Going crazy: 318 or 360

[satellite]

Ihave a 1973 Plymouth satellite and im trying to decide wether to rebuild the 318 to 400 hp or buy a 360 magnum crate motor.What would be more benificial?
PS: Im on a limited budget.

[cruzerjd]

How much do you want to spend? You could probably get a nice pre Magnum 360 long block for about $1000. Which would free up more money for headers, exhaust, intake, carb etc. Then you could have the whole project done for the price of a Magnum 360. If you want to build the 318 you will really have to build the piss out of it to achieve 400 hp. A more realistic goal for the 318 would be about 250-275 hp with no drivability problems. A decent manifold with a 600 cfm (650 max) 4 barrel m, a 340 repro cam, a set of 302 casting heads (swirlport), a decent set of headers and dual exhaust, at least 9.5:1 compression and you should see at least 250 hp gross (about 200 net). The motor I built for my LeBaron specs out at about 290 gross hp with a small 4 bbl, dual exhaust, 302 heads and a Speedpro .453 lift, 225* duration @.050 cam. I am speculating on the comporession but i should have at least 8:1 compression. According to my dragrace program my engine should make 295 gross hp and about 210 net. Good luck on your car and let us al know what you decide, cruzerjd

[origcharger]

Thats a pretty heavy car, better go with a 360.

[Thunderhead]

I disagree about the HP on the 318. I think it was Popular Hot Rodding that did a build up on a 318 titled "318 Street Recipe". This little engine ran 9.5 comp., 750 Holley 3310 carb, 302 heads, Mopar .455 cam, 1-5/8 headers, Mopar elect. ign. This combo put out 331hp Gross. This was a real world build up. If you want I can dig the article out of my "archives" and tell you what issue it is. Let me know if you need it. See Ya!
Thunderhead

[Reddawgy]

Hi, you didn't say which crate 360, i assume you mean the 380hp based on your desire for 400 from the ole 318. Its too late for me for the moment so i'll share my ongoing experience.
First, you say 400hp, what are you going to do with this ride? Saturday nights and shows, daily driver, the local track? Determine need first. I drive a lot, i wanted the 380hp, but it isn't a 4-7,000 a mile a year motor. It needs a 3500 stall, has a big lift and high duration, single plane. I can't drive that 200 miles a day for half the year, 20 a day for half the year maybe. I got the 300hp and its almost done. i drove it yesterday and its a spunky monkey in my Lil Red Express. A little fabricating of brackets and a few odds and ends, but its up again. I may want a little more later, i can do that. I agree with fella below, 360 probably and consider the long block route for cost. I can say now, the crate runs fine outta the box. EdelB 600 performer. i got a lotta testing and tuning to do, but it runs strong. I just read an article on stroking a 360 to 426, can you imagine, 500hp! Regarding the crates again, watch the data, talk to Mopar Perf yourself, i did many times, i think they know me now. The 300 is the torquer, the 380 is a high end engine with a much poorer bottom end than the 300. 3500 stall is pretty steep, and MPP said you gotta, although others have noted an reasonable idle at 1000rpm on the 380. 248-969-1690. oh ya cost, 2600 for the motor, another 1000 in fuel new F pump, carb, converter and plate, hoses and lines and had the trani gone through. Lets not talk about the labor i couildn't do and have to pay for. So figure close to 3500 for the crate, add 500 for a total of 4000 for the 380. Do the rebuild for a lot less maybe huh.


[This message has been edited by Reddawgy (edited October 08, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Reddawgy (edited October 08, 2000).]

[Thunderhead]

I forgot to mention on that combo it was to be a daily driver setup. Stock converter would still work but a small stall increase wouldn't hurt. This engine, if I remember right, had a real good power range. If you need more power get "supercharger in a bottle" Just a cheap one would put you at over 450hp! Now that would be a 318 that would cook!
Thunderhead

[klonestar]

I had the same dilema in my 66' coronet 318. I ended up going to the Engine Factory for a nicely built 360. initial longbock cost me only 2100.00 for ported heads, good street cam, flat top pistons, edelbrock performer intake. Got all that including shipping. Course I added another 2 grand for more goodies,headers,exhaust upgrade,elect.ign.,edel.carb,fuel pump,cooling system,etc....
I cant tell you how much it was worth it!!!!! Havent had it dyno tested yet cause im still addin on more goodies so dont know the hp but I have about 9.8 to 1 comp. so she sure likes to launch, especially w/posi rear end. If your really after performance go with the 360. I was and I did and Im glad!

[451Mopar]

Go with the 360 or even swap in a 440? The '73 is big and heavy and the long stroke engines will make better torque to get the car moving. I had a mild 383 in my '71 Charger, and I think a simular built 360 would have ran better in it than the 383.
Of course I went overboard and droped in the 451 stroker, but that's another story.

Back to the 318 vs 360; the 318 will be hard to build to 400 HP, and one of the main drawbacks of the 318 is the small bore size because for 400 HP you will have to run the bigger poet and big valve heads. The big valve heads will fit, but the valves will be so close to the cylinder wall that it will hurt performance. Also, the smaller displacement would require you to build the 318 to make power at very high RPM levels, and that will sacrifice the low end torque.

The 360 has the advantage of cubic inches and larger bore size, and it may actually be less expensive to build since there is a wider selection of performance pistons for it, but what you save may need to be spent on a counter-ballanced flex plate which is a good idea since it can be ballanced with the engine and allows you to use any torque converter.

[This message has been edited by 451Mopar (edited October 14, 2000).]

[rumblefish360]

With a 318 you can just use what mopar sells or federal mog. has. A 9.0-1 is fine. You can mill the head for more. Or if you buy a smaller chambered head. The comp. will rise with the ability to mill again. Compresion is easy to get even if you start @ 9.0-1.
Head milling is cheap.