The 318 is a god of an engine. It always seems like it's "Get rid of the 318 and go 360 blah blah blah" the 318 is already internally balanced and revs to the moon. I've beat the shit out of my stock 318 and it just absolutely LOVES it. You can't kill them. When the apocalypse comes the last things running on the plant will be a slant 6, a jeep 4.0 and the 318.
I killed 3 318s when i was a teenager. I decided to go with a 5.9 magnum and it has been rock solid. However it just doesnt rev like a 318 or sounds as good. Now i wish i had spent the money on a forged bottom end for another 318.
@@jeffscott8323 Yep. first one threw a rod through the side of the block, 2nd spun a main bearing, 3rd had a cracked block. They sounded damn good shifting at 6,500+ rpm lol
My grandfather had a 1968 Plymouth Belvedere with a 318 cu. in. engine. Smoothest running engine I've ever seen. You could disconnect 5 plug wires and it would still run. It had power to spare even pushing that Belvedere. Those older 318's were some of the most durable engines built.
@@bradleynelson5915 My buddy loved full sized impala's with 350 engines. He used to pull off 7 plug wires and it would still run, and smoothly. Saw it many times right in my driveway.
Love it. I run a 318 bored 090 also. Not as aggressive as yours but still run 11.30's with it. It's priceless when you tell them that you are running a 318. Keep up the great work.
UTG did a video on the benefits of small block 318. He called the "meat and potatoes" engine. Like you said, it was produced for everyday drivers (found in everything, cars, trucks and vans). primarily so to speak. Good, reliable engines. He said if you wanted to get into budget building those were good to start with because they are abundant and cheap. Interchangeable parts, with a few at-home mods you can gain some good numbers and with few more dollars gain even better numbers. Never really been a Mopar guy, I've been gaining a lot more respect and appreciation for their products and the people who build them. Thanks for the video.
I grew up in the 80s, when there were still enough 60s and early 70s American cars around that we could afford to be partisan when it came to brand loyalty. For instance, from 1985-90, I knew of a bunch of people who owned at least 7 different '68-'74 Novas, and at least 6 or 7 different 68-72 Chevelles. Because I've always been a fan of the underdog, and because there were so damn many Chevy cars around, I became a Ford/Mercury fan. But nowadays they are ALL few and far between, so it's no longer practical to be so partisan. Now I'd gladly own a '68 Mustang fastback, a '68 Cougar, or a '68 Firebird, a '68 notchback Barracuda, a '68 Charger, or even a '68 AMX(but with just slightly less enthusiasm for that last one).
I used to beat 383 Roadrunners with my 65 Dart 273 Hi-Po! On the street of course! It ran 14.70's stock. You put good heads and induction on any 318 bored out and they'll scream! It's all about lbs per cubic inch all things being equal. I used to race a Super Stock 340 Duster in the 70's.
Seems like the 383s were kinda choked by the heads,and probably other factors on a stock engine.Cool thing about them is they're oversquare.With a top end that can actually breathe a 383 would be a monster.
4 inch bore is where the trick flow is used for Head flow, personally prefer the 4.07 inch bore myself. i drove a 4.08 bore 340 for years with zero problems
I think the reason the 318s were never seen as a performance engine is the fact that it was never allowed big valve free flowing heads or much compression in most cases. The 340 got these so it got the spotlight and respect it earned. The power for any brand is mostly in the heads and cam anyway. If you built a 318 and 340 identical other than the cubes you wouldn't see all that much difference. Nice video. 👍
@@johnh1001 351 has way more potential. If it's a 351cleveland? No comparison at all.. 302's tend to split if not properly built and lack of extra webbing in the lifter galley.
@@ricklodestein1101 a 302 will break running too much compression. many 347's are running and not breaking blocks. I've been running a 1987 roller block as a clevor now 25 years. No problem.
I love the 318's myself. Why spend the dough for a couple extra cubes? Just spin it a little faster! I have a 318 bored .040 over, KB167 Flat-tops, decked to 0.000" and balanced. XE268 cam, mild ported "302" heads and a Wieand Stealth intake. That little bugger screams to 7,000. Next will be some 2.02" "J' heads. I love beating other people with "Just a 318!"
I had a 1972 Plymouth Barracuda with a 318. I put on 1970 340 heads, 1970 340 Exhaust manifolds, an Edelbrock performer intake, a Cloyes double roller timing chain, a Crower Group 2 Hydraulic Cam ( INT/EXH - Dur @ .050” Lift: 204°/214° RR: 1.5/1.5 Gross Lift: .422”/.444” LSA: 112° RPM: 1500 to 4250 Redline: 4750), with dual Exhausts and Glass Packs. I loved it! I also had a 400 Hp 340 with a 4 speed in another 72 Plymouth Cuda. Unfortunately, I was transferred to the UK ( I was in the USAF) and I was told by my sponsor not to bring any of My Cars to the UK. When I got there, everyone had thier Camaros and Mustangs there. The worst part was My Stepdad complained about my cars being stored , and My Mom sold both cars while I was in the UK! It took Me 10 years to locate another 72 Cuda with a 340. But that 318 was no Joke. Great Video, Gary's Garage!
@@FATMIKED5183 there is more to it than that ; .130 extra bore means not only extra torque , ir means a LOT MORE airflow , means more power everywhere in the power band ..
Great channel, it brings back a lot of memories. My first car was a silver 1967 Barracuda "Notchback". It came with the 273, but since my parents were into drag racing, that was soon changed. After the 340 we put in dropped a rod, we had a 318 that had been in our Pro Street car sitting around. It was bored 0.60 over, had 13.5: 1 pistons, aluminum rods and a high lift cam. Needless to say it was the fastest can in my high school. Those were the days!
I knew by the space between the mount ears on the driver's side of the block. 340s and 360s are narrower. I wasn't going to assume the windage tray main bolts hadn't been switched! Good comparison! I'm digging your content.
🤔 I could tell merely by looking at the colors of the 2 blocks. You see, neither block has ever been painted Ford blue, which is clearly the problem here..... You could add 50 hp to any Mopar or GM small block just by spraying them in Ford blue! But your best bet is to just always start out with an engine that came painted in that color from the factory. That guarantees hundreds of extra hp! 😁 Just kidding of course. I used to be a Ford purist back in the 80s when there were still LOTS of late 60s and early 70s cars around from every American manufacturer. But since those old cars are now few and far between, it's no longer practical to be partisan. So now I like all of them. These days I'd gladly own either a '68 Cougar, a '68 Firebird or a '68 notchback Barracuda(or even a '68 AMX, though with slightly less enthusiasm).
I have owned both engines and NO STOCK 318 2 barrel will run with a STOCK 340 even the low compression 1972 & 1973 340's will still beat them...The 318 is cheaper but not better.
BUT, BUT, BuT, it's not a 318 it's a 408, I don't care if you use a Dart block, or 318,or 340 block, or if you're a Ford guy a 351 block it's a 408 cubic inch Mopar/ Ford/Chevy all day long LOL. If it's a 318 say it's a 318 if it's a 408 say it's a 408
@@mikewardhvacrestoration7136 A mildly built 318, WITHOUT a stroker crank, will put out a solid 400hp! Stock 340's were rated at 275hp and really put out 310hp-325hp. Good heads (Edelbrock), cam (.500+ lift) and KB-167 at 10+ to 1 and the only thing lacking is 22 cubes, and that can be overcome by the better flow and higher revs.
The 1967 and, "early" 1968 318 cylinder walls are thicker and thick enough for a 4.00" bore. The same casting was to be used for the proposed 1967 331 cubic inch engine for the Dodge Dart. The performance of the 331 was disappointing, so the engine was scratched and the 340 engine developed for 1968. Because Dodge had planned for the 331 engine in the 1967 Dart the 383 engine that Plymouth offered in the early 1967 Barracuda wasn't available in the 1967 Dart, until very late in the model year, with the 1967 383 Dart GTS. The 340 engine took the 331's 4.00" bore to 4.04", made the intake ports the same size as the 327 Chevy intake ports and made the valve sizes the same as the 327 Chevy valve sizes. The 340 was originally designed for a 6,500 RPM redline, but it was decided that forged pistons would be desired for that RPM limit, but they would be too costly. The 340 had its valve springs crippled to restrict the redline to 6,000 RPM, in order to safely use cast pistons and keep costs down.
Mopar engineers didn't use forged pistons in any 60's engine except the 426 HEMI. Cast pistons have some advantages over forged pistons besides costs. With a set of Direct Connection valve springs, both these small blocks can rev to 6500 rpm's during WOT application. If your hunting for a used 318, look for a 'Magnum' 318, used in Rams, Cherokees and Dakota's from 1992 to 2003. This upgraded engine was rated at 230 hp/295 ft lbs tq stock and has better heads and other good stuff. --70 yr old Mopar gearhead.
318’s are freaking awesome, I have a stock stroke 318 bored 60 over in my car and it’s putting some serious power down guys. Don’t underestimate the 318!!
I built a 318 back in the 80s, only 10 thou overbore, not stroked or any other cubic inch mods. The power was a result of the porting, valve grind topped with the standard edelbrock and 750 Carter and 3 inch exhaust made an honest 350 rear wheel horsepower. Had to use a turnbuckle to stop motor mount breakage. Bullet proof engine just make sure to use at least a 3 core rad as these do run hot.
Still miss my 77 van with a 318. We put 340 heads on it , direct connection purple cam, 4 barrel with intake.. don’t know the power levels it had ( i was a young young lad ) but I had headers and side pipes and it was the best sounding small block i ever owned … salute !
My last hot rod 318 was in a 71 Duster . 3speed manual. At the time it was just about the same time the Edelbrock Performer Intake and cam kit had come out . A lot of work performed but Wow, that car was very stout. Pissed off a lot of people . Now I have a 74 Duster. Probably going with a Magnum 318 just due to a availability of junkyard parts if need be . Nothing wrong with that engine, numbers tell the tale.
Nothing wrong with a 318! I took a stock 160hp 2bbl 318( on my dyno) and installed a GT-45 turbo. It made 520hp&633 ftlbs on my dyno. Very tough motors, 45 Dyno pulls with no issues and then it went into my 81' W-150.
I'd love to say that "it's just a little 318" ! Hell, I've heard stock 318s sound really good with open exhaust. Add a small cam and I would imagine it would sound awesome.
Now if you think about and do some research you can apply the same thinking to 440/426 wedge vs 383/400 wedge both have their strong points and both have their weak points but the later blocks where stronger but made of a slightly softer iron still to me I love all the Mopar V8s!!
I personally can give a few numbers as I purchased a pretty decent 70' 340 4spd Duster for 500 bucks back in the 80's with a bad motor. I salvaged what was useable( everything but the block,pistons& crank. I had a 318-3 short block from a 2ton flat truck that I sent out for cleanup,cam bearings and freeze plugs but that's about it. I put in a few Direct connection( remember that?) valvetrain parts like a 284° 284° cam and proceeded to run 13.07 with it on street tires!
Built the original 88k mile 318 in my Valiant. I didn't want to, but the factory machining was horrendous. So, since we were there, it got forged I-beam rods, KB pistons, and a '70 340 crank that was lightened up for the lighter reciprocating mass. The deck were so slanted to the back, that to level it out, the CR shot over 10:1, and thats with '90 "308" open-chamber heads. Had to put 0.060" thick Cometic head gaskets on it to get it down to 9.45:1; with this & a little head work, this little 5.2 revs right up.
I have a 68 Coronet with 318. Had it since 1979. Prior to me owning it; my mother owned it from 68 when she bought new to 79. Still has the original cam, cam bearings, rods, crank and crank bearings. Only swapped out the oil pump, valve job on the heads, Holley 500 cfm 2 bbl carb ,dual exhaust and electronic ignition. Has 348, 000 miles on it. Does high 15's in the quarter mile. These 318's are tried and true engines. Very under rated. Most say, pull the 318 and put a 440 in. Yes, very true. However, I never did that and was always happy with the way engine runs. Pulls the Coronet well.
Just makes sense. You opened my eyes! The block is the foundation. The assembly is what make the motor.. Got a cracked 340 short block and a spare set of X heads.. A 318 block would make a cool sleeper motor!
I've ported 318 heads as well as the police 4 barrel manifolds in the late 80s to get as much of the original 318 potential, along with a Direct Connection camshaft. Performance was certainly better than stock but it could not compare to a similarly modified 340 even with the extra cubes taken into consideration. In other words though the bottom ends are designed the same except bore size the main difference has always been the induction and I believe that's largely been understood in historic comparison. People never said the 318 wasn't a stout engine, on the contrary. But for a long time you could take your stock 340 long block (aftermarket had little to offer) and turn it into a street/strip competitor. You could not do that with a 318 without the extra time and expense turning it into a hybrid but even at that, good luck. Today, the aftermarket has plenty to offer to turn a 318 into a solid performer.
In the late 90s I ran a duster with a w2 headed 318 with pretty much the same cam you're using it impressed a lot of people hearing that thing roar to 8500 rpm.
Great video comparing the 318 vs 340. The 318's are the work horse of Mopars, but damn you proved they sure can make some horse power. Im hoping to build my first car soon which will have a 318 in it. I've owned trucks my whole life and plenty of 318s. Great motors!
You left the threaded windage tray main bolts in the #2 and 4 mains. That clinched it for me. Great points friend, but not so loud. We get running roller 318s for $100 up here. Don't want the wreckers jacking their prices up to match what they charge those poor Chebbie guys. I always rationalized that it cost the same to build a 360 as a 318. 340s were too valuable to thrash on the street or strip. Heck I remember Cordoba owners trying to pay me to drag away their 360 Cordobas. My next build is going to be a 360 long block using later 318 "302" heads for more low end torque in a heavy daily driver. Not sure which cam yet. Have several good Thermoquads to choose from, but I might even try running a Holley 2280 as I get great mileage with those. Your don't have to turn much more than 4000 rpm in the gears with a street 360, thanks to the torque. Great job Malcolm Ottawa Valley
I mostly have experience with turbocharged 4 bangers. I put that behind me and bought a 84' Dodge Ram D150 with a 318 & 727 torqflight. I have to say that she is a very smooth running motor. Plenty of torque & power for my daily driver. I love cruising and hearing that carbureted American V8. 👍🇺🇸
I still have out of my boxes = 2 stacks of mopar muscle magazine and mopar action magazines. and in one of my old mopar muscle there is an article where a guy who worked mopar engines for years and was know for using mostly stock parts and makes above stock hp and torque . he took a 318 with stock rotating assembly and used KB pistions, comp cam , 4 barrel intake , ported 318 heads thermoquad, stock factory electronic ignition and a cheap set of long tube headers . the engine put out 375 Hp and 388 torque give or take . I like all vintage mopar engines just cant afford 340s, 440 ect. I have a mildly built 318 in my 82 D150 and planning on building an LA 360 for my 65 dodge dart . the wore out 360 came from my truck
Motor mounts on 273-318 are the same on both sides but on the one side the 340-360 use a different mount as they are closer. On the 318 I use icon ic845 - 040 pistons with a 360 la head and it works very well.
Rods in the 340 are heavier than the 318. 318 heads and intake have smaller runner ports and it's a bad idea to try and mix the intakes. If you want a near 340 performance motor then switch to the 340 heads and intake, put in a Hughes Engines Whiplash cam and Vroom, Vroom! I'd take a 318 built over a Chevy 327 HiPo any day!
If you put a stock 340 j head on the 318 you will drop the compression on that 318 and kill it but with the right Pistons and right heads that 318 will stomp that 340
@@sammyprestwood3182 Everything else being equal the 340 will put down more torque and HP than the 318. HOWEVER, if you build it right, bump compression to 10:1, a nice cam from Hughes Engines, mildly ported heads and the Edelbrock Air Gap manifold you'd have a solid 400HP motor.
I like the idea of a screamin 318. But you will need better heads and custom pistons, so are you really $$ ahead? 340 rods also have floating wrist pins, BTW.
Depends on the year of 340 68 rods are the light ones used in the 273 engine 70 up rods are the same as the 318 ,340 ,360 rods . Only 273 and 68 340 have light rods .
@@darwinfoster7420 Having rebuilt both a 68 318 and a 68 340, I can tell you the 340 rods were heavier. Think about it: Could the 340 have built its 6000 rpm reputation with 273 rods? They would have been bending them like pretzels.
The 2 differences are a 340 before 72 has 2.02 1.60 valves so you can't put the 340 heads on a 318. The other thing is the 340 is a limited build block whereas there's 100k + 318s available.
You can most certainly install 2.02 heads from a 340 on a stock bore 318! They clear fine! You cannot however install 340 heads on a 273 without notching the bores!
You can actually bolt a 340 head with 2.02 intake valve on a 318 but the bore is .060 closer to the valve so it flows less and since you have less cubes and less flow it makes significantly less power.
Just got a 72 dart sport with a 318. Pours coolant from freeze plug but I'll take care of that. A customer gave it to me for doing some auto work at the shop and traded labor for car. Can't wait to work on it here soon.
I got a garage rebuilt stock top and bottom end 86' 318 with a 441 lift cam, 340 intake, stock 302 heads with some port work to match the intake and valve lapping, a Edelbrock 1406 carb, a stock converter in my barracuda with points ignition, 3:23 gears, 26 inch tall rear tires, tf3 shift kit, dual exhaust with massaged Dakota manifolds, idk what power it makes but it fucking RIPSSSS...... Has a welded 7.25 differential too lol
I was seventeen years old and bought my first new car. My parents found out I was gonna get a road runner and that was the end of that. So I settled for a 73'plymouth duster. But I went back in special ordered it. I put in Fold down rear seat. Fold down center armrest Bench front seat. Bought it in baby blue with a blue outside. I changed it to cordoba metal flake about fifteen coats of paint. I worked in a body paint job. That took me Over a month between dry time. I bought it with a 318 stock motor 2 barrel carb. But the rear was a sure grip 3.23 rear. No 2.76 stock rear. Added heavy duty suspension. Power disc brakes, power steering, sears push am/fm stereo with front and rear speakers. Chrome baby moons and anodized trim rings. Double white painted pin strips. Flipped the lid on the air cleaner, new lifters. New spark plugs , better distributer cap, new wires to the plugs. Plus got rid of the 2ply D78 bias tires, to FR70 radials. It could lay a twin patch of rubber if I wanted 20 ft. Just a fast car. Really fast and good for it's day handling. Loved that car.
@@garysgarage9827 my 318 came from a 71 Duster. It’s .030” over with KB 167 030 pistons that set down hole .007” the factory heads with intake valves enlarged to 1.94” and the stock 1.5” exhaust valves and some cheap Chinese roller rockers. I’m running Cometic .038” MLS head gaskets and a CompCams 20-222-3 cam. It’s in a 87 Dakota. Tight fit thought. To keep the AC I had to put the condenser under the bed lol. I’m running a 46RH transmission from a 95 Ram 1500 and a Ford 8.8 from a Ranger with a Detroit TrueTrac and 3.55 gears. It runs 2300 rpm at 75 mph. Good little cruiser.
The newer mid-80 318 has far superior castings the machining on them is a lot stronger not saying the older model engine is not a good one because it is but you can machine a mid-80s 318 and build a torque monster out of them plus the metal used in the mid-80 engine block is a lot stronger and less prone to wear I guess you can tell by now I'm a die-hard Mopar man nice video and I totally agree with you on that but that 340 you have sitting there should be built and put back together because it is very rare and people pay big money for them thanks for the video
you're probably right because I have read that the big block 400 is one of the better Mopar blocks to build. I figure it is much like your mind 80s 318 factory it had nothing going for it so they gave it a strong block so someone would love it someday 🫀😎😎😎
To me the big dif is the cam they used in the 340 it was a factory hot rod engine. Hell when the concept of the Lil Red Express came about they used the factory purple stripe cam shaft from the 340. The 318 is a damn good engine and they are hard to blow up I tried in my '80 ramcharger and that engine refused to let loose.
I have a great running 318 and 904 out of a 89 dodge truck. It’s a throttle body engine/ I also have a GM type HEI distributer for it. My plan is apparently these 318s have the good smaller chamber (302) heads on them. But I’m gonna pull the heads off and port and clean them up reslly good/ maybe have them milled and run a shim gasket to get the compression up/ a 4 barrel aluminum intake/ and a reslly nice flattappet or hydraulic roller cam. I’m thinking it will make a cool little screamer kinda like uncle Tony’s 318 budget build. Stock bottem end what’s your opinions?
When I was a teenager in the late 70s and early 80s, Hot Rod magazine posted an article showing how to build a 330 HP 318. I know that sounds low for HP these days, but if memory serves correctly the build was not that much and it used parts from a 318, 340, and 360. I wish I could find that article… Very good video by the way.
I just bought an 89 dodge with the 318 and I love it the truck and everything runs real smooth any ideas on what I should do with it to make it run a little bit better would be great
Austin pretty much said it it's about airflow getting it in and getting it out. four barrel carburetor with a better intake, port and polish your heads if you don't want to swap them for better flowing heads. Get your compression up as much as you can. make sure you put a set of headers on them. It's all about air flow.
I'm glad I own a 1993 5.2l 318 Magnum. In a loaded Dodge Ram B250 with only 194,000. A pristine O.C. SoCal engine I'm gradually restoring. Heater Core went. Did a Bypass. Then the Water Pump went (bad Impeller bearing scraping the housing). Now I have to take off the Timing Cover, replace the Chain & Sprockets, Bypass Hose, thermostat, and get new gasket and silicone on the Timing Cover & Oil Pan. Then rocker adjustments, then new Plenum Pan, heads, cam, lifters, maybe pistons & rings, and Custom Plenum (Supercharged HP?) and high output alternator. But before that new Upper/Lower Control Arms, Shocks (longer Coil Springs to lift the front 3") Ball Joints, and Rods. Eventually two new Exhaust Manifolds, exhaust pipes/mufflers with the boost in HP, etc. Drive that for 8 years. Then replace it all with an Electric 4WD Engine with 300+ miles of range by 2032.
my dad had a 318 on a d100 and i saw him driving it without 4 spark plugs, and that shit felt as sweet as candy, very reliable engine, btw we were on our way to bay some new plugs haha
The bigger bore matters for getting good airflow into the cylinder. Other than that there’s nothing wrong with the 318. But don’t ever think the exact same combo in a 340 won’t make more.
I bought my wife a 67 Plymouth Belvedere II with the original 318. It was supposed to have a 390 ci stroker kit that the soldier (Army) paid for while he was deployed. He paid a shop to build the car the way he wanted, sending them money every month. When I bought it there was a miss and broken motor mounts. Thought it was a tune-up but one lobe on the cam was flat and one compression ring was broke. He got ripped off bad, no stroke kit, no adjustable pushrods, did have the Keith Black Hypeur kinetic pistons. I'm still glad I bought it at a good price with a reupholstered interior and decent body to work with. Wifey likes it!
Mopar '302' High Swirl Cylinder Heads: The small chamber of these heads give your 318 a higher compression ratio, which is good for both power and fuel economy. If you need to build a low compression engine, these are still the best heads to use, but run them with dished pistons. Some builders report that for two otherwise identical engines (including compression ratio), an engine with dished pistons and small chamber heads can make as much as 20 horsepower more than an engine with flat top pistons and open chamber heads. The best intake by far for a 318 running "high swirl" cylinder heads is the Weiand 8007 Action Plus Intake Manifold. Running a large port intake with 318-style ports causes a "damn" in the intake path where the intake mates to the head because of the port mismatch. Most intakes designed for the 318 ports are economy-type manifolds that aren't really intended for high performance. The Weiand 8007 Action Plus is the only high-rise, high-performance intake designed specifically for the 318-sized intake ports. I have one on my Barracuda and I love it. If you're running 340/360 heads, the best intake is probably the Edelbrock Performer RPM (don't run it with 318 heads though). I really interesting option would be the single plane 2-bbl intake manifold that Mopar put on the 273 and some early 318. I think that with porting and Extrude Honing this manifold could be made to flow pretty well. Combine it with a tuned over-size 2-bbl carb from one of the low-end big blocks and you'd have one heck of a sleeper. 318 can be stroked to 348. This is a very cool modification to the 318. It's even easier now since Scat makes a 3.58" stroke crank that drops into the 318 (as well as the 340) without having to grind down the main journals. Or, stroker 318/390 kit! Enough for now..... Cheers
One of the other big differences is compression. Put some compression in them and they will run awesome! I don't think that the 340 is worth it's premium price just to say you have one. I sold my 340 as I thought the money was better spent towards a 318 or 360. One guy wanted $2500 for his and it was basically a core. I'll pass. They are great, but with today's parts....we have options.
My old man had a 318 in a old satellite wagon . In 200,000 miles he only needed to replace timing chain , water pump & radiator aside from normal maintenance. Rain or shine & summer or winter - she always ran
I am a Mopar man all day love the 318s I'm a 360 la guy just because I have a few extra motors really like them thanks for posting keep twisting bolts brother
I know there are some slight differences, but the 318 magnum in my truck just had me tear into it to replace the leaky plenum gasket. In the intake of #6 was a freaking WALL HOOK! Like, 1/4" hook, 2 holes and about 3"-4". I have beat this motor up for 12 years now and I know for a fact I didn't drop that in there. I love the low end of these, and as much as I am a fan of the 360, I sold my spare 360 I was going to drop in. No regrets. Smooth, always starts, low maintenance, enough power and buildable. 318 is Gods motor.
I had a 318 in a '67 dodge van. It was stock. a real poor boy rebuild. I installed the Heads, 4 barrel intake and Thermo Quad off of a 360 Magnum. It was a good engine for many miles An amazingly quick little van.
340 have little more nickel in the block bushed rods and 67 to 71 had forged pistons but basically the same block. What I think make the 340 is the bushed rods like the hemi and of course the heads
I had a nicely built 318 .040 over in a 72 duster with a 4 speed and 3.91 posi.. ..it had a good cam, aluminum heads intake water pump, electric fans, with a serpentine belt system off a late model, and it ran real strong. Beat a lot people with my ruster duster
Some great points, good video! I noted the vintage tray bolts on the 340 as a difference as well. Build that stroker small block! Just got my 340 (now 418) back in my Dakota...ridiculous amounts of torque, you'll love it!
I ran a 69 318 block in my car. It was .120” over, 4.250” stroke crank, worked out to 434ci. Ended up going to an R3 block afterwards, did a 4.185” bore which took it to 468ci.
I still own a 73 Duster with a 318 ! You can just bump the starter and it’s running ! You can sit a glass of water on the air cleaner no ripples ! Stock internals a holly Z intake 600 cfm holly carb 1.5” headers it’s an easy 14 second car ! Smoked many 340s, 350s, and 351s as well ! We are talking late 70s to early 90s here ! Just saying lol 👍 PS loved your video !!!
I had a 74 Dodge pickup with a completely stock 318 in it I used it hard hauling firewood I would fill the box plus put a heavy trailer load behind it it never ran short on power!
I’ve got a 318 in my daily driver 1970 Challenger. 310k miles and the short block has never been apart except for the timing chain. Smokes a bit but it’s still going strong. I have a 340 block to build one of these days. I’m thinking the value of the car will be worth more with the 340 not that I’ll ever sell it, and the 340 4 Barrel emblem on the hood will be cool. But rebuilding the 318 is tempting.
As a geezer now I knew even back in my day that along with the iconic sbc come the end of the world there would still be slant 6's , cockroaches , and 318's .
I picked up a X race block. Cast on the side was 318 and the engine came out of a 6.60 1/8 mile car, with W2 heads. Still has a 3.91 bore. I ran a 340 with so much rust I had to bore it .060 so a 4.10 bore for a decade in a street car, weekend warrior drag car 7.40 on the motor, and 6.90 on a 100 shot drove it to work 30 miles many days Anyways the X block will be a stroker engine soon, and a comfortable bore size of 4.04 initially is my plan, and a 4” stroke, maybe 4.100
One other nice thing that all small blocks share is the fact that they'll accept long strokes with ease. Try putting a 4.250" stroke in an oem ford or chevy block?! :)
My first one I owned was in my 97 Dakota I owned and drove this truck for 16 year's great truck now I have a 83 step side ram d150 5.9 or it used to be I love Mopar mouse engines
My father bought a 25ft. Winnebego 74 model green. It had a 318 in it and that motor got my respect. BIG NUTS. Motorhomes are not lite. Always started up and ran like a beast.
318’s can make amazing power with the right work done. Back in the. 80’s & 90’s they were cheaper to build than a 340. I ran one in a duster back in the late 80’s with 390 gears and a torqueflite. The car ran consistent mid 12’s with mufflers and Mickey Thompson street slicks. That wasn’t bad for the day, running premium no-lead. It was very streetable.
One of if not the most underestimated engine ever made especially from The 68+ era when the LA came out. I think the intent of the 318 is essentially the intent of the gm 305 and olds 307 but the 318 craps on them. Funny thing is I would say last 5 years maybe and definitely last 3 years LA 318s have gone from scrap price, or free or $50 bucks to now 2022 they demand or get $150-250 easy Also with regards to the rods on early 318s 68-71 truck 328 used same rods and bottom end as 340. Both had same stroke but if u find a 318 out of a van or truck and I believe 2wd also not just 4wd all had the 340 rods. Years ago before we had money and when this crap was still at junk yards that was how we could afford HD rods on our 318 stick cars when we wanted to keenthe rpm’s up Today if you have the money and the motor and don’t need the 360 or can find one as they aren’t cheap either and 340s are essentially going for restoration prices about 7-10 fold a 318. 2 for sale here in ct both 4 barrel motors 71/72 and asking 1500 for one and 1800 for the other. At that point gt a big block or Eagle makes a complete 318 stroker kit balanced with 30 over slugs turns that teen to a 390 and standard bore 384 for right around 2 grand give or take few hundred pending deals and or promotions Mancini racing sells it as does jegs and summit and considering their forged pistons ($450-500 summit) and eagle h beam rods ($550-700)it’s a steal. They already have the height (piston height calculated) and pending your deck height they sell sets from 9:1 all the way up 10:1 or 10.25:1 compression. And that includes a new Mopar Performance 4” hi Po crank. By the time u send ur crank out to get it mag fluxed, straightened which is easier then u think, turned it polish and tanked your prob gonna be at least 250-400 in a stock 318 crank. Just something to consider and by ordering the highest compression kit they make even if you add 360 LA heads you will be way way way above the 7.3-7.5 compression 75cc chambers and stock deck height does to a cast flat top 318 motor. My buddy used this kit on a budget (totally cheap build) and didn’t bore it had 3.91 slugs hi comps with the 4” stroker and iron 340-360 j or x heads he still had a calculated compression of around 9.3/9.5:1. Stroke and piston height really make a difference. We built that motor about 3-4 years ago for his ram Gen 1 and it’s still goes like a raped ape even with a NP435 trans and granny First. He’s essentially driving a three speed. Starts in second Never dynoed but similar builds in engine masters, power nation and tech articles As well as speaking to Mancini with stock 360 heads a 230-240 cam with 475-500 lift or something like a xe268 or xe274 makes 375-400 hp and 425-450 tq. Being conservative pending ur tuning ability and intake choice. I prefer torkers live single planes especially with a stick and I can afford to lose bottom end and raise the torque curve but that’s me with a 4-5 speed and 3:55 bare bare min with 4:11 optimum minus Highway speeds and a great compromise would be something aftermarket in the 3:73-3:91 range. Just a thought if someone is building a 318 consider the cost to recondition rods, new hypereutectic minimum or forged pistons preferred Then the crank machine work and bearing and you might as well add 72 cubes and close to an extra 100 HP With eddy heads they make 500 horse and 525-550 torque which is insane for a SB But that’s another 21-2200 bucks. Just a thought
These articles about what can be done with low-compression, low-performance, no-respect 318 engines are very interesting. During the 1960's, 318's were marketed as base engines for cars that slant sixes couldn't pull. 318's would get you around, but not in a hurry. Part of this was the legacy reputation of the 1950's "poly head" 318's, which had not received ANY performance attention for about 10 years. It is nice to see that common and cheap 318 engines can be built to make really good power and be reliable too.
I had planned on building up a 318 over a 360 for running on a dirt track. Mainly due to the fact that the 318 has a shorter stroke which means faster hp and tourqe
The LA is the great unsung hero engine of the 20th century. I’ve owned a few and they always impressed me, even if the cars or trucks surrounding them weren’t so hot.
I know that I am late to the party, but it was obvious that the unpainted block was the 340 due to the special main cap bolts with the extra boss for the windage tray, that the 318 never used. Fun fact, the main caps can be used in the 1956 Dodge 315, & '57 Dodge 325 Hemi & Poly engines. If building a competition Hemi, then the HiPerf 340 & the 318-3 heavy duty truck engines used caps made from a higher grade material. Some machining of the center thrust cap is necessary for the narrower thrust flanges of the Hemi bearing, otherwise, it's all good. I used only a 318 rear cap so I could use an LA oil pump & drive without any need for an [available] adapter in my mild Hot Rod 325 Hemi. I love my 273 & my 325 Hemi, soooo many things interchange.
Nick's Garage, Mopar man extraordinaire Dynoed a 390 "318" It had over 500 ft lbs and 450 HP at 6500 with no real tuning, he made the pulls only changing the timing slightly, no rejecting even though it was running Fat, so a rejet andNick said hed luke to try a Carb Spacer and oh yeah, Through Cast iron Exhaust manifolds! Crazy power without even trying! I've got a 318 in my 99 Ram 1500 4x4 Ive had for ever, it was a work truck years back, now im Showing it a bit of love. I know I know, it'd be so easy to buy a 360 blah blah blah, i know itd be easy but that means I'd have to pull the 318, find the 360 and probably pull it, take it home and buy everything I need to make the 360 whole xnd right because i wont know it, won't know about maintenance etc I know my 318 and so why the hell not, I don't have to bore the hell out 😞 f it unless I want over 426 cubes, I can build a 390 Stroker and have a shit ton of power without revving the piss out of it which I don't really like doing anymore, I've learned to embrace Trq and a Stroked 318 has a shit ton of it. It's got roller cam so I don't need to run a flat tappet, you can get so so much power out of a roller cam without the big lope because your embracing torque!
I had a 70 340 Dart and when we tore the motor down we found that the wrist pin keeper in the #8 cylinder had failed and the cylinder wall was scored badly. Had to sleeve #8. Seems to be a fairly common problem. Saw a video recently where a guy used a 360 crank I believe to stroke a 318. I'll bet that motor was a little beast!
I certainly miss my 73 340 challenger, unusual car around then. My brother had 340 duster also, plain, nondescript 4 speed sunroof car. We had 318s in other dusters and 273 motors. Love them. Not part of the herd
I had a stock 318 71 duster the only modification I made was a 500 CFM Holly 2 barrel carburetor. It was faster than my friend's 70 Satellite with a 383 four barrel.
The first year of the LA 318, 1967, the Barracuda had a 383 option to compete with the new 67 390 Mustang and the Dart was supposed to get a 4 inch bore, "331" engine to compete with the 327 Chevy II. The 331 was supposed to be a high performance engine, but Mopar was embarrassed by the performance and scratched the 331 engine and went back to the drawing board and came up with the 340 for 68. The 67 Dart did finally get a 383 at the end of the 67 model year, but the Barracuda got the 383 from the beginning of the 67 model year. The 67 and some early 68 318 blocks have very thick cylinder walls, because the same block was to be used for the 4 inch bore 331. The 340 was developed by boring the 331 the Mopar maximum overbore of 0.040". The 340 intake ports mimicked the dimensions of the Chevy 327 intake ports. The 340 exhaust port were opened up as much as possible. The 340 valve size mimicked the Chevy 327 valves. Originally the 340 was designed with a 6,500 RPM redline in mind, but Mopar didn't want to risk that with cast pistons and dumbed down the valve springs and called a 6,000 RPM redline. The 68 340 manual transmission camshaft had 22 degrees more duration at 0.050" lift than the automatic camshaft. Due to the 6,000 RPM limit, the 69 340 only got the automatic camshaft.
You answered my question on the engine temp with it being bored so far out. But it looks like it has a lot of meat between the cylinders. Thats a good thing.
i had a 273 and a 318 - i put the 273 cam lifters and heads onto the 318 2bbl with headers = dam smoking the tires in a 1965 valiant AP6 safari wagon regal white with blue interior - loved that wagon , LSD - Discs - big chromies twin system and stereo.
So, I’m just getting into the classic Mopar stuff but after seeing the amazing stuff you’ve done I’d like to build a 318 the same way you did and was wondering if there was like a parts list of all that stuff I’ll need
340 head slightly taller main caps for added strength, I have a 67 318 broken main cap, I made this discovery when I compared the 340 Main cap to a 318 main cap, and I notice you pointed out something about the 340 being stronger in the bottom, what you pointed out appears to be sleeve in the cylinder
The 318 is a god of an engine. It always seems like it's "Get rid of the 318 and go 360 blah blah blah" the 318 is already internally balanced and revs to the moon. I've beat the shit out of my stock 318 and it just absolutely LOVES it. You can't kill them. When the apocalypse comes the last things running on the plant will be a slant 6, a jeep 4.0 and the 318.
Ohyes. Had all 3.
I killed 3 318s when i was a teenager. I decided to go with a 5.9 magnum and it has been rock solid. However it just doesnt rev like a 318 or sounds as good. Now i wish i had spent the money on a forged bottom end for another 318.
@@sethblair5534 you heathen you. Haha. You must've. Dogged the hell out of it. Still good motors. Heehee
@@jeffscott8323 Yep. first one threw a rod through the side of the block, 2nd spun a main bearing, 3rd had a cracked block. They sounded damn good shifting at 6,500+ rpm lol
The apocalypse may here sooner than later the way things are going. Hahaha
My grandfather had a 1968 Plymouth Belvedere with a 318 cu. in. engine. Smoothest running engine I've ever seen. You could disconnect 5 plug wires and it would still run. It had power to spare even pushing that Belvedere. Those older 318's were some of the most durable engines built.
@@bradleynelson5915 My buddy loved full sized impala's with 350 engines. He used to pull off 7 plug wires and it would still run, and smoothly. Saw it many times right in my driveway.
I had several of them as well, they were absolutely bulletproof with lots of power
Love it. I run a 318 bored 090 also. Not as aggressive as yours but still run 11.30's with it. It's priceless when you tell them that you are running a 318. Keep up the great work.
Our 67 Fairlane runs in the 10:50's with a 289, beat that!
UTG did a video on the benefits of small block 318. He called the "meat and potatoes" engine. Like you said, it was produced for everyday drivers (found in everything, cars, trucks and vans). primarily so to speak. Good, reliable engines. He said if you wanted to get into budget building those were good to start with because they are abundant and cheap. Interchangeable parts, with a few at-home mods you can gain some good numbers and with few more dollars gain even better numbers. Never really been a Mopar guy, I've been gaining a lot more respect and appreciation for their products and the people who build them. Thanks for the video.
UTG loves working with crusty junk
I grew up in the 80s, when there were still enough 60s and early 70s American cars around that we could afford to be partisan when it came to brand loyalty. For instance, from 1985-90, I knew of a bunch of people who owned at least 7 different '68-'74 Novas, and at least 6 or 7 different 68-72 Chevelles. Because I've always been a fan of the underdog, and because there were so damn many Chevy cars around, I became a Ford/Mercury fan.
But nowadays they are ALL few and far between, so it's no longer practical to be so partisan. Now I'd gladly own a '68 Mustang fastback, a '68 Cougar, or a '68 Firebird, a '68 notchback Barracuda, a '68 Charger, or even a '68 AMX(but with just slightly less enthusiasm for that last one).
He called them the "bread and butter engine"
I used to beat 383 Roadrunners with my 65 Dart 273 Hi-Po! On the street of course! It ran 14.70's stock. You put good heads and induction on any 318 bored out and they'll scream! It's all about lbs per cubic inch all things being equal. I used to race a Super Stock 340 Duster in the 70's.
Seems like the 383s were kinda choked by the heads,and probably other factors on a stock engine.Cool thing about them is they're oversquare.With a top end that can actually breathe a 383 would be a monster.
Which one would run better in roll racing tho?
4 inch bore is where the trick flow is used for Head flow, personally prefer the 4.07 inch bore myself. i drove a 4.08 bore 340 for years with zero problems
I think the reason the 318s were never seen as a performance engine is the fact that it was never allowed big valve free flowing heads or much compression in most cases. The 340 got these so it got the spotlight and respect it earned. The power for any brand is mostly in the heads and cam anyway. If you built a 318 and 340 identical other than the cubes you wouldn't see all that much difference. Nice video. 👍
Yes , so true a 318 and a 340 , very little difference . Similar to a Ford 302 and 351 .
@@johnh1001 FALSE.
@@johnh1001 351 has way more potential. If it's a 351cleveland? No comparison at all.. 302's tend to split if not properly built and lack of extra webbing in the lifter galley.
@@johnh1001 351C, 351M, or 351W ? Doesn't matter, because all those are in a different league than a 302.
@@ricklodestein1101 a 302 will break running too much compression.
many 347's are running and not breaking blocks.
I've been running a 1987 roller block as a clevor now 25 years. No problem.
I love the 318's myself. Why spend the dough for a couple extra cubes? Just spin it a little faster! I have a 318 bored .040 over, KB167 Flat-tops, decked to 0.000" and balanced. XE268 cam, mild ported "302" heads and a Wieand Stealth intake. That little bugger screams to 7,000. Next will be some 2.02" "J' heads. I love beating other people with "Just a 318!"
I had a 1972 Plymouth Barracuda with a 318. I put on 1970 340 heads, 1970 340 Exhaust manifolds, an Edelbrock performer intake, a Cloyes double roller timing chain, a Crower Group 2 Hydraulic Cam ( INT/EXH - Dur @ .050” Lift: 204°/214° RR: 1.5/1.5 Gross Lift: .422”/.444” LSA: 112° RPM: 1500 to 4250 Redline: 4750), with dual Exhausts and Glass Packs. I loved it! I also had a 400 Hp 340 with a 4 speed in another 72 Plymouth Cuda. Unfortunately, I was transferred to the UK ( I was in the USAF) and I was told by my sponsor not to bring any of My Cars to the UK. When I got there, everyone had thier Camaros and Mustangs there. The worst part was My Stepdad complained about my cars being stored , and My Mom sold both cars while I was in the UK! It took Me 10 years to locate another 72 Cuda with a 340. But that 318 was no Joke. Great Video, Gary's Garage!
The main thing is it's Mopar
A couple of extra cubes ?
.130 extra bore is a lot !!!
There's more to it than that.One big difference would be the torque curve.With a bigger engine it's easier to get a nasty hard pulling torque curve.
@@FATMIKED5183 there is more to it than that ;
.130 extra bore means not only extra torque , ir means a LOT MORE airflow , means more power everywhere in the power band ..
Great channel, it brings back a lot of memories. My first car was a silver 1967 Barracuda "Notchback". It came with the 273, but since my parents were into drag racing, that was soon changed. After the 340 we put in dropped a rod, we had a 318 that had been in our Pro Street car sitting around. It was bored 0.60 over, had 13.5: 1 pistons, aluminum rods and a high lift cam. Needless to say it was the fastest can in my high school. Those were the days!
I knew by the space between the mount ears on the driver's side of the block. 340s and 360s are narrower. I wasn't going to assume the windage tray main bolts hadn't been switched! Good comparison! I'm digging your content.
🤔 I could tell merely by looking at the colors of the 2 blocks. You see, neither block has ever been painted Ford blue, which is clearly the problem here..... You could add 50 hp to any Mopar or GM small block just by spraying them in Ford blue! But your best bet is to just always start out with an engine that came painted in that color from the factory. That guarantees hundreds of extra hp! 😁
Just kidding of course. I used to be a Ford purist back in the 80s when there were still LOTS of late 60s and early 70s cars around from every American manufacturer. But since those old cars are now few and far between, it's no longer practical to be partisan. So now I like all of them. These days I'd gladly own either a '68 Cougar, a '68 Firebird or a '68 notchback Barracuda(or even a '68 AMX, though with slightly less enthusiasm).
When I worked on Mopars in the 70's, hopping up 318's with junkyard 340 parts was very popular. Also, the 383/440 parts also interchange.
so happy the 318 is finally getting love. ive always told people the 318 will run right with a 340.
Not with stock LA heads it wont...:)
@@MrSwinger1 AH we found the 318 hater
I have owned both engines and NO STOCK 318 2 barrel will run with a STOCK 340 even the low compression 1972 & 1973 340's will still beat them...The 318 is cheaper but not better.
BUT, BUT, BuT, it's not a 318 it's a 408, I don't care if you use a Dart block, or 318,or 340 block, or if you're a Ford guy a 351 block it's a 408 cubic inch Mopar/ Ford/Chevy all day long LOL. If it's a 318 say it's a 318 if it's a 408 say it's a 408
@@mikewardhvacrestoration7136 A mildly built 318, WITHOUT a stroker crank, will put out a solid 400hp! Stock 340's were rated at 275hp and really put out 310hp-325hp. Good heads (Edelbrock), cam (.500+ lift) and KB-167 at 10+ to 1 and the only thing lacking is 22 cubes, and that can be overcome by the better flow and higher revs.
The 1967 and, "early" 1968 318 cylinder walls are thicker and thick enough for a 4.00" bore. The same casting was to be used for the proposed 1967 331 cubic inch engine for the Dodge Dart. The performance of the 331 was disappointing, so the engine was scratched and the 340 engine developed for 1968. Because Dodge had planned for the 331 engine in the 1967 Dart the 383 engine that Plymouth offered in the early 1967 Barracuda wasn't available in the 1967 Dart, until very late in the model year, with the 1967 383 Dart GTS. The 340 engine took the 331's 4.00" bore to 4.04", made the intake ports the same size as the 327 Chevy intake ports and made the valve sizes the same as the 327 Chevy valve sizes. The 340 was originally designed for a 6,500 RPM redline, but it was decided that forged pistons would be desired for that RPM limit, but they would be too costly. The 340 had its valve springs crippled to restrict the redline to 6,000 RPM, in order to safely use cast pistons and keep costs down.
Mopar engineers didn't use forged pistons in any 60's engine except the 426 HEMI. Cast pistons have some advantages over forged pistons besides costs. With a set of Direct Connection valve springs, both these small blocks can rev to 6500 rpm's during WOT application.
If your hunting for a used 318, look for a 'Magnum' 318, used in Rams, Cherokees and Dakota's from 1992 to 2003. This upgraded engine was rated at 230 hp/295 ft lbs tq stock and has better heads and other good stuff.
--70 yr old Mopar gearhead.
318’s are freaking awesome, I have a stock stroke 318 bored 60 over in my car and it’s putting some serious power down guys. Don’t underestimate the 318!!
I built a 318 back in the 80s, only 10 thou overbore, not stroked or any other cubic inch mods. The power was a result of the porting, valve grind topped with the standard edelbrock and 750 Carter and 3 inch exhaust made an honest 350 rear wheel horsepower.
Had to use a turnbuckle to stop motor mount breakage. Bullet proof engine just make sure to use at least a 3 core rad as these do run hot.
Currently have 340 in my 73 challenger and looking to pick up a 96 dakota with a 318 magnum. Great comparison and i think they’re both great engines.
Still miss my 77 van with a 318. We put 340 heads on it , direct connection purple cam, 4 barrel with intake.. don’t know the power levels it had ( i was a young young lad ) but I had headers and side pipes and it was the best sounding small block i ever owned … salute !
My last hot rod 318 was in a 71 Duster . 3speed manual.
At the time it was just about the same time the Edelbrock Performer Intake and cam kit had come out . A lot of work performed but Wow, that car was very stout. Pissed off a lot of people .
Now I have a 74 Duster. Probably going with a Magnum 318 just due to a availability of junkyard parts if need be . Nothing wrong with that engine, numbers tell the tale.
Nothing wrong with a 318! I took a stock 160hp 2bbl 318( on my dyno) and installed a GT-45 turbo. It made 520hp&633 ftlbs on my dyno. Very tough motors, 45 Dyno pulls with no issues and then it went into my 81' W-150.
What year was your 318 and did you have to change compression etc before you added the turbo? What trans?
Turbo on a two barrel … interesting.
I'd love to say that "it's just a little 318" !
Hell, I've heard stock 318s sound really good with open exhaust.
Add a small cam and I would imagine it would sound awesome.
Now if you think about and do some research you can apply the same thinking to 440/426 wedge vs 383/400 wedge both have their strong points and both have their weak points but the later blocks where stronger but made of a slightly softer iron still to me I love all the Mopar V8s!!
Lol I wish I had a penny for every time I’ve heard the word “only” in front of 318. Thanks for laughing at those folks for all of us with only 318s.
I personally can give a few numbers as I purchased a pretty decent 70' 340 4spd Duster for 500 bucks back in the 80's with a bad motor. I salvaged what was useable( everything but the block,pistons& crank. I had a 318-3 short block from a 2ton flat truck that I sent out for cleanup,cam bearings and freeze plugs but that's about it. I put in a few Direct connection( remember that?) valvetrain parts like a 284° 284° cam and proceeded to run 13.07 with it on street tires!
Built the original 88k mile 318 in my Valiant. I didn't want to, but the factory machining was horrendous.
So, since we were there, it got forged I-beam rods, KB pistons, and a '70 340 crank that was lightened up for the lighter reciprocating mass.
The deck were so slanted to the back, that to level it out, the CR shot over 10:1, and thats with '90 "308" open-chamber heads.
Had to put 0.060" thick Cometic head gaskets on it to get it down to 9.45:1; with this & a little head work, this little 5.2 revs right up.
I have a 68 Coronet with 318. Had it since 1979. Prior to me owning it; my mother owned it from 68 when she bought new to 79. Still has the original cam, cam bearings, rods, crank and crank bearings. Only swapped out the oil pump, valve job on the heads, Holley 500 cfm 2 bbl carb ,dual exhaust and electronic ignition. Has 348, 000 miles on it. Does high 15's in the quarter mile. These 318's are tried and true engines. Very under rated. Most say, pull the 318 and put a 440 in. Yes, very true. However, I never did that and was always happy with the way engine runs. Pulls the Coronet well.
Just makes sense. You opened my eyes! The block is the foundation. The assembly is what make the motor.. Got a cracked 340 short block and a spare set of X heads.. A 318 block would make a cool sleeper motor!
I've ported 318 heads as well as the police 4 barrel manifolds in the late 80s to get as much of the original 318 potential, along with a Direct Connection camshaft. Performance was certainly better than stock but it could not compare to a similarly modified 340 even with the extra cubes taken into consideration. In other words though the bottom ends are designed the same except bore size the main difference has always been the induction and I believe that's largely been understood in historic comparison. People never said the 318 wasn't a stout engine, on the contrary. But for a long time you could take your stock 340 long block (aftermarket had little to offer) and turn it into a street/strip competitor. You could not do that with a 318 without the extra time and expense turning it into a hybrid but even at that, good luck. Today, the aftermarket has plenty to offer to turn a 318 into a solid performer.
I have to agree. Having built both 318s and 340s similarly, there was just no comparison. But 318s can definitely be build to run.
Have people overrated the 318 ?
In the late 90s I ran a duster with a w2 headed 318 with pretty much the same cam you're using it impressed a lot of people hearing that thing roar to 8500 rpm.
Good video Gary. I have a small block Mopar in my S10.
Great video comparing the 318 vs 340. The 318's are the work horse of Mopars, but damn you proved they sure can make some horse power. Im hoping to build my first car soon which will have a 318 in it. I've owned trucks my whole life and plenty of 318s. Great motors!
You left the threaded windage tray main bolts in the #2 and 4 mains. That clinched it for me.
Great points friend, but not so loud. We get running roller 318s for $100 up here. Don't want the wreckers jacking their prices up to match what they charge those poor Chebbie guys.
I always rationalized that it cost the same to build a 360 as a 318. 340s were too valuable to thrash on the street or strip.
Heck I remember Cordoba owners trying to pay me to drag away their 360 Cordobas.
My next build is going to be a 360 long block using later 318 "302" heads for more low end torque in a heavy daily driver. Not sure which cam yet.
Have several good Thermoquads to choose from, but I might even try running a Holley 2280 as I get great mileage with those.
Your don't have to turn much more than 4000 rpm in the gears with a street 360, thanks to the torque.
Great job
Malcolm Ottawa Valley
I mostly have experience with turbocharged 4 bangers. I put that behind me and bought a 84' Dodge Ram D150 with a 318 & 727 torqflight. I have to say that she is a very smooth running motor. Plenty of torque & power for my daily driver. I love cruising and hearing that carbureted American V8. 👍🇺🇸
I still have out of my boxes = 2 stacks of mopar muscle magazine and mopar action magazines. and in one of my old mopar muscle there is an article where a guy who worked mopar engines for years and was know for using mostly stock parts and makes above stock hp and torque . he took a 318 with stock rotating assembly and used KB pistions, comp cam , 4 barrel intake , ported 318 heads thermoquad, stock factory electronic ignition and a cheap set of long tube headers . the engine put out 375 Hp and 388 torque give or take . I like all vintage mopar engines just cant afford 340s, 440 ect. I have a mildly built 318 in my 82 D150 and planning on building an LA 360 for my 65 dodge dart . the wore out 360 came from my truck
Motor mounts on 273-318 are the same on both sides but on the one side the 340-360 use a different mount as they are closer. On the 318 I use icon ic845 - 040 pistons with a 360 la head and it works very well.
Rods in the 340 are heavier than the 318. 318 heads and intake have smaller runner ports and it's a bad idea to try and mix the intakes. If you want a near 340 performance motor then switch to the 340 heads and intake, put in a Hughes Engines Whiplash cam and Vroom, Vroom! I'd take a 318 built over a Chevy 327 HiPo any day!
If you put a stock 340 j head on the 318 you will drop the compression on that 318 and kill it but with the right Pistons and right heads that 318 will stomp that 340
@@sammyprestwood3182 Everything else being equal the 340 will put down more torque and HP than the 318. HOWEVER, if you build it right, bump compression to 10:1, a nice cam from Hughes Engines, mildly ported heads and the Edelbrock Air Gap manifold you'd have a solid 400HP motor.
I like the idea of a screamin 318. But you will need better heads and custom pistons, so are you really $$ ahead? 340 rods also have floating wrist pins, BTW.
Depends on the year of 340 68 rods are the light ones used in the 273 engine 70 up rods are the same as the 318 ,340 ,360 rods . Only 273 and 68 340 have light rods .
@@darwinfoster7420 Having rebuilt both a 68 318 and a 68 340, I can tell you the 340 rods were heavier. Think about it: Could the 340 have built its 6000 rpm reputation with 273 rods? They would have been bending them like pretzels.
The 2 differences are a 340 before 72 has 2.02 1.60 valves so you can't put the 340 heads on a 318. The other thing is the 340 is a limited build block whereas there's 100k + 318s available.
You can most certainly install 2.02 heads from a 340 on a stock bore 318! They clear fine! You cannot however install 340 heads on a 273 without notching the bores!
You can actually bolt a 340 head with 2.02 intake valve on a 318 but the bore is .060 closer to the valve so it flows less and since you have less cubes and less flow it makes significantly less power.
@@davidphillips3953 it’s those little things that make and break an engine
Just got a 72 dart sport with a 318. Pours coolant from freeze plug but I'll take care of that. A customer gave it to me for doing some auto work at the shop and traded labor for car. Can't wait to work on it here soon.
I got a garage rebuilt stock top and bottom end 86' 318 with a 441 lift cam, 340 intake, stock 302 heads with some port work to match the intake and valve lapping, a Edelbrock 1406 carb, a stock converter in my barracuda with points ignition, 3:23 gears, 26 inch tall rear tires, tf3 shift kit, dual exhaust with massaged Dakota manifolds, idk what power it makes but it fucking RIPSSSS...... Has a welded 7.25 differential too lol
That’s awesome!
I was seventeen years old and bought my first new car. My parents found out I was gonna get a road runner and that was the end of that. So I settled for a 73'plymouth duster. But I went back in special ordered it. I put in Fold down rear seat. Fold down center armrest Bench front seat. Bought it in baby blue with a blue outside. I changed it to cordoba metal flake about fifteen coats of paint. I worked in a body paint job. That took me Over a month between dry time. I bought it with a 318 stock motor 2 barrel carb. But the rear was a sure grip 3.23 rear. No 2.76 stock rear. Added heavy duty suspension. Power disc brakes, power steering, sears push am/fm stereo with front and rear speakers. Chrome baby moons and anodized trim rings. Double white painted pin strips. Flipped the lid on the air cleaner, new lifters. New spark plugs , better distributer cap, new wires to the plugs. Plus got rid of the 2ply D78 bias tires, to FR70 radials. It could lay a twin patch of rubber if I wanted 20 ft. Just a fast car. Really fast and good for it's day handling. Loved that car.
I love my 318. It’s a very mild build and makes 300hp.
Nothing wrong with that!
@@garysgarage9827 my 318 came from a 71 Duster. It’s .030” over with KB 167 030 pistons that set down hole .007” the factory heads with intake valves enlarged to 1.94” and the stock 1.5” exhaust valves and some cheap Chinese roller rockers. I’m running Cometic .038” MLS head gaskets and a CompCams 20-222-3 cam. It’s in a 87 Dakota. Tight fit thought. To keep the AC I had to put the condenser under the bed lol. I’m running a 46RH transmission from a 95 Ram 1500 and a Ford 8.8 from a Ranger with a Detroit TrueTrac and 3.55 gears. It runs 2300 rpm at 75 mph. Good little cruiser.
Built a little rippin 318 in 2012 been a believer ever since !
Thank you for educating me about the 318 versus the 340 block
The newer mid-80 318 has far superior castings the machining on them is a lot stronger not saying the older model engine is not a good one because it is but you can machine a mid-80s 318 and build a torque monster out of them plus the metal used in the mid-80 engine block is a lot stronger and less prone to wear I guess you can tell by now I'm a die-hard Mopar man nice video and I totally agree with you on that but that 340 you have sitting there should be built and put back together because it is very rare and people pay big money for them thanks for the video
Thanks, I did not know. Mid 80's 318s are plentiful.
you're probably right because I have read that the big block 400 is one of the better Mopar blocks to build. I figure it is much like your mind 80s 318 factory it had nothing going for it so they gave it a strong block so someone would love it someday 🫀😎😎😎
@@danielboyd4618 Stroker 400s are wicked. Especially the 400s with 230-1 stamped in the side of the block. Thick bottom ends.
To me the big dif is the cam they used in the 340 it was a factory hot rod engine. Hell when the concept of the Lil Red Express came about they used the factory purple stripe cam shaft from the 340. The 318 is a damn good engine and they are hard to blow up I tried in my '80 ramcharger and that engine refused to let loose.
The long rods are easy on the cylinder wall. At any speeds.
I have a great running 318 and 904 out of a 89 dodge truck. It’s a throttle body engine/ I also have a GM type HEI distributer for it. My plan is apparently these 318s have the good smaller chamber (302) heads on them. But I’m gonna pull the heads off and port and clean them up reslly good/ maybe have them milled and run a shim gasket to get the compression up/ a 4 barrel aluminum intake/ and a reslly nice flattappet or hydraulic roller cam. I’m thinking it will make a cool little screamer kinda like uncle Tony’s 318 budget build. Stock bottem end what’s your opinions?
When I was a teenager in the late 70s and early 80s, Hot Rod magazine posted an article showing how to build a 330 HP 318. I know that sounds low for HP these days, but if memory serves correctly the build was not that much and it used parts from a 318, 340, and 360.
I wish I could find that article…
Very good video by the way.
I still have that magazine. There was another one in Car Craft
I just bought an 89 dodge with the 318 and I love it the truck and everything runs real smooth any ideas on what I should do with it to make it run a little bit better would be great
Intake and 4bbl
Austin pretty much said it it's about airflow getting it in and getting it out. four barrel carburetor with a better intake, port and polish your heads if you don't want to swap them for better flowing heads. Get your compression up as much as you can. make sure you put a set of headers on them. It's all about air flow.
318 is a great motor. It was Chryslers bread and butter and had to be above all else, reliable. Give it a little love, a very impressive little motor.
Great Video i love the Mopar small blocks!!!, I want to build a D100 pickup with a 318 I'm in Raleigh NC
I'm glad I own a 1993 5.2l 318 Magnum. In a loaded Dodge Ram B250 with only 194,000. A pristine O.C. SoCal engine I'm gradually restoring. Heater Core went. Did a Bypass. Then the Water Pump went (bad Impeller bearing scraping the housing). Now I have to take off the Timing Cover, replace the Chain & Sprockets, Bypass Hose, thermostat, and get new gasket and silicone on the Timing Cover & Oil Pan. Then rocker adjustments, then new Plenum Pan, heads, cam, lifters, maybe pistons & rings, and Custom Plenum (Supercharged HP?) and high output alternator. But before that new Upper/Lower Control Arms, Shocks (longer Coil Springs to lift the front 3") Ball Joints, and Rods. Eventually two new Exhaust Manifolds, exhaust pipes/mufflers with the boost in HP, etc. Drive that for 8 years. Then replace it all with an Electric 4WD Engine with 300+ miles of range by 2032.
my dad had a 318 on a d100 and i saw him driving it without 4 spark plugs, and that shit felt as sweet as candy, very reliable engine, btw we were on our way to bay some new plugs haha
The bigger bore matters for getting good airflow into the cylinder. Other than that there’s nothing wrong with the 318. But don’t ever think the exact same combo in a 340 won’t make more.
I bought my wife a 67 Plymouth Belvedere II with the original 318. It was supposed to have a 390 ci stroker kit that the soldier (Army) paid for while he was deployed. He paid a shop to build the car the way he wanted, sending them money every month. When I bought it there was a miss and broken motor mounts. Thought it was a tune-up but one lobe on the cam was flat and one compression ring was broke. He got ripped off bad, no stroke kit, no adjustable pushrods, did have the Keith Black Hypeur kinetic pistons. I'm still glad I bought it at a good price with a reupholstered interior and decent body to work with. Wifey likes it!
Mopar '302' High Swirl Cylinder Heads:
The small chamber of these heads give your 318 a higher compression ratio, which is good for both power and fuel economy. If you need to build a low compression engine, these are still the best heads to use, but run them with dished pistons. Some builders report that for two otherwise identical engines (including compression ratio), an engine with dished pistons and small chamber heads can make as much as 20 horsepower more than an engine with flat top pistons and open chamber heads.
The best intake by far for a 318 running "high swirl" cylinder heads is the Weiand 8007 Action Plus Intake Manifold. Running a large port intake with 318-style ports causes a "damn" in the intake path where the intake mates to the head because of the port mismatch. Most intakes designed for the 318 ports are economy-type manifolds that aren't really intended for high performance. The Weiand 8007 Action Plus is the only high-rise, high-performance intake designed specifically for the 318-sized intake ports. I have one on my Barracuda and I love it.
If you're running 340/360 heads, the best intake is probably the Edelbrock Performer RPM (don't run it with 318 heads though). I really interesting option would be the single plane 2-bbl intake manifold that Mopar put on the 273 and some early 318. I think that with porting and Extrude Honing this manifold could be made to flow pretty well. Combine it with a tuned over-size 2-bbl carb from one of the low-end big blocks and you'd have one heck of a sleeper.
318 can be stroked to 348. This is a very cool modification to the 318. It's even easier now since Scat makes a 3.58" stroke crank that drops into the 318 (as well as the 340) without having to grind down the main journals.
Or, stroker 318/390 kit!
Enough for now..... Cheers
One of the other big differences is compression. Put some compression in them and they will run awesome! I don't think that the 340 is worth it's premium price just to say you have one. I sold my 340 as I thought the money was better spent towards a 318 or 360. One guy wanted $2500 for his and it was basically a core. I'll pass. They are great, but with today's parts....we have options.
My old man had a 318 in a old satellite wagon . In 200,000 miles he only needed to replace timing chain , water pump & radiator aside from normal maintenance. Rain or shine & summer or winter - she always ran
Had a 318 magnum in my 92 Dakota loved it, you wouldn't believe how good that truck ran.
I am a Mopar man all day love the 318s I'm a 360 la guy just because I have a few extra motors really like them thanks for posting keep twisting bolts brother
I know there are some slight differences, but the 318 magnum in my truck just had me tear into it to replace the leaky plenum gasket. In the intake of #6 was a freaking WALL HOOK! Like, 1/4" hook, 2 holes and about 3"-4". I have beat this motor up for 12 years now and I know for a fact I didn't drop that in there. I love the low end of these, and as much as I am a fan of the 360, I sold my spare 360 I was going to drop in. No regrets. Smooth, always starts, low maintenance, enough power and buildable. 318 is Gods motor.
I had a 318 in a '67 dodge van. It was stock. a real poor boy rebuild. I installed the Heads, 4 barrel intake and Thermo Quad off of a 360 Magnum. It was a good engine for many miles An amazingly quick little van.
340 have little more nickel in the block bushed rods and 67 to 71 had forged pistons but basically the same block. What I think make the 340 is the bushed rods like the hemi and of course the heads
I had a nicely built 318 .040 over in a 72 duster with a 4 speed and 3.91 posi.. ..it had a good cam, aluminum heads intake water pump, electric fans, with a serpentine belt system off a late model, and it ran real strong. Beat a lot people with my ruster duster
Had a 318 in my '68 Dart. Put the high rise manifold and the 360 heads I pull out of a taxi I found in the junkyard. 850 cfm carb and pipes. Done.
Some great points, good video! I noted the vintage tray bolts on the 340 as a difference as well. Build that stroker small block! Just got my 340 (now 418) back in my Dakota...ridiculous amounts of torque, you'll love it!
I have an 87 Dakota LE short bed. I built a very mild 318 from a 71 Duster and swapped it in for the old tried 3.9 it made 300hp on the engine dyno.
You can add the windage tray too either block.
I ran a 69 318 block in my car. It was .120” over, 4.250” stroke crank, worked out to 434ci. Ended up going to an R3 block afterwards, did a 4.185” bore which took it to 468ci.
I still own a 73 Duster with a 318 ! You can just bump the starter and it’s running ! You can sit a glass of water on the air cleaner no ripples ! Stock internals a holly Z intake 600 cfm holly carb 1.5” headers it’s an easy 14 second car ! Smoked many 340s, 350s, and 351s as well ! We are talking late 70s to early 90s here ! Just saying lol 👍 PS loved your video !!!
I had a 74 Dodge pickup with a completely stock 318 in it I used it hard hauling firewood I would fill the box plus put a heavy trailer load behind it it never ran short on power!
I’ve got a 318 in my daily driver 1970 Challenger. 310k miles and the short block has never been apart except for the timing chain.
Smokes a bit but it’s still going strong.
I have a 340 block to build one of these days. I’m thinking the value of the car will be worth more with the 340 not that I’ll ever sell it, and the 340 4 Barrel emblem on the hood will be cool. But rebuilding the 318 is tempting.
Great video , how much ,pushing could you get out of a 318?
As a geezer now I knew even back in my day that along with the iconic sbc come the end of the world there would still be slant 6's , cockroaches , and 318's .
I picked up a X race block. Cast on the side was 318 and the engine came out of a 6.60 1/8 mile car, with W2 heads. Still has a 3.91 bore. I ran a 340 with so much rust I had to bore it .060 so a 4.10 bore for a decade in a street car, weekend warrior drag car 7.40 on the motor, and 6.90 on a 100 shot drove it to work 30 miles many days
Anyways the X block will be a stroker engine soon, and a comfortable bore size of 4.04 initially is my plan, and a 4” stroke, maybe 4.100
One other nice thing that all small blocks share is the fact that they'll accept long strokes with ease. Try putting a 4.250" stroke in an oem ford or chevy block?! :)
They will also take 750hp, try that in a stock block chevy or ford small block and watch the parts fly.
My first one I owned was in my 97 Dakota I owned and drove this truck for 16 year's great truck now I have a 83 step side ram d150 5.9 or it used to be I love Mopar mouse engines
Knew a guy back in the late 70's who tried to blow his 318 up so he could get something bigger. He never did. Been a fan ever since.
I loved my old small block 318 in my 1973 Plymouth Satellite....one cool awesome motor to own !!
318 is the best V/8 ever made, and I am a Ford fan, however I wish Ford had made the 318!
My father bought a 25ft. Winnebego 74 model green. It had a 318 in it and that motor got my respect. BIG NUTS. Motorhomes are not lite.
Always started up and ran like a beast.
318’s can make amazing power with the right work done. Back in the. 80’s & 90’s they were cheaper to build than a 340. I ran one in a duster back in the late 80’s with 390 gears and a torqueflite. The car ran consistent mid 12’s with mufflers and Mickey Thompson street slicks. That wasn’t bad for the day, running premium no-lead. It was very streetable.
That was very useful didn't know that it could be bored .090 over. Whay size crankshaft did you use and was it a stroker or stock forged?
I have a 318 in my 68 Coronet. I love that motor.
Love that car.
One of if not the most underestimated engine ever made especially from
The 68+ era when the LA came out. I think the intent of the 318 is essentially the intent of the gm 305 and olds 307 but the 318 craps on them. Funny thing is I would say last 5 years maybe and definitely last 3 years LA 318s have gone from scrap price, or free or $50 bucks to now 2022 they demand or get $150-250 easy
Also with regards to the rods on early 318s 68-71 truck 328 used same rods and bottom end as 340. Both had same stroke but if u find a 318 out of a van or truck and I believe 2wd also not just 4wd all had the 340 rods. Years ago before we had money and when this crap was still at junk yards that was how we could afford HD rods on our 318 stick cars when we wanted to keenthe rpm’s up
Today if you have the money and the motor and don’t need the 360 or can find one as they aren’t cheap either and 340s are essentially going for restoration prices about 7-10 fold a 318. 2 for sale here in ct both 4 barrel motors 71/72 and asking 1500 for one and 1800 for the other. At that point gt a big block or
Eagle makes a complete 318 stroker kit balanced with 30 over slugs turns that teen to a 390 and standard bore 384 for right around 2 grand give or take few hundred pending deals and or promotions
Mancini racing sells it as does jegs and summit and considering their forged pistons ($450-500 summit) and eagle h beam rods ($550-700)it’s a steal. They already have the height (piston height calculated) and pending your deck height they sell sets from 9:1 all the way up 10:1 or 10.25:1 compression. And that includes a new Mopar Performance 4” hi Po crank. By the time u send ur crank out to get it mag fluxed, straightened which is easier then u think, turned it polish and tanked your prob gonna be at least 250-400 in a stock 318 crank.
Just something to consider and by ordering the highest compression kit they make even if you add 360 LA heads you will be way way way above the 7.3-7.5 compression 75cc chambers and stock deck height does to a cast flat top 318 motor. My buddy used this kit on a budget (totally cheap build) and didn’t bore it had 3.91 slugs hi comps with the 4” stroker and iron 340-360 j or x heads he still had a calculated compression of around 9.3/9.5:1. Stroke and piston height really make a difference. We built that motor about 3-4 years ago for his ram Gen 1 and it’s still goes like a raped ape even with a NP435 trans and granny First. He’s essentially driving a three speed. Starts in second
Never dynoed but similar builds in engine masters, power nation and tech articles As well as speaking to Mancini with stock 360 heads a 230-240 cam with 475-500 lift or something like a xe268 or xe274 makes 375-400 hp and 425-450 tq. Being conservative pending ur tuning ability and intake choice. I prefer torkers live single planes especially with a stick and I can afford to lose bottom end and raise the torque curve but that’s me with a 4-5 speed and 3:55 bare bare min with 4:11 optimum minus Highway speeds and a great compromise would be something aftermarket in the 3:73-3:91 range.
Just a thought if someone is building a 318 consider the cost to recondition rods, new hypereutectic minimum or forged pistons preferred
Then the crank machine work and bearing and you might as well add 72 cubes and close to an extra 100 HP
With eddy heads they make 500 horse and 525-550 torque which is insane for a SB
But that’s another 21-2200 bucks.
Just a thought
These articles about what can be done with low-compression, low-performance, no-respect 318 engines are very interesting. During the 1960's, 318's were marketed as base engines for cars that slant sixes couldn't pull. 318's would get you around, but not in a hurry. Part of this was the legacy reputation of the 1950's "poly head" 318's, which had not received ANY performance attention for about 10 years. It is nice to see that common and cheap 318 engines can be built to make really good power and be reliable too.
Hey Gary's garage, what is your build list for a 90 over 318 to run as a daily driver?
I had planned on building up a 318 over a 360 for running on a dirt track. Mainly due to the fact that the 318 has a shorter stroke which means faster hp and tourqe
Both the 318 and 340 are excellent engine blocks.
340 is better, dude is nuts
The LA is the great unsung hero engine of the 20th century. I’ve owned a few and they always impressed me, even if the cars or trucks surrounding them weren’t so hot.
You nailed it. The LA is an incredible platform.
Love my 87 La 318 . Has the swirl port heads and has over 500,000 miles now . Never been rebuilt . Best 285.00 I ever spent for a engine
I know that I am late to the party, but it was obvious that the unpainted block was the 340 due to the special main cap bolts with the extra boss for the windage tray, that the 318 never used.
Fun fact, the main caps can be used in the 1956 Dodge 315, & '57 Dodge 325 Hemi & Poly engines. If building a competition Hemi, then the HiPerf 340 & the 318-3 heavy duty truck engines used caps made from a higher grade material. Some machining of the center thrust cap is necessary for the narrower thrust flanges of the Hemi bearing, otherwise, it's all good. I used only a 318 rear cap so I could use an LA oil pump & drive without any need for an [available] adapter in my mild Hot Rod 325 Hemi.
I love my 273 & my 325 Hemi, soooo many things interchange.
Nick's Garage, Mopar man extraordinaire Dynoed a 390 "318"
It had over 500 ft lbs and 450 HP at 6500 with no real tuning, he made the pulls only changing the timing slightly, no rejecting even though it was running Fat, so a rejet andNick said hed luke to try a Carb Spacer and oh yeah, Through Cast iron Exhaust manifolds! Crazy power without even trying! I've got a 318 in my 99 Ram 1500 4x4 Ive had for ever, it was a work truck years back, now im Showing it a bit of love. I know I know, it'd be so easy to buy a 360 blah blah blah, i know itd be easy but that means I'd have to pull the 318, find the 360 and probably pull it, take it home and buy everything I need to make the 360 whole xnd right because i wont know it, won't know about maintenance etc I know my 318 and so why the hell not, I don't have to bore the hell out 😞 f it unless I want over 426 cubes, I can build a 390 Stroker and have a shit ton of power without revving the piss out of it which I don't really like doing anymore, I've learned to embrace Trq and a Stroked 318 has a shit ton of it. It's got roller cam so I don't need to run a flat tappet, you can get so so much power out of a roller cam without the big lope because your embracing torque!
I had a 70 340 Dart and when we tore the motor down we found that the wrist pin keeper in the #8 cylinder had failed and the cylinder wall was scored badly. Had to sleeve #8. Seems to be a fairly common problem. Saw a video recently where a guy used a 360 crank I believe to stroke a 318. I'll bet that motor was a little beast!
I certainly miss my 73 340 challenger, unusual car around then. My brother had 340 duster also, plain, nondescript 4 speed sunroof car.
We had 318s in other dusters and 273 motors. Love them. Not part of the herd
I had a stock 318 71 duster the only modification I made was a 500 CFM Holly 2 barrel carburetor. It was faster than my friend's 70 Satellite with a 383 four barrel.
Must have been something bad wrong with your friends Satellite.
The first year of the LA 318, 1967, the Barracuda had a 383 option to compete with the new 67 390 Mustang and the Dart was supposed to get a 4 inch bore, "331" engine to compete with the 327 Chevy II. The 331 was supposed to be a high performance engine, but Mopar was embarrassed by the performance and scratched the 331 engine and went back to the drawing board and came up with the 340 for 68. The 67 Dart did finally get a 383 at the end of the 67 model year, but the Barracuda got the 383 from the beginning of the 67 model year. The 67 and some early 68 318 blocks have very thick cylinder walls, because the same block was to be used for the 4 inch bore 331. The 340 was developed by boring the 331 the Mopar maximum overbore of 0.040". The 340 intake ports mimicked the dimensions of the Chevy 327 intake ports. The 340 exhaust port were opened up as much as possible. The 340 valve size mimicked the Chevy 327 valves. Originally the 340 was designed with a 6,500 RPM redline in mind, but Mopar didn't want to risk that with cast pistons and dumbed down the valve springs and called a 6,000 RPM redline. The 68 340 manual transmission camshaft had 22 degrees more duration at 0.050" lift than the automatic camshaft. Due to the 6,000 RPM limit, the 69 340 only got the automatic camshaft.
You answered my question on the engine temp with it being bored so far out. But it looks like it has a lot of meat between the cylinders. Thats a good thing.
It's so easy to wake up a 318. 340 grind cam and set of 80's police swirlport heads (302/308?).
You are right my first car was a 69 satellite with a 383 Roadrunner Hood with a 318 in it every thought I had a 383 in it. Ran so good
i had a 273 and a 318 - i put the 273 cam lifters and heads onto the 318 2bbl with headers = dam smoking the tires in a 1965 valiant AP6 safari wagon regal white with blue interior - loved that wagon , LSD - Discs - big chromies twin system and stereo.
So, I’m just getting into the classic Mopar stuff but after seeing the amazing stuff you’ve done I’d like to build a 318 the same way you did and was wondering if there was like a parts list of all that stuff I’ll need
Pretty much everything is backordered at the moment
@@garysgarage9827 unfortunate, but honestly not surprising
Freeze plugs are in different locations between the two blocks. One block has a freeze plug located between the engine mount ears.
340 head slightly taller main caps for added strength, I have a 67 318 broken main cap, I made this discovery when I compared the 340 Main cap to a 318 main cap, and I notice you pointed out something about the 340 being stronger in the bottom, what you pointed out appears to be sleeve in the cylinder