'79 E-58 360?

[440newport]

I have a '80 dodge mirada with a slant-six that i was originally planning on putting a 383 into, but, in the search for a new rear-end i came across a complete but well-rotted '79 chrysler 300 with the E-58 360...I've read these are good engines, anyone have the specs (cam specs, hp etc..) on them? would it have the lean-burn system? for an otherwise stock engine except for maybe headers, what kind of cam would you recommend for this engine with 3.55 gears and a stock convertor?

[Mr.Mopar]

I believe that is the same engine that the LiL Red Express trucks came with. Good find!
We need more info on what you plan on doing with this engine to pinpoint a cam for you. This engine should have come with the stock 340 cam. Shouldn't be Lean burn either. Your Mopar dealer will have all the info you need.

[440newport]

well let's say i get this 360 and put it in the mirada, what be a good cam for a daily driver that will see stuff like stop and go traffic in the summer but to still be able to have some fun with it once in a while
lopey idle would be good!, but i don't want the thing fouling the plugs after a 1/2 hour... this car weighs say 3400 lbs and the stock converter is supposedly 2200rpm (seems high to me) also the rear-end would be a 3.23 not the 3.55 i said earlier with a 255/60/15 rear tire (not sure on the height) stock intake and heads for now, with a set of headers and a new holley 650 carb
maybe an aftermarket ignition box too.. recommend one?

[dwc43]

They are different than the lil red exspress trucks. The trucks did not have to meet the governments emissions standards and used a hotter cam and richer carb set up. That's why it was the fastest production vehicle that year. Also motor trend truck and car of the year too.

The police car is different too. It uses a windage tray,and double roller timming chain. Also uses a hotter cam such as the truck.

The car can be a lean burn set up too. No big deal though. If it has a dual pick up dist. just change it to a normal single pick up dist. Best after market to use would be a msd 6a for your street car.

I'd get a dual pattern cam. Like a 268 272 duration or a little hotter next size up. The Weiand action plus would be a great intake for this combo and is the best small block intake to use period. The 650 is too small. All 360's use an 800 cfm thermoquad. I suggest you use one. Get them new fir ariund 180 at most all parts stores. It gives good mpg at low throttle and great response when stompped on. We use modified versions on all of our race cars.

[polarapete]

I built one of these for my '74 D-100. I replaced the tired 318 with the use of an offset balance B&M flexplate so that I could use the 318 converter. I used some "no-name" headers and a single 3" exhaust.

As far as the engine build up, I used a PAW piston kit (.030 Cast flattops 9:1) and a complete Edelbrock Performer Cam, Lifters, Springs with a Performer Intake and Edelbrock 600CFM carb. I did a little port clean-up and a stock valve job. The rings were moly filled and the bearings were the CL77 type. I also used the windage tray that it came with and got a new truck pan kit from Mopar. The truck weighed over 4,500 with a single track 3.55 9.25 rear. It sounded good and really hauled. It never let me down. I wish I still had it.

I found the engine/tranny combo in the paper. I did not use the tranny, as it was a lock-up design and the truck 727 was fresh. It had sat under a tree, covered by a tarp for three years. The guy I bought it from bought it from the Elma, WA police department. They had had bad experience in selling off their old complete police cars and since then they parted them out. Seems they could not catch the old Mopars with their new Chevs and Crown Vic's!!

[SixGunner]

There are only a few differences between standard and e58 360's. The biggest difference is that the E58 has a lower compression ratio (8:1 compared to 8.4:1) than a standard engine. Also, the water pump bearing is bigger, and there is some minor head work. I believe they also have silichrome valves. In the body, an E58 has dual exhaust. The cam is the same as a standard 360. The Little Red Truck engine (78 only) had a 340 cam. In 79 it was a standard 360 cam. There are a few other differences, I can't remember them all now.

Jason

[dwc43]

E 58's had single exhaust in any car or truck except the express truck. Look at any police car they are single exhaust. The E 58 is a police interceptor engine that was put in other cars as a performance package such as the '76 - '80 Aspen R/T's or Road Runners as well as the express truck. They had more compression not less. They had standard heads with no special work done to them other than 2.02 1.60 valves like the X or J head used.

[SixGunner]

Sorry, but I have to argue that point. The E58 in most "interceptor packages" came with duals. At least with the Newport, St. Regis and Gran Fury.The only exception I can see is the Aspen/Volare that had duals to a point, then single exhaust because of the offset gas tank. Also, it was a LOWER compression engine, mostly for durability's sake. I have had 3 cars with these engines, and done alot of research on this. The heads were standard, true, but were enhanced for police service, mostly cooling mods. You should check out the 1979 Chrysler 300 Owners Handbook, or Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler Police Cars 1979-1984, if you want more info. Here's a quote
"The optional 360 4 bbl engine had the following features for longer life and better performance:
a double roller timing chain, Lubrite treated camshaft, water pump with larger bearing, heavy duty valve springs, Nimonic exhaust valves, special Silichrome 1 high temperature steel intake valves, heads with special seat section for better cooling, anti turbulence windage tray between crankshaft and oil sump, crankshaft of shotpeened nodular iron, hi temp valve seals and shields, high strength rocker arms, Magnafluxed forged connecting rods, heavy chrome oil rings and a dual snorkel air cleaner"

All 3 of the 79 300's we've had had E58's and I have had 2 of them apart. You do have to look to see the difference, but it is there!
Just because it is a "police interceptor" don't think it is any higher performance. The only difference between an E58 4bbl and an EC5 4 bbl is the dual exhaust. CANADIAN E58's had the "standard" compression ratio of 8.4:1, but they didn't have the emissions standards either!!

Oh yeah, the 1978 Little Red Express (EH1) had a standard 360, with a 340 cam and valvesprings, dual snorkel aircleaner, and dual exhaust without converters. There was a whole lot more (w2 heads, and stuff) but the bean counters sunk that idea. Then in 79, emissions caught up, and it was pretty much a standard 360 4bbl.

Hope that helped!

Jason

[dwc43]

"The optional 360 4 bbl engine had the following features for longer life and better performance:
a double roller timing chain, Lubrite treated camshaft, water pump with larger bearing, heavy duty valve springs, Nimonic exhaust valves, special Silichrome 1 high temperature steel intake valves, heads with special seat section for better cooling, anti turbulence windage tray between crankshaft and oil sump, crankshaft of shotpeened nodular iron, hi temp valve seals and shields, high strength rocker arms, Magnafluxed forged connecting rods, heavy chrome oil rings and a dual snorkel air cleaner"


This much you pulled from the book is right. But other than the double roller and windage tray all the other stuff is stock on any 360 all the way back to the first. Not all had dual snlrkle air cleaners either. They were all single exhaust too by the way. The e 58 was the high compressio and high performance version that's why they built the express truck since it did not have to pass emisions. The Aspen and Voalre' were aslo used as police cars. I drove one. I have my old 80 model behind the shop I used to drive on the job. I drove em for a living so I know what was in them. We even look for them to use for race engines since we dont have to buy the tray and bolt package. We've built so many of these things it aint funny. I know just about all there is to know about them. Thanks though.

[SixGunner]

I do know that MY CAR , an original E58 360 4 bbl 300 has FACTORY DUALS and the St. Regis', and 1 Newport I have seen had FACTORY DUALS. As I stated in my earlier post, the Aspen/Volare had DUALS to a point (my 79 did, as most other 76-79 RoadRunners I have seen) then went to SINGLE at the muffler, cause of the offset gas tank. Again, I know that they are LOWER compression, compare the pistons on an E58 to a standard 360, you'll see a dish...

Read the Standard Catalog of Chrysler, If you don't believe me...

pg 194
High output V8, optional (all models) Same as 360 V8 above, but with 4bbl Carter TQ carberator, compression ratio 8.0:1, brake hp 195 at 4000 RPM. Torque 280 ft/lbs at 2400 VIN CODE L

That sums it up!

I don't mean to argue, but I don't want to pass on misinformation, either!!

Later,

Jason

[SixGunner]

I do stand sorta corrected. The duals were standard for 79+80 only. The earlier models were single. DWC43 is correct on that!

mybad, I have the dunce cap on

Jason

[rumblefish360]

The E-58 engine is a good soild platform on which to start a good build up with. You note that the compresion is low even in the higher ratio years. 8.4 is to low. A milling of stock large chambered heads or smaller chambered heads to bump up the ratio is in order.
You'll need to do some math on this.
9.0-1 to 9.5-1 max for comp. is good.
A nice cam to start with (IMO) is the stock or replacement 4bbl. cam.
Install stainless 2.02's and 1.60 valves with a 3 angle valve job.
Headers are a plus and exhaust size @ 2 1/4 is good.
I like the idea of a T-Q carb. Cheap, with tiny primarys and huge secondarys.
Action plus intake is it.
Use a windage tray.

This combo as posted is good for 325 HP (plus or minus) with plenty of torque.
Pocket porting the heads can add more power as with a bigger cam.
Seeing 370 HP from this basic start (E-58 engine) is easy.

[76Duster]

My 76' Duster for which I had the fender tag AND broadcast sheet stated it was an E-58 360 car and also on the broadcast sheet it had duel exhaust. So never say never.

[6 packin]

Internal it should have factory Windage tray, moly rings, so ring were will be better. Other than that There is not much different than the old regular 360 of the same years, atleast nothing that isnt going to get changed anyway. They still had the air injection heads on some. Those 360 heads besides that are NOT any different port runners than they sought after J heads. Just have everything checked at the machine shop.

[MO-E-Bodyman]

As a bodyman I bow to all of you gearhead's knowledge. I do have a small bit of knowledge to add. A friend pulled the motor and trans out of his 79 300 and I saw a sticker or tag on the converter that said something about high stall or words to that effect.
My .02 for what it's worth.

[440newport]

yeah, i've read they came with a 2200 stall converter which I was bit suprised by, if they do indeed have it, that'll help with the cam swap

[dwc43]

Yes the E 58 does have the stall converter. There is a good inch from the ring gear starter teeth to the converter shell.

[DEMON SIZZLER]

The 1974, 1975 and 1976 360 hp engines all used 850 cfm ThermoQuads( I have one of each); any 360 engine regardless of hp rating after 1976 used an 800 cfm T.Q. that was a factory 4 bbl
assembly. All 360's used the same pistons from 1973- up for the LA engines and were 'dished'. The 1971/1972 were flat tops. The later the heads, the combustion chambers were progressively larger up to about 72 cc's and the intake ports from the short side radius(near the valve guide boss)starting at the bowl area became lower parallel with the intake port floor and thus the cc's of the intake runner was less.

[SixGunner]

Cool info, Demon. I didn't know that. Perhaps my bro's engine was rebuilt somewhere before he got it, it had flattops and was out of an 86... mine were definately dished, I still have 1 to prove it!

Jason