318 heads

[moparman318]

I just pulled off my valve covers to check my heads casting #s. All I could come up with was 4027168. After a search I didn't find any posts about 168 heads. Do I have the wrong number here? The only other number I could find was 137. The 4027168 was on the #3 intake runner. 137 was one the #1 intake runner. Thanks for any advice. h

[FASTDARTCHESTER]

what year heads are they (or what year engine)?

lemme know and I can look the part number up when I get home tonite.

[tsteiner61]

The number you are looking for is 4027163. Usually the other head will be a -593 head. These are just plain jane 1977-80 stock heads. I got some pretty good results porting a set of these, but almost everyone (myself included) will recommend a set of 302 heads for better performance or a good base head to port.

[Ausydad]

I'll agree with Tsteiner ( hey, bud, haven't tlaked for awhile...) about the 302 casting heads helping you as usually it's not only a matter of flow thru your heads (Cuda66273 is dong really well with a set of 273heads), but also a question of compression. The standard 318 of that era will have a deck height of .0935 down the hole which puts it around 8:1 compression. The 302 heads will give you a heart shaped closed chamber head to help with this (especially if you use MP .024 head gakets available thru Summit). True, both heads run a 1.78/1.50 valve size, but the 302
's also have swirl port tech. Better to spend the $100 at a boneyard to get those....

[c318cuin]

With the pistons being that far down however I doubt that you are going to get the best performance from those heads. Those fast burn chambers like a tight piston to deck to head clearance to take advantage of quench and aid in the swirl port effect. Also one other things that I have noted from reading about them is they tend to raise port velocity for better mix than all out flow. So I am not so sure that 302 heads would be the best thing unless you get the pistons up toward the tops of the bore. By using higher compression height pistons you not only raise compression but can take advantage of the heads design.

JMHO

[moparman318]

Okay cool. Were the 302 318 heads or 360? I hear alot about 302 and 306(?) heads. I have also read that good swirl port heads can be found on lots of mid-late 80'2 cars. Is that true. I have also been thinking about a 360 swap. I would use all the edelbrock stuff on my current 318, and would like it to remain fairly streetable, so 10 to 1 compression is a little to much for me. Which heads would be more suitable for a 360? I am hoping that I can do something to raise my gas milage (8mpg when I bought it got it up to ten, then she droped back down to 8) but get a little more power. As my truck will see a good amount of off pavement use and I have walked out enough times as it is. Thanks for all the input

[c318cuin]

These heads were found on late(85 +) model roller cammed emmissions pre Magnum 318s. As for the 360 heads I will let someone else comment on those. But a dyno test done by Hot Rod magazine showed that 302 heads are not the best thing for a 360. But what I will say is that according to several posts on here and things I have read there are several good castings for 360 heads.

Hope that helps some.

[cuda66273]

I'm just not sure about the swirl port 302's they're really designed to help light off the cats and reduce cold emmissions...I looked at them and I just don't like the science of the air flow for performance on a decently warm engine.

You've got to realize that just opening up the ports and bigger valves is not going to make more power. You need to be able to manage the air in and air out, the velocity, as well as volume and then try and out smart the chronically poor exhaust side and sharp turns in the port of pretty much all Mopar iron heads..there's just alot more to it than bigger is better.

I really like the J heads for a piece of clay to work with, cheap and plentiful but then the design and location of the intake valve seat sticking out of the head frustrates me when I'm trying to develope flame travel and decent compression ratio's.

I tell my guy's..."Look... your bracket racing, doesn't matter if you run 11.55 or 11.25 your racing the dial-in, how fast can you afford to dial?"

Any old iron head with the basic modifications and upgrades will make your old Mopar come to life and blow a fuse in the seat dyno the first time you pull the trigger..spend your money wisely and be sure your getting a good HP to $$$ ratio.

[FASTDARTCHESTER]

if you guys want i can email pics of the sectioned 302's i have.

i will send them individually cuz they are rather large jpegs

just gimme your email

btw cuda, i told you 3 MEG or something like that for the zipped file containing all the pics, sorry. my brother couldn't get them up and running on his site for some reason.

[Rug_Trucker]

C318ci I just recently did some work in Castillion Springs. Nice up there! Are you a member of the Music City Mopars? Love seeing local people on the websites. The more to Mopar with!

[PLUM_72]

OKAY...apparently I'm missing something here, someone made a comment about swirl port heads liking a nice tight chamber? Now I didnt measure the deck clearance of the 318 motor that I pulled my set of 302's from, but one thing I'm sure of, those pistons had one hell of a dish to them! So I guess that I dont buy the whole nice tight quench area for the heads to work. What about the Mopar Engine manual dyno tests? THey added the large valve swirl ports and got some outrageous gain. Personally I thing the gain was greatly inflated. If the 302's do nothing else they will raise compression! Take a stock 318 head with a 65cc chamber and my 302's measure out at 58cc. now thats not much, but its a cheap way to raise compression. You have to admit that most people, cuda66273 is one exception, only build a 318 because of very limited cash flow. Most people if they had the cash would sink it into a 340, 360 or big block.

[cuda66273]

".....admit that most people, cuda66273 is one exception, only build a 318 because of very limited cash flow"

I would have to say I really did the 318 for 2 reasons...

1.The Editor of Mopar Muscle Magazine told me that I couldn't do it, a 318 was not a race motor and I'd never see a 13 second time slip....surprize...

2.There's no greater satisfaction than whooping up on all my BBC buddy's with a puney little non-race motor 318. Don't you just love those LS6 454 70 Chevelles........ and their 13 second passes................see ya.........in the rear view mirror....hahhahaha

[moparman318]

does anyone know anything about the cast iron heads MP is selling? I was looking at the catalog and figured those would be alot cheaper than the alluminum commando heads. They are supposed to flow 275cfm @.600". Thats probably better than the aluminums. Would the iron be like a good ported set of 302 or better? thanks

[FASTDARTCHESTER]

If memory serves me, I read a while back (in an issue of Hot Rod, '88) that they were taking production heads (which would be a '302 head because I think the '308 was just hitting the market then) and porting them to get decent returns. 1.88/1.60 valves were also installed). They ran these ported heads on a well warmed over 318 and ran 12.99 @ 104 (i think) in a drag prepped duster. I think the heads were quite expensive back then too.

If that's true, does the '302 casting number appear on the head still?

I may be wrong but that's what my old mind is telling me...can anyone verify this???

[Ausydad]

FastDart,
Can you send the pics of the cut up 302's to me. I'm looking at cutting a pair...
Ausydad@yahoo.com

[c318cuin]

I love living up here I "northern middle Tennessee". I have know about the Music city group for some time now but just have not joined. This is partly due to not have the free time/funds to join. I do try to go to all their car shows when i can.

I would also like to get copies of those jpegs of the cut 302 heads.

[FASTDARTCHESTER]

check yer email ausydaddy

[FASTDARTCHESTER]

what's yer email c318?

[c318cuin]

C318cuin@hotmail.com

Thanks

[Rug_Trucker]

Fbody eh? There is a Aspen on Main Street in Dickson. I keep an eye on it. It is in great shape with no rust. Would be a nice place to drop a 383 or 440.

[Ausydad]

Got the email, Thanks!

[c318cuin]

C318cuin@hotmail.com

Thanks

[moparman318]

c318 whats with imbreeding your volare? A 9 inch? don't you know that a 8 3/4 is the same style and much stronger? jezz some times I wonder.

[PLUM_72]

Hey FastDart, or one of your guys who got the e-mail, Could you post the cut up pics on a web site for the masses to view? I'm curious to see these cut up views as well.

[eric414]

You want 360 heads off of 87-90 360 engine.the 308 or 576 is the best non w2 head.i have 576 which you can be brought new.302 heads i just GAVE a set away,if i had more i will give those away also

[FASTDARTCHESTER]

Plum,

gimme your email and i can send 'em. we tried posting them to a site but had bad luck.

FDC

[speedfreak]

hay FASTDARTCHESTER I would also like to see those pics of the heads you had cut ,thanks,,,speedfreak.

[speedfreak]

Oops,I guess you need an email address, speedfreak340@excite.com

[PLUM_72]

Hey FastDartChester send those cut up pics to mr_user2000@hotmail.com THANX!!