k. trucks in the garage just BEGGIN for its long overdue rebuild. i wanna do this RIGHT! yet, i wanna do this myself. i know, im crazy. i want you guys to give me a good list of parts i'll need (cheaper the better!!). im lookin for mild performance in the end. all i wanna do is wipe that fuggin grin of that cocky cumstang operator! soo i'll need 300 plus ponnies to the wheels. orrrrr, anybody got a good link to a how to guide on rebuilding a 318 magnum (fuel injected not carburated!) my budget is 2500. im lookin to spank them five ohs. please help. any advice is always greatly appreciated. thanks!

 

First thing I would do, get my hands on a 5.9, that would be a good base start.

 

If your dead serious on wanting 300HP at the wheels you will need 400HP at the flywheel. Which you will need some serious power, WAY MORE then the stock engine could put out. Maybe if you stroke that 5.2 you may get it with tons of performance parts. You may still need a supercharger or turbocharger, which will all need to be custom done.

Your best bet will be to get a 5.9 which will drop right into where the 5.2 sits and stroke that and supercharge it. Custom fuel and spark management. I would guess more like $6,00-8,000.

The FAQ2 has tons of performance links and ideas.

 

ok, if you where to stroke a 5.2 get new pistons, heads, cams and all that type of stuff, what type of HP would you think to see out of it? What restricts this engine to no achieve those big HP and all these 5.0 302's to get large amounts of HP?

 

I'm not sure that the numbers would be on a 5.2 stroker, I bet you could find some info on it doing a Google search. The big difference in between the Ford 5.0 and our Magnum V8's is the aftermarket performance parts. There is very little in comparison for the Magnum engines.

 

soo, 400 horsepower is completely impossible without super or turbo charging for the 318!? and i hear people talkin like the 360 is a whole other animal than the 318 and theres no way in hell it will just "drop in" to were the 318 sit so comfy. if it is established that the 318 is utterly useless in my hopes to conquer the mustang menace, and up to a 360, that means i'll have to *** with motor mounts and a whole new ecu and tranny and quite possible a new rear end right? just seams to me like opening up a whole new can of worms. c'mon guys, all i wanna do is just beat a stock mustang with my lil ol trusty dakota with the 318. i'll have 1500 in my pocket to throw at come tax time. theres gotta be a way.

 

Like I said I'm not to sure on the HP and TQ a stroker kit makes. Google it! I don't know if a storker is enough to make 400HP or if a power adder is needed.

The both Magnum and LA 318 (5.2) and 360 (5.9) are EXTERNALLY the same. Going from Magnum 5.2 to Magnum 5.9 is a simple swap, Externally the same. So it does drop right in, trust me I did as well as thousands others.

You may be able to make 400HP easy you may not. It all depends on your pocket and your plan. The FAQ2 has several engine performance lists, posts articles. There is even an article on a LA 318 that makes 400HP. You just have to do the homework to find what will work for your setup.

As far as transmissions go, for the most power a manual transmission is best. Automatics use more up more engine power vs manuals. But with a drag racing purpose built transmission an Auto is best for consistency.

 

First off, what kind of dakota do you have? 2wd, 4wd? Manual, auto? Second, what year/engine Mustang does your friend have? How badly does he beat you?

You are pushing nearly 4k pounds while he is probably at just around 3k lbs. Remember, a simple equation is 10lbs = 1 HP, and if all things being equal he already has 800 pound or 80 horsepower advantage, then you add in better suspension, tires, basically everything that makes a lightweight, v8 rwd sporty car fun and relatively fast to drive. Everything that is the opposite of your Dakota.

If you want power and lots of it, carb it. But traction will always be an issue with pickups, especially light ones with lots of power.

If you want to actually beat him, it should not be a problem, but do you want a real street/strip pickup that is built to last?

$2,500 will get you a long ways but only if it is done correctly. If you have a 2wd, and I am assuming the Dak in your sig line is the one you are talking about, then you have the lightest Dak of the years (not counting engine weight).

 

440 swap! If your swapping.... go big or go home!

 

its a 2wd manual, short box, regular cab. so ya, the lightest configuration of dakota. so if i got a 360, it WOULD drop right in? same mounts? bolt up to tranny? computer? and hes not my friend, at all! just another douche bag that thinks hes all that and a bag of chips. its a fox body 5.0, with just a throaty exhaust. and a 440!?!? i've heard of some, but to swap wouldn't that mean cutting the firewall, custom mounts, all new drivetrain, computer. sounds like way more than what my budget will allow. no more than 2500 to spend, and i'd rather not dump it all in the motor, it needs all new quarter panels and i'd like to get some different wheels. i wanna go 15x8 in the front and 15x10 in the rear. i'll check out the faq page, but whats your guys' opinion for most power gain per dollar, stroker kit or a 360?