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How Much HP Can You Get Out a 318

I mean really, that should be the argument ender...and it's even "our" engine design!
 
I see a lot of nearly stock big blocks barely running 13's....and have seen a lot of nearly stock 318's also running in the 13's. The easiest way to make a small block think it's a big block is to turn more rpm with it. Also, my nearly stock 71 340 Cuda ran 2 tenths faster than my nearly stock 70 440 Challenger RT! The Challenger had a 3.91 in it and the Cuda had a 4.10 but the biggest difference were headers on the Cuda but it still had a stock intake.
 
That's the third rference to Carlin I've heard in a week.

Comeback?
 
RustyRatRod said:
I've always considered the 318 and the chebbie 305 pretty comparable. That said, you can do the same to each and the 318 will flat stomp it's *** everytime. 318s are great engines. Just because they lack cubes doesn't mean they can't be built to run.
Click to expand...

I've had several 318's from the 50's/60's/70's....the 2 bbl is great off the line up to about 65 then it falls on it's @$$. Had a 318/4bbl in a 60 dodge and would get rubber in second gear. I think the 305 is a crap motor and the 318 far superior from it's longevity alone. Never a cam problem with a 318 and it is almost a bullet proof motor from the factory. Mt 2 cents
 
How ironic. ....I found this 4 year old thread on Google while searching about 318s.....
So I read all 7 pages, get to the last post and it was entered 21 minutes ago!

Oh, and I have a stock stroke 318 around 300HP

downloadfile-2.jpg


Budget build....maybe $1100.....it's in a 3050 lb 68 Barracuda Notch-Back
Runs very strong and gets good mileage too!
I'm hours away from pulling the 727 and rebuilding it (myself)!

2017120295113737.jpg


Jeff
 
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I have thought, researched and modeled this a lot since I have a 318 in my Coronet. Where do you want it to make power? The only place you can get bigger numbers is above 4000RPM. Factory 318's where never made for high performance and they just petered out after 4000. All these articles you read with the big numbers make a lot of power but it is at 6000 RPM or higher. I modeled a 318 of a guy claiming 512HP (the model confirmed that was likely so). In order to get that the bottom end was sacrificed... a lot. A stock 318 made 50 ft-lbs more torque below 3000 RPM than his engine. So your question can't be answered really unless you state where you want the extra punch. Doing much more than an intake and 4-Barrel (EFI in my case) and dual exhaust (notice I did not say headers) will sacrifice the normal below 3000 RPM torque for "sane" street driving. As was said above is especially true for below 3000 RPM grunt, there is no replacement for displacement.
 
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JimKueneman said:
I have thought, researched and modeled this a lot since I have a 318 in my Coronet. Where do you want it to make power? The only place you can get bigger numbers is above 4000RPM. Factory 318's where never made for high performance and they just petered out after 4000. All these articles you read with the big numbers make a lot of power but it is at 6000 RPM or higher. I modeled a 318 of a guy claiming 512HP (the model confirmed that was likely so). In order to get that the bottom end was sacrificed... a lot. A stock 318 made 50 ft-lbs more torque below 3000 RPM than his engine. So your question can't be answered really unless you state where you want the extra punch. Doing much more than an intake and 4-Barrel (EFI in my case) and dual exhaust (notice I did not say headers) will sacrifice the normal below 3000 RPM torque for "sane" street driving. As was said above is especially true for below 3000 RPM grunt, there is no replacement for displacement.
Click to expand...
I agree.....I don't spend a lot of time at 5000RPM.....I need it down low.....
Torque is KING.....

Jeff
 
Yeah, small engines usually rely on rpm and hp and usually like lighter cars with sticks....
 
How Much HP Can You Get Out a 318

My buddy MowPar had his 318 'rebuilt' a few years ago and the guy managed to get rid of most of the horsepower available to the engine. Obviously a Chebby machinist who knew Jack Schitt about MoPars. So the answer to the thread question would be - most of it if you dunno what you're doing. :rolleyes:
 
I just started gathering parts for a 318 project of my own. I'm starting with a stock 69 318 I put in my Ramcharger some years back. It has a small towing cam it was called that I upgraded to with the overhaul kit I got. So I picked up a offenhauser 360* intake, and a vacuum secondary 600 holly. And a stand alone distributor with accel coil. All I need is a set of headers. I decided to fix it up a little to run my friends 93 lightning. And they have many more truck nights at the track here too! He's reluctant to run my R/T so I thought I would put something together that's' more his speed. Lol
 
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