Greetings,

I am brand new to the forum, I joined because awhile ago I purchased a 1974 Dodge Dart with the intent of doing slow restoration/performance mods...... a hobby car of sorts. I'm in Arizona and it has spent it's entire life in AZ wreck-free, it is the reason I've caught mopar fever after being bowtied all my life.

I am posting my question in here instead of the Dart sub-forum since this is more 318-specific than Dart specific......

I have been exposed primarily to Chevy small blocks all my life, and cut my teeth pretty much on bowtie exclusively. My father is much more accomplished than I am, but I am a notch or two above novice 'around the shadetree.... (information technology is my bag...).. but i digress

The 318 in the dart however is pretty new territory for me. While many things are similar, there are also many things different. My Motor's Manuals for Chevy small blocks obviously will not help me a bit in learning to tune and optimize the 318 in my Dart.

So, I was wondering if you fine folks could recommend to me a book or list of books that would give me both the basics on tuning a 1974 318, (factory everything), as well as something like the motor's manual that lists all of the specs needed when working on the 318.

Also, if you could point to me any of the main points of a 318 that should be addressed first and foremost for dependability and performance. I've got some magnecor wires on the way, the distributor and carb are actually brand new, float levels set OK, timing set 10deg., etc. I'm currently pulling vacuum from the manifold, i'm not sure if this is the best way to go but i plan to test pulling from the distributor soon. It's still running kinda rough, hopefully the plug wires will help.

Of course I will also be reading well into teh forums and digging for myself, but I would be so gracious if you seasoned folk could give me a laundry list of essential pointers and literature that I need to know to make my 318 both dependable and tuned...... I sure appreciate it.

Sorry so long, personality flaw......

Thanks!
Jayson

 

As you probably know, the 318 is the work horse. Mopar Action and Hot Rod both have 400HP examples of what it can be. Now, the limitations on the 318 are low compression andunder cammed in stock form. Really no downfalls exist in te 318, like the 350/305/327 lineup they have been in buisness for YEARS. If your playing witha stock motor your first change is to run the timing up, 3000rpm and advance till it knocks, then back it up a little. If your running rough start wih the basic tuneup, plugs wires caprotor. If that doesn't clean it up rebuildyour carb, or if your running a 2bbl just upgrade to a 4bbl.A stock 318 responds real well to a 4bbl (no more that 600),Edelbroke Performer RPM intake, and headers. If your so inclined to a cam change, it will love you for it, one along the lines of a 340repop are great for driveability. The reality of it is anything that works for a 350 will work for a 318, a v8 is a v8, they all work on the same principles. I started on Mopar, but my chevy friends have had me do work on theirs, my mopar tricks work on chevy'stoo....I just don't allow chevys near my stable. Oh ya, now that your a mopar driver, don't plan onbuying complete aluminum heads for a dollar,mopar parts don't grow on trees, so don't bother diggingthrough your neighbors trash.

john

 

Agree w/ John.

I would also suggest adding dual exhaust and headers, especially if you add the 4 brl. That will help breathing...not to mention a larger grin on your face!

Ifyou still want/need more perfomance my next step would be upgrading the rear axle ratio. You didn't mention whether AUTO or manual, but I suspect you have at best 3;23 gears, but most likely 2:76 or so. 3:55's or 3:73 will perk it up quite a bit.More than that and you won't like the driveability.