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Old 03-21-2003, 11:49 PM
FARGO318 FARGO318 is offline
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Default Ideal 360 years and block inspecting

Alright, screw it, I'm tossing the 318 and doing up a 360 like I should have in the first place, luckily, except for paint stripper, I havent spent anything on the 318.

I'm looking for a 360 core and would like to know what years were the best, or casting numbers? I'd like to stay with the 1.88/1.6 valves, since the flow will be kept pretty moderate.

Are there any years that I should stay away from? When was learn burn introduced on these blocks?

I plan to run 9.1-1 pistons, stock intake, probably stock exhaust manifolds with dual exhaust, TQ from Demon Sizzler, new cam ( yet to be decided) and better ignition if I have to.


Now, I might pick the block up from a private sale, so what types of things should I look for? I have access to micrometers and such, so what types of things should I look for to indicate a good block?

Anyways, thanks in advance.
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Old 03-22-2003, 12:30 AM
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6 packin 6 packin is offline
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Ask the guy if you can take it to a machine shop for inspection before you buy it. If you get can hear one run thats always a plus. Check for oil level and if theres any water in the oil. Its hard to visually see any flaws a engine can have.
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Old 03-22-2003, 11:26 AM
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rumblefish360 rumblefish360 is offline
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Not being a machinest;

Bore is stock at 4.00 Anything after .030 over should be avoided.
The advice above is best. Take it to a shop. Make a deal pending the shops findings. (I'll buy it if the shops says it's ok.) Clean , measure, check for craks (Magnaflux) and straightness of decks and other critcal spots the machinest would check for.

As far as years, the early blocks are said to be better. Thicker walls. Up to '72 I believe. Reguardless of year, bore and hone the block (If needed) with a torque plate, mains installed.
Leanburn made it's apearance in the mid to late '70's.
Exactlly, I'm not sure, but you wont be useing the ignition from that anyway. Or the distrib. Everything else is fine. The heads from those years have a small port under the exhaust port for air injection. Drill them out and tap for a 1/4 allen head set screw. Screw the allen head flush with the block. Headers are now OK to use. Not all exhaust manifolds will cover the air injection holes.
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Old 03-22-2003, 12:13 PM
CudaMike CudaMike is offline
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I would recommend having any block sonic checked that is going to be pushed hard. It's just good insurance knowing what you've got (or don't have, and so don't use it, get another).
The SB MP book lists these 360 casting numbers:
1971-74 3418496
1975 3870230
1976-80 4006830
1980-85 4027596
1980-85 4071051
and so on until 1992, and then came the Magnum engines.
The early 360 blocks used the 340 water jacket cores, giving thicker walls. In other words, an early 360 bored from the stock 4.000" to 4.040" (340 bore size) would have the same wall thickness as a stock 340, on the average. The MP book says the thick wall blocks are until 1976, but I think that is a mistake, as the 4006830 casting started then. I have personally heard Herb McCandless say blocks through 1975 are the thick ones. That would make better sense, and would indicate that any 360 block casting number that starts with a "3" is the better one.
Now, you may have heard that the thinwall/thickwall block thing is a myth. Well, that appears to be true from the sonic checking work done by AndyF on BIG BLOCKS. However, on small blocks I have found the information I gave above to be true. I had a '72 block (3418496 casting) and a '78 360 block (4006830 casting) in my basement. One night I decided to knock out the freeze plugs and look at the spacing between cylinders. Sure enough, the '78 block had about .130" between adjacent cylinders, and the '72 block had about .090" between adjacent cylinders. This indicates the '72 block had .020" thicker walls, or .040" on diameter, the difference between 340 and 360 stock bores.
I sold the '78 block and kept the '72 block to build a 408 stroker. I plan to have it sonic checked before proceeding with machine work.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
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Old 03-22-2003, 12:23 PM
451Mopar 451Mopar is offline
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If your staying with the stock sized valves, you will likely be less than 400 HP? If so, any 360 block would be fine.
The early 1971-72 may have thicker cylinder walls, but I'm not sure. I think the blocks before 1975-1976? have more material in the main webbing area. It's easy to check for a thin web block when the crank is out as the main bearing cap bolt holes go all the way through the webbing area, where the earlier blocks have a very thick webbing and blind main bolt holes.
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