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  #1  
Old 06-02-2003, 06:45 PM
Jed Jed is offline
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Default stock 318 performance?

Ive got a 78 model 318-2bbl motor with 97K on it, I want it to be able to accelerate a little better so I dont have to get into the pedal so much. I also dont have much to spend.

My ideal is to swap to a stock 4bbl manifold and a Qjet or vac. Holly carb, get rid of all the lean burn crap, electronic stock dist w/advance kit, "high-voltage" coil, orange ecu box and a summit 204/214 .420/.430 cam. Its in a 80 cordoba with a 2.2 rear gear and an A999 wide ratio trans.

What do you guys think? How much better do you think it would run? Do you think it would be better to just rebuild the motor instead? Cause I really cant afford to do both and the motor runs really well now and doesnt use much oil for a V8 with almost 100K on it.
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  #2  
Old 06-02-2003, 07:57 PM
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Frank Frank is offline
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I once put an Edlebrock streetmaster manifold together with a Carter 625 cfm AFB, a set of Heddman headers and a true dual exhaust system on an otherwise stock 318, and it was like a new engine, with much better low end, and some real spunk.
Later an RV cam helped it breath better, and gave it a good kick in the pants. It could easily keep up my buddies nearly stock 360, and got better gas mileage than it did originally with the stock 2 Bbl. Go figure!
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  #3  
Old 06-02-2003, 08:02 PM
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6 packin 6 packin is offline
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I would just use add on's to help, and save for a good rebuild later, maybe a 360 engine can be had cheap later. A 4 barrel intake and a good advance curve would help. Man thats a High gear set, never seen one that high before, i would ditch them for a set of 3.55 gears. Gas milage will suffer quit a bit, but to be expected with the 4 barrel setup. With the overdrive the 3.55's will be very cruise friendly, and will acceletrate much better. A electronic igntion with say 12-14 deg intial and 32-34 deg total will help make it run better and help fuel milage too. Look here for the electronic conversion wiring.

http://www.bigblockdart.com/wiring/ignition.htm
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  #4  
Old 06-02-2003, 11:12 PM
FARGO318 FARGO318 is offline
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I would say the first thing to do would be to change those gears, at least 3.23's. Find out what rear end you have first. There's no sense putting more muscle into that motor if you're stuck with a 7 1/4 in the rear, BOOM.

Gears than a 4 barrel would be a nice start, add a cam and headers later. Or you could just take the easy way out and get a running 4 bbl 360, that'll satisfy your needs without any changes.
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  #5  
Old 06-02-2003, 11:34 PM
big willie big willie is offline
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With a stock 318 and 3.73's in a A body I ran an ugly 18.11 in the quarter. With the addition of only a Eddy Performer intake, Eddy 600 carb, Heddman heads and glasspacks, and Autozone reman electronic ignition conversion I improved to 14.88's. I also have the small Summit cam on my workbench I am going to try soon. Easy motor to make improvments on for a small amount of money. I am going to drop the real money into the 360 I am building.
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  #6  
Old 06-02-2003, 11:46 PM
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rumblefish360 rumblefish360 is offline
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I have to agree with the add ons. The Edel. Performer would do best. The 360 intake would be next in line if the Edel. was not handy or cheap. A T-Q would be better than the others. I'll have to find Demon sizlers address.
Headers. Big thumbs up. Follow it with a 2 1.4 inch pipe with an "H" pipe.
IMO, skip the orange box and go MSD w/ a vaccum advance distrib. Even junkyard units can do well. An MSD WILL add power and mpg's to the car.
Choose a cam for the cruise RPM you can handle. Keep it small. Rather than a Summit cam, I'd say a better starting cam would be MoPars 260-268. Very small but effective for street bound everyday cruisers.
Rear gear would be 3.23's.
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  #7  
Old 06-02-2003, 11:49 PM
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rumblefish360 rumblefish360 is offline
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Default OK, here we go, You WANT to click this link.

http://www.geocities.com/thermoquads/
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  #8  
Old 06-03-2003, 04:07 PM
Dartcustom Dartcustom is offline
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Throw those horrible gears away and change to 3.55 or up. "2.20" gears shouldn't ever be in the same sentence as "performance".
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  #9  
Old 06-03-2003, 04:47 PM
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ehostler ehostler is offline
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I agree with most everyone here. Strat off by going to a 4 bbl intake and carb, and upgrade the rear to a 3.23 or 3.55. Those upgrades alone should give you a heck of an improvement.
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  #10  
Old 06-03-2003, 06:53 PM
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dwc43 dwc43 is offline
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Rumble and I think real close most of the time. I agree on the mopar 260 268 cams since the 318 needs better exhaust flow. A 1 5/8 street header with either an X or H pipe. H pipes are easier to install and cheaper than an X pipe, but the X works better. It helps to increase low end torque. I'd use the 800 cfm thermoquad too. It's what come on them stock from the factory. Good mpg until you put your foot into it. And great throttle response. Very easy to tune also. I'd use the Weiand action plus intake. It's a 180 * dual plane and works real well on the small blocks. Better than most other brands do. Either a chrome box or an msd box. The msd would be my choice if the money is there. And please get an 8 1/4 from a police car. At least they run 2.94 for troopers and either 3.23 or 3.55 for city cars.
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  #11  
Old 06-03-2003, 06:57 PM
Bigfoot Bigfoot is offline
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I have virtually the same thing as you have, 318 7 1/4 2.2 gears 2 barrel with lean burn. It was getting 15 mpg in the city and a huge 21.1 sec 1/4 mile. I changed to electronic Ignition with vacuum adv. dist I adjusted to give me 14 btdc initial and 34 total. Changed over to a stock 4 barrel intake with thermoquad that I rebuilt and put on headers and dual exhaust with an H pipe. Right now I am in the low 17's and once I get the bog off the line cured I am sure I will be in the low 16's. I get 16-18 mpg in the city as long as I stay out of the secondaries and when I am in them it's like a whole different car. If I can ever find a 8 1/4 I will be changing to a higher gear ratio, but they are like hens teeth where I live. The parts were 80 bucks from the junk yard, 120 for the headers and 140 for the dual exhaust setup. Later this fall I would like to change out the cam and give it a complete rebuild.
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  #12  
Old 06-03-2003, 07:57 PM
HookVIP HookVIP is offline
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Default 7 1/4s

Watch out those 7 1/4s will blow up! I have a 78 Volare with a stock 318 2bbl and broke 3 of em.. finally just welded the gears!
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  #13  
Old 06-07-2003, 11:36 AM
Jed Jed is offline
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Okay thanks guys can you help me identify what my rear end is? Im pretty sure its 7 1/4. I know Im sick but Im kind of a fan for highway gears, although this 2.2 may prove to be too much. I like highway cruisers, I like cruising up at 55mph beside a honda or otherwise lamer then hit passing gear and blowing them away. At this point Im not looking to spend much on this car at all. I dont really want something (ie. CANT afford) thats a 'hot rod'.

To get this straight, the 318 that is going in the doba with the 2.2 gear is out of a 78 fury that had the lean burn on it and ran very good. At this point Im thinking of just putting a 4bbl on that motor a running it how it is for a while.
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  #14  
Old 06-07-2003, 12:29 PM
FARGO318 FARGO318 is offline
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Having highway gearing is fine, but at least try and find a 2.94 like dwc43 was saying. And you'll be able to smoke the people on the freeway with some better gearing than with 2.2, I've never even heard of 2.2.

As for the 7 1/4, I'm not sure those were ever meant for s/b's. A stock 318 would roast one of those, let alone a warmed up one.

Good luck
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  #15  
Old 06-07-2003, 12:36 PM
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dwc43 dwc43 is offline
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Fargo is right. I've busted a few 7 1/4's in the earlt teen years when the money for hot roddind was tight and I did not know where to look for good parts.

Step up to a trooper Rear end geared 2.94 in an 8 1/4. It'll have great hwy speed. I mean that's why they used that gear for. Use a 2.76 gear at minimum if you cant find the other.
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  #16  
Old 06-07-2003, 03:28 PM
Jed Jed is offline
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If Im gonna change the gear I might as well get a 3.23. Unless I can find a police rear for cheap. Hmmm there is an 84 grand fury cop car for sale for like 250 near here..... I wonder what its got.
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  #17  
Old 06-07-2003, 03:47 PM
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A 2.94 if hwy patrol and either 3.23 or 3.55 if local town car. Plus you pick up a stock 4 bbl intake and hopefully a good thermoquad instead of the quadrajunk they stuck on them when Carter got bought out. Plus you get the heavy bolt in tranny cooler and oil coolers too. Plus those front and rear sway bars too.


If you dont want any of the coolers and sway bars I'll buy them from you and that will help defere some of your cost too.
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  #18  
Old 06-07-2003, 03:52 PM
Jed Jed is offline
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This ones only got a 2bbl on it. The trans is messed up too. But I think it has 3 cop car wheels and lots of extra dog dishes.
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  #19  
Old 06-07-2003, 04:00 PM
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dwc43 dwc43 is offline
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Some one might have pulled it. But I did find an original green forestry car with police package, but 2 bbl that a county agency bought in Columbia,Tn that they used for a cruiser.

Does it still have all the coolers and sway bars?? Do you want them. I have my old crusier and want to restore it. The county pulled all the good stuff for reapirs on others. There cheap what can I say. I'll buy some of what you dont need if you get it since your only half way across the state from me it should not be a real rpob either. Matter of fact, I'll take the whole car minus the rear if you dont need it. Let me know.

Check out www.musiccitymoparclub.com and join us for this years show too. It's at the wave pool metro park on Briely near the opry mills mall
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  #20  
Old 06-12-2003, 12:52 AM
71dart666 71dart666 is offline
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Well my 318 will be far from stock.. but when I did drive the doner car with the stock 71 318 in it I was really impressed with the lowend torque of the little motor.. maybe its cause im used to driving a /6 but you just tap the gas and the thing moves off the line nicely.. not FAST or anything but with that lowend torque you could be sure if it got the ability to rev up it would have some balls. Ill be sure to let ya guys know what my 318 does when its in my car.. specs are :318 bored 030 over, balanced, 302 swirlport heads- ported and polished, new vavles and springs ect.. Comp cams Xtreme energy cam 218 duration 470 lift? port matched edelbrock intake, 670 holley anihilator, headman headers.. duel exaust MP distributor and the usual duel exaust.. flowmasters maybe?
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