.. i also don't get the hardon guys have for 340s.. i will be using a 360 when i find the right one. Just .090 less bore doesn't bug me much..
You must be under the spell of Uncle Tony, he worked his 318 voodoo on you lol
 
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You must be under the spelling of Uncle Tony, he worked his 318 voodoo on you lol
haha not at all.. i hated 318s my entire life.. BUT.. my current car had a trashed poly and i wanted something i could throw in to get it drving and a cheap 318 fits the bill :) This is actually the first small block i have owned..
 
haha not at all.. i hated 318s my entire life.. BUT.. my current car had a trashed poly and i wanted something i could throw in to get it drving and a cheap 318 fits the bill :) This is actually the first small block i have owned..
You went to the darkside :) must find this 318 vs 340/360 vs 408 funny when a big block got them all covered. A big battle of 3 engines with relatively similar sizes bores.
 
You went to the darkside :) must find this 318 vs 340/360 vs 408 funny when a big block got them all covered. A big battle of 3 engines with relatively similar sizes bores.

You are correct.. and it's all in fun :) i have had like 30 big block cars but never a small block.... i wish i had gone BB now but that would be boring and i also wanted to keep my pushbutton trans.. I'm only looking for 400hp.. won't be a problem
 
You are correct.. and it's all in fun :) i have had like 30 big block cars but never a small block.... i wish i had gone BB now but that would be boring and i also wanted to keep my pushbutton trans.. I'm only looking for 400hp.. won't be a problem
I don't know if I already gave you this but here's some 318 related articles there 3 400 hp builds

 
I don't know if I already gave you this but here's some 318 related articles there 3 400 hp builds
I have actually read quite a few of those :) I have a lot of time at work... i already have my parts and such... i'm just gonna throw too much money at it and make 300hp and get mad :)
 
I have actually read quite a few of those :) I have a lot of time at work... i already have my parts and such... i'm just gonna throw too much money at it and make 300hp and get mad :)
Is Just like any other engine, heads is the main thing, then cam cr intake exhaust etc... It's about 12% smaller than a 360 so needs about 12% more rpm and stall and gear to a similar 360.
 
I have actually read quite a few of those :) I have a lot of time at work... i already have my parts and such... i'm just gonna throw too much money at it and make 300hp and get mad :)
:rofl: Don't get mad. Get even! If the magazines can make 400 horse with Magnum heads and a 4 barrel you should be able to do it with your pile of good parts.
 
:rofl: Don't get mad. Get even! If the magazines can make 400 horse with Magnum heads and a 4 barrel you should be able to do it with your pile of good parts.
You don't know me.. with trickflows and a roller cam i'm shooting for a solid 375 :) i'm not greedy
 
Honestly I don't hate 318's either I just know how far I'd take one and I think I said somewhere I had one an early 70s LA stock everything except Headers summit cam K 6901 I think is the part number and a 600 Holley. Now the only other thing I'd do is heads and I would also like a more positive deck height piston maybe I'd go .030 over or whatever piston I could get but I'd stop there if I needed more I'd go 360. The 70's 360 is a low comp smog motor but at least you get the bigger port heads in your initial investment. The 318 may be all that is left but I dont prefer the rewriting of history people saying they are just as good as etc. they always lack in the top end and its the port size in the heads. my 318 ,leveled out power wise at 5000 RPM after that it was making noise alot of noise with 2.5 inch exhaust. yeah people said it sounded good but...that's what I tell people it will sound good it will do a burnout but higher RPM isn't a stock 318's forte... thats where you need to do some internal engine mods. I also don't suspect anyone is running 318 heads on any of these "race 318s" LOL!:) what should be out there as a "kit" is and correct me if I'm wrong because this stuff may be available ...a 340 style positive deck domed piston kit for a 318 block, or a flat top zero deck with fly cuts pistons etc I would do that with a 318 with the aftermarket heads...but the 318 is limited with what can be done it can only be bored so much etc. I don't really think 3.91 is a big issue its just what parts are available for piston kits, sroker kits etc. and of course cost effectiveness what you pay for how much power in return. I know I tend to overthink these things...:)
 
I don't get why 4" bore is some magical number.. a 318 can be 3.970 and i believe 4 if sonic checked and you like cracked walls :) But you are telling me .090 matters that much?


Nothing to do with magic. A 4.100 bore is FAR better than a 4.00 bore just like a 4.185 bore is FAR better than a 4.100 bore.

The bigger bore man’s you can run a bigger valve. As long as you have the port to feed it you’re golden.

And if you don’t use a bigger valve you unshroud the valve you have.

And a bigger bore makes more power.

Simple as that.
 
Is Just like any other engine, heads is the main thing, then cam cr intake exhaust etc... It's about 12% smaller than a 360 so needs about 12% more rpm and stall and gear to a similar 360.


I don’t know how you do it but before I start picking parts I know how much HP I need to make and what RPM I need to do it.

Then comes the heads, then I pick the compression ratio then cam timing.

If it’s pump gas I pick the compression ratio first then the heads and cam timing.
 
I don’t know how you do it but before I start picking parts I know how much HP I need to make and what RPM I need to do it.
Would be the smartest way
Then comes the heads, then I pick the compression ratio then cam timing.

If it’s pump gas I pick the compression ratio first then the heads and cam timing.
Most seem to have some vague goals when building an engine, you seem to have a clear purpose.
 
Nothing to do with magic. A 4.100 bore is FAR better than a 4.00 bore just like a 4.185 bore is FAR better than a 4.100 bore.

The bigger bore man’s you can run a bigger valve. As long as you have the port to feed it you’re golden.

And if you don’t use a bigger valve you unshroud the valve you have.

And a bigger bore makes more power.

Simple as that.
SEE! Now that's an answer!! I hadn't even considered valve shrouding and i should have since i knew that :)
 
I kinda pulled the plug a little early around here. I was getting LA blocks and cranks for 50-75.00 around here bare and taken apart. When I bought my R3 block and had around 10-13 blocks I quit buying them. I never see anything under 100.00 now and if I do it’s for just the block. I rarely run a stock crank now but I’m pretty low on stock.
I have a LA stock 360 crank here at 26301 WV I will give you, its already .010/.010"
 
It does make little sense to build less than the biggest bore available. 340 if cheap and plentiful would be obvious choice but since it ain't 360 makes the most sense, but really for the power levels most are shooting for a 318 bore can do it even a 273 could handle 400+hp should you?
It's a bit of a sacrifice but obviously a 3.91-3.97+ bore can make power but that's up to owner if that an acceptable sacrifice for really little reason to do it over a 360? But then again if you want bore size the 4.25-4.34 of 383/400/440 is readily available and people choose the 4in over them high percentage of the time :)
 
It does make little sense to build less than the biggest bore available. 340 if cheap and plentiful would be obvious choice but since it ain't 360 makes the most sense, but really for the power levels most are shooting for a 318 bore can do it even a 273 could handle 400+hp should you?
It's a bit of a sacrifice but obviously a 3.91-3.97+ bore can make power but that's up to owner if that an acceptable sacrifice for really little reason to do it over a 360? But then again if you want bore size the 4.25-4.34 of 383/400/440 is readily available and people choose the 4in over them high percentage of the time :)
Rat already gave the proper answer why .090 matters :) (i am figuring he had to explain it to his girlfriends at some point also....)
 
An internal combustion engine is an air pump. The more air you pump the more torque you produce. Horsepower is a measurement of torque production over time. If Ma Mopar had thrown the same parts that made the 340 so great at the 318 it to would have been praised as well. Why do you think the Z-28 and Boss 302 weren't 350cid? SCCA rules at that time said engines used in the Trans-Am series had to start as production engines displacing 305cid or less. At that time all Chrysler Corp. was interested in doing was racing in a straight line. By the time Chrysler Corp was interested in Trans-Am the engine didn't have to start at or below 305cid. due to rule changes. I for one would like to build a 318 with stock unmodified 340cid heads, a solid lifter cam with specs close to the 302's from Chevy and Ford and stock 340 intake-carb and exhaust manifolds. Then dyno it and compare output numbers considering the 16cid difference.
Rant over, thanks for listening .
 
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