LA 318's
 

Is there any differences between the 318s used in different models?, like specific models or specific years had more Power/Torque and if so what ones? and
I've also read/heard that there are short block and long block 318's, is that true? And if so are there any differences with power/torque outputs and if there are 2 block types would the long block fit in my Dakota?

A short block is with out heads on it. A long block has heads on it. That is the basic difference. That applies to all engines. As for differences in between the years yes there is. The biggest is in the 90 I think there were upgrades. For the complete list and exact info check out http://www.allpar.com/mopar/318.html

I remember reading and hearing that the emission laws were taking effect and getting tighter in the 70s and 80s and because of that the power engines were putting out shrunk and if thats all true than shoudnt and older 318 have more power than an 80s 318 or what

Older like late 60's but they ran off of leaded gas. Unleaded gas will not allow it to run to its full potential.

Oh, well heres another question about them,
Is there any weight differences for the 318 and there trannys over the years? and if so what was changed and when

That info is on the allpar site for some of the changes, you might have to read into the magnums though too. Havent seen anythign close anywhere else. i Think they only list the major weigth changes.

Well i dont want to get a set thats to Heavy for the Dakota because i dont want my handling scrued up or the center of gravity changed unless its for the better

Heres another question, I might be buying a 1979 318 with a 4 Barrel Carb and a 727
How much power could i get out of it with parts that i can change or put in and how might it run and how would the power line be(I think thats what its called with low end power, medium end power and high end power), How many RPMs will it beable to go with out F*cking it up and how much might it all cost

Actually not! the biggest issue with early 70's and older engines running on unleaded was the heads. The metal used in the heads could not handle the abrasive action of the valves on the seats. the lead in the gas lubricated the valves and seats. I remeber friends of mine that had the old muscle cars trashing heads on unleaded gas. Then the oil companies have reformulated the gas to provide a chemical makeup that prevents valve recession in the older engines.

LOL, there are endless possibilities!! Nobody here can possibly give you a straight answer to that. You can get a lot of power out of it with any powerband you want depending on a lot of factors, including but not limited to choice of cam, rocker arms, heads, intake. You can get a timing chain with keyways to advance and retard the timing to raise or lower the powerband of any cam, you can advance the ignition timing and run premium gas to get more power.

My suggestion is call summitracing, hughesengines, comp cams, and tell all them how you want the engine to perform and they will point you in the right direction.