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360 or 318 for High Horsepower build

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Old 01-11-2022, 07:57 PM
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Default 360 or 318 for High Horsepower build

I have a 318 and 360 magnum. The 318 is fine just needs headgaskets and such and the 360 is newely built with no miles on it yet. I was going to go ahead and put the 360 into the truck but im thinking imma go for more power. My only concern with power with these trucks is them being tuned. Whats the easiest route for tuning, should i swap to obd2, go to carb, or get a standalone ecu
 
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Old 01-11-2022, 08:12 PM
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i have a 1995 dodge ram by the way. it has the obd1 ecu
 
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Old 01-11-2022, 08:40 PM
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360 for sure, no replacement for displacement.
 
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Old 01-11-2022, 08:41 PM
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yeah i think thats what im going to go with but sense my truck is OBD1 is there any way for it to be tuned?
 
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Old 01-11-2022, 08:55 PM
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I'd suggest going with the 5.9/360. More power, especially if you add high flow heads and a good flowing exhaust. To deal with tuning, I'd go with a wiring harness and computer out of a '96+ OBD2 5.9 truck.
 
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Old 01-11-2022, 10:03 PM
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Yeah, can't tune the OBDI stuff. The Dogs suggestion of converting to OBDII, with the PCM/Harness/and trans..... from a 96 or 97 truck would make your life easier. Anything newer, and too much is different.
 
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Old 01-12-2022, 12:42 AM
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Originally Posted by HeyYou
Yeah, can't tune the OBDI stuff. The Dogs suggestion of converting to OBDII, with the PCM/Harness/and trans..... from a 96 or 97 truck would make your life easier. Anything newer, and too much is different.
Just curious, will he also need to change the transmission from a 46RH to a 46RE along with the later harness or can the newer 1996/1997 PCM & harness work with the 46RH without issue?
 
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Old 01-12-2022, 01:24 AM
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Well im putting a nv4500 5 speed behind it. i have the wiring from a 99 dodge that the 360 and nv4500 came out of but the ecu in the truck is for a 318. The guy had a 318 computer on a 360 idk how it runs with the computer being for the wrong computer but thats how he had it. So i already have the wiring. but with me changing the wiring will it hook up in with my dash harness?
 
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Old 01-12-2022, 09:13 AM
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The 99 harness and PCM won't work. It isn't compatible with the rest of the electronics on your truck.

360 with manual trans will solve a few issues, but, you MUST use a PCM/wire harness from a 96 or 97 model year truck.
 
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Old 01-12-2022, 07:53 PM
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will a wire harness from 96 and 97 plug into the dash wiring i already have
 


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