What head should I get for a 318

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D

dodge freak

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Well I been looking to upgrade my heads this coming spring cause theres not much else I can do to get more power I believe. First heres what I got -a 1979 318 over .030 with headers, a offy equal flow intake manifold, a holley hp 750 carb, msd 7al box with matching coil and 3.91 gears with a 904 trans with the low ratio gears and a manual valve body. It runs just fine but I want more and yeah a 360 or 440 would be best but $$ can't do it.

Can not decide if I want to just take my 1979 heads and put in 1.88 and 1.6 valves and mill .030 off-it has 8.5 pistons. Or should I try to find some 1970 318 heads and do the bigger valves and cut. Or what about those late 80's 302 heads, should I try to find those and drop the big 1.88 and 1.6 valve. Was leaning towards the 302 heads but hear they crack easy and I hate to have that happen to me during the summer after I spent $$ on them. I look at Indy heads-Aero racing site and they have 1980 67cc-70cc 318 heads with the 1.88 and 1.6 valves with all new valves, springs and guilds for $399 or 360 heads for $499. But I hear the big ports are not good for a street 318 motor. They can put harden seats in for $80 and blow blend the ports for $150. They mill both sides the bottom and intake for $175. What do you think I should do ?

I have adjustable rockers so I am thinking of Comps 270 mech. cam also, I have their 268 HY right now but its coming out .

Mangum heads are out, I have too many nice smal port intakes and my adjustable rocker arms so please I know they might be the best but do not want those
 
I believe that you should always get as much head as possible. At least until your wife finds out about it.

don
 
LOL...


On the question tho...You are limited in funds. How long does this setup have to last? I would suggest this. Go with a set of Magnum 5.2/5.9L heads from a junk yard. Get the rockers and vavel covers with them, and a gauranty that says you get another one if it shows up with cracks. Or possible graba set from a mass rebuilder. I hate the 2nd idea, but it may be cheaper. Sell your adustable LA rockers and pushrods, buy AMC pushrods and lifter for the 268 cam, and upgrade the valve srpings to LS1 stuff. It's cheaper. HAve the intake bolt holes drilled fr LA pattern, and bolt them on. They have a 53cc chamber, a real good flowing port, and a modern chamber, plus unleaded seats and 1.92 intake valves. No down side really, and I'd bet the whole shootin' match can be done for less than $600. I wouldnt put in a bigger cam. The Magnum uses 1.6 rockers so your 268 cam gets a little bigger anyway, and a solid cam with 270° advertised is a bit much for a 9:1 318.
 
dusterdon said:
I believe that you should always get as much head as possible. At least until your wife finds out about it.

don
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Yeah I hear you, then I could just relax and enjoy life. I be like those old ladys doing 30 mph down the street, expect I be having a good time.

Well I have some time to think about this I guess
 
A well cooled engine should not be cracking heads. I'm going to do 302's next summer. Have the heads boiled out and passages cleared.
In keeping with the cam question, gear ratio dependent, the 270 could be OK. I just don't know the ratio. A cam to improve your combo, but not change it's operating window, I would look at this cam. A split duration works very well with stock heads or a mild porting. Click this;
http://www.compcams.com/Technical/Search/CamDetails.asp?PartNumber=20-222-3

If your gear ratio can handle a 224 @ .050 duration cam, look at the next larger Comp XE. Click here: http://www.compperformancegroupstor...CC&Product_Code=20-223-3&Category_Code=20-CAM
 
Gears are 3.91s with a 2.74 first gear and 1.54 second with a 27" tall tire. Thats what I am thinking, keep the motor cool-I always run a 160 T S in the summer and a 180 this time of year. Rad. in great shape with a electriac fan which I only need when its more than 70 degrees. I call my local junk yard today and they have them for $75 a peice. First place I called had them, might get 3 heads and keep one-unwork-as a spare. Like the compression going up and the bigger valves should help the flow. Not sure if it give me more rpms but it can turn 5700 right now. The adjustables rockers gave me 300 rpms more-must have had to much pre-load on the lifters I guess.
 
The adjustables rockers gave me 300 rpms more-must have had to much pre-load on the lifters I guess.
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My guess to.
I call my local junk yard today and they have them for $75 a peice.
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032 heads?
I myself would go for the bigger cam.
 
Yeah I think the cam would help and I think when I change it thats all I do for 2-3 weeks. Try to jet the carb up and down a little and drive it alot and check it out good. Afterwards though I was thinking of putting the late 80's 4323302 cylinder heads on with the smaller chambers to boost the compression up. The ports are a bit small cc wise but I thought the 1.88 and 1.6 valve with a little porting would more than make up for it. The heads will have new valve springs that the cam calls for but I was going to use my weaker springs to break the new cam in. Not sure if my springs are all that weak, the motor just stops pulling at high rpms, does not break up at all. Have crane springs in now with .030 shims but they are 8 years old, cam is 5 years old but I only drive 3000-5000 miles a year.

Motor was breaking up a bit at around 5400 before I swap some speed pro adjustable rockers on which I got from e-bay for $130 with push rods. All aftermaket stuff not 60's stuff-I think I got a good deal, it had the shafts too.
 
Ask BJR racing about head work for your combo. Make clear it's a street car and the exact combo of parts being used in the engines final form so he understands exactly whats going on.
 
Your thermostat has noting to do with operating temp. The thermostat just regulated how warm the water is in the block and heads before it goes to the radiator. The radiator and fan combo along with the engine tune-up and condition will dictate the operating temp. The thermostat is nothing more that a temp controlled valve that aids in warm up time and how soon the engine gets to operating temp. I would run a 180* T-stat all year round.
 
Your thermostat has noting to do with operating temp. The thermostat just regulated how warm the water is in the block and heads before it goes to the radiator.
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Thats is the operating temp.
The thermostat has everything to do with how warm your engine gets. In the summer, running without on can overheat the engine. The thermostat does indeed regulte the coolent in the engine. But thats the operating temp your looking at.
Other parts of the engine maybe hotter, but if the coolent gets to hot, it can cool the rest of the engine well.

The radiator and fan combo along with the engine tune-up and condition will dictate the operating temp.
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Well if there in poor shape, so is the runnig condition. Seperate the first 2, rad and fan from engine tune and engine tune-up and condition.
A bad flowing rad and/or fan will overheat the engine quickly. The coolent gets cooled in the rad. How cooled it gets should be cool enuff for it to enter the engine and cool it down and keep it cool long enuff for the replacement fluid that came out of the engine to be suffeciently cooled to cool the engine down and continue the cycle.

Engine tune-up and condition will add to the problem unless servere enuff to be it's own menace.
 
Your right I said that wrong...I meant to say it has nothing to do with max temp.....my fault.
 
Ahhhhhh, you posted before I finished. LOL.
It's OK. I get real backwards once in awhile myself and get corrected by someone. I notice it a day later, I read it and wonder what planet I was on!
Good thing theres a group of us!
 
Exactly.....better to have a bunch of people giving responses. When I'm wrong I'm wrong and my wife tell's me I'm wrong a lot....so I'm used to it.
 
In a perfect set up a 180 TS would work fine, but in the summer if I leave the 180 in most of the time the motor would run 195 or so and I would need to use the fan much more offen. Thats why I run a 160, the motor temp is about 180 most of the time after 10 mins or so. In the winter it cools off much better so the 160 is too cold. Hope this helps, oh I have no desire to spend $500 for a new aluminum rad and other $250 for a pair of fans - much cheaper for me just to swap TS 2 X a year, I throw enough cash away at the gas pumps :cussing:
 
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