318 to 340/360 ... Hints and Tips ?

[Pete]

Start at the back and work forwards if you are aiming for usable power.

[Super Sloth]

Is there nothing that can be done to restore and upgrade the 318 so you can at least keep the original block?

[Cannonball]

Is there nothing that can be done to restore and upgrade the 318 so you can at least keep the original block?

Of course there is nothing wrong with a 318, stick a decent ally intake 600 vac sec holley lumpy old crane cam, get the valves cleaned up n reseated new guides n seats clean the ports up with a rag roll n you will have a healthy little mtr, will eat some under acheivin big blocks a tell ye,

[Scooby]

Is there nothing that can be done to restore and upgrade the 318 so you can at least keep the original block?

Of course there is nothing wrong with a 318, stick a decent ally intake 600 vac sec holley lumpy old crane cam, get the valves cleaned up n reseated new guides n seats clean the ports up with a rag roll n you will have a healthy little mtr, will eat some under acheivin big blocks a tell ye,

Yep good point Dunc my old 318 had a few more bits and pieces added..she saw off a few old BBs in her time...and was an extremely reliable engine.
easy to work on and good for fuel ( well until I put 4.10 gears in her !!)
Anyway if ant broken why change it. Just a freshen up...maybe...
Rich

[Bozwell]

4 Speed

[Cannonball]

4 Speed

Even slower, you think you are going faster because of all the jerkin around you give your passengers but that auto car is gone,,

[Pete]

Well said.
5% fun, 95% pain in the botty...........

[sharpie]

Is there nothing that can be done to restore and upgrade the 318 so you can at least keep the original block?

will know more over the next week or so, but the engines going to have to come out, so being opportunistic would be the time to upgrade ...

[Bozwell]

4 Speed

Even slower, you think you are going faster because of all the jerkin around you give your passengers but that auto car is gone,,

that old chestnut

if that were true why is every proper American circuit race car manual?

also in period all the write ups the manual version of the same car was faster in the 1/4 mile?

it seems to me that to save the embarrassment of having an auto car the old "its faster" cliché comes into play

[Cannonball]

4 Speed

Even slower, you think you are going faster because of all the jerkin around you give your passengers but that auto car is gone,,

that old chestnut

if that were true why is every proper American circuit race car manual?

also in period all the write ups the manual version of the same car was faster in the 1/4 mile?

it seems to me that to save the embarrassment of having an auto car the old "its faster" cliché comes into play

No No no,

those cars running faster at the strip had a uhaul semi waiting in the pits to replace all the busted parts with the 4 speed cars, dont forget the factory chucked bucket loads of cash n parts at the REAL racers so bustin the car was of no concern to the drivers yank 4 spedds suck period i should know i ran one as a daily for 10 yrs yes great fun out on the op[en roads , but hey hang on there aint no open roads anymore just fkin cameras n grassers, so stick to an auto, i would imagine if you can get an auto to respond to downshifts etc quick enough and get full engine braking in all gears then you might see more auto,s circuit racing,,


And i dont know why you think its an embarrsment to have an auto car, lie under the front of my auto Dodge as it leaves the line, you can check out that deep auto box ally pan as it leaves with the front tyres 4 foot in the air

[Bozwell]

you can tell the 1/4 milers from the roundy rounders

[Stu]

[paolo_mangusta]

Having gone through the upgrade process with my last Dart, swapping to 340+727 I've got to say that I'd consider just working over the 318 and using the 904 if you're mostly just having fun with it as a road car. I had a bit of bad luck with things like the propshaft company not balancing it properly, and it took a long while to get the 340 running as I wanted it, and the cam in it meant that I couldn't get decent vacuum for power brakes.

when it was wound up, the 340 was wonderful, but how often do you find the space to rev it to six grand on the roads these days? My previous Dart was a 318 with skimmed 360 heads and a Thermoquad and it wasn't that far behind the stock 340. Get some compression into a 318, decent carb and headers and don't go mad with the cam and you'll be having most of the fun for a lot less money and grief.

and having had an auto and a four-speed, I prefer a four-speed, but that's cause I like going round corners. On the strip and in traffic the 727 was fantastic.

[MilesnMiles]

It all depends on dollars as usual. A 360 is a really torquey engine in a way that a 318 will never be. Is there one available is the issue?
As for the 340, I love mine. With the right combo of parts they are a special motor, but I do have a little more space to drive mine with quiet roads much of the year, so hitting higher rpms to enjoy the motor is possible.

It costs no more to build a 360 than a 318. That would make the decision for me if I had a 360 available.

[sharpie]

engines out and ive spun a shell after blockage in the oil pick up pipe

so looking at options to replace the original 318 ... what with, im not sure, but will be expensive to regrind

ad in wanted section, thanks