Hey everyone. I'm currently stripping my 318 out of my 1974 dodge dart sport and I want to make it a streetable high 12 second car. Now i was wondering whether to stick with my 318 or go for a 360. Would the 360 get me up to 12s cheaper? Or will the 318 do just as well?

 

go with the 360 . I have a 340 in my 70 duster.

 

Definately go with a 360. You'll never get as much out of a 318 as you will a 360 and it will be far cheaper to get it out of the 360.

 

Go with the 360 or a 340 if you can find it. You will never get the performance out of the 318 that you will the other 2 engines. If you look at NHRA stock elim cars the 340 and 360 are the dominant sb mopar engines.

 

wrong wrong wrong.....but the new 410 sixpak from mp

 

I don't know how accurate this is, but a mopar mechanic/enthusiast I know told me that his grandpa and dad were big time drag racers in the 60's and 70's. The 340's ran hard, but they had problems breaking the crankshafts. They started using 318's, taking 10 thousands off where the heads bolt up to raise compression, and then using 360 heads. His grandpa said they ran just as hard and did not have the crank problems because of the 318's larger journals.

 

Go with the 360. The longer stroke will give you more torque right off . The 318 can make the same horsepower but you will need to rev it alot higher $$$. With all the oddball stuffin a small block mopar some time the details of old stories get mixed .The 360 has the oddball mains. The 318 and 340 have the same mains .My stock 360 runs mid 13s in a 3300lb A body. Ad the .508 cam (if they still make it) .Vavle springs to match,intake and headers and you should be in the 12s.

 

thats a bunch of Hooey! 318 and 340 use the exact same part number bearings so there is no possible way a 340 crank is weaker than a 318. As A amatter of fact ALL 340'S CAME WITH FORGED CRANKS except the 73 auto trans 340. The only 318 to have a steel crank was the 318-3 truck engines and this was 68/69 years only. My 340 in my Demon is a forged crank,stock rod (side polished) studded bottom end and with a solid lift cam I shift at 7800 rpm. The only problem I have had with it is a single busted push rod in 5 years (it gets new rings/bearings/rod bolts and oil pump rebuild every winter) Go with the cubic inches! The 360 is a fine engine and will provide years of bracket racing pleasure if its built correctly. The 360 has a few advantages over the 318,not the least of which are nodular cranks,and beefier forged rods. The 318 reciprocating mass in quite a bit lighter and will build rpm faster,but you will suffer withreliability problems. Build you a sweet 360,have the rods bushed,use free floating pistons and main studs (I use ARP) and buy a quality oiling system and ,with the right cam and induction system,you will have yourself a bullet proof mid 12 A body

 

I use the original 318 that came in my Dart, I just built it up piece by piece as I went along. The 360 is still probably the better option, I just could never afford it(even though, looking back, it would probably have been cheaper overall).

 

Yeah the 340s were good high RPM engines, I dont think you will break crankshafts though if you have it in a regular vehicle n not a dragster. 318s are alright but if you are doing the strip once n while I would go with 360 heads on the 318, they should be a heavier casting and better flowing also. I am actually doin that to the 318 I have out in the shed when i get to it. Make sure each engine is a truck block because its built for more severe abuse. On the other hand 360 is a 360 *NO REPLACEMENT FOR DISPLACEMENT*