b-body-bob
Well-known member
I've got my eye on a "built" 318, I mean 5.2 Magnum now. There's nothing wrong with that, right? Supposed to have been balanced, blueprinted, and dynoed @ 397 HP but never used.
My 71 Duster work in progress
- Thread starter b-body-bob
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Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
In my eyes, 397HP would indicate a pretty hairball combination on a stock-stroke 318. I'm guessing that number was made well over six grand. When I was still in the midst of building a ridiculous 318, it was going to require a pretty hairy solid cam and a whole lot of revs to get it to 400HP. I think I was closer to 7,000 to make it happen in modeling.
I'd want a close look at the dyno sheet before getting too excited. Where does it make its power and what correction factors were used?
I'd want a close look at the dyno sheet before getting too excited. Where does it make its power and what correction factors were used?
b-body-bob
Well-known member
The seller does not have a dyno sheet. The story is it came in a car he bought, he pulled the engine put something else in it. I don't believe the HP either. But I do believe a good 318 would make a fun little car for Gina to scooter-poot around in.
He has info on the cam (Erson hydraulic, 220/228@.050). It's got Eddie Performer heads on it, had an MSD and Holley 750 when dynoed.
He's also got a balance sheet, which if it's actually for this motor is a good sign that the could've revved it to the moon to make the HP.
I don't really care if someone poaches me on it, so here it is. If you read down the thread another guy already jumped the line on me so I'm second anyway.
[FOR SALE] - New LA small block with Edelbrock top end and 727
ETA: the other guy who jumped the line is apparently going to buy it. Oh well. I've got my truck running now so I will either go get those 400 blocks that are owed to me or hunt down a 360 around here somewhere and hit the machine shop. Heck I may even do a 318 myself if it comes down to it. I found an apparently reputable machine shop via FB that's not far from here.
He has info on the cam (Erson hydraulic, 220/228@.050). It's got Eddie Performer heads on it, had an MSD and Holley 750 when dynoed.
He's also got a balance sheet, which if it's actually for this motor is a good sign that the could've revved it to the moon to make the HP.
I don't really care if someone poaches me on it, so here it is. If you read down the thread another guy already jumped the line on me so I'm second anyway.
[FOR SALE] - New LA small block with Edelbrock top end and 727
ETA: the other guy who jumped the line is apparently going to buy it. Oh well. I've got my truck running now so I will either go get those 400 blocks that are owed to me or hunt down a 360 around here somewhere and hit the machine shop. Heck I may even do a 318 myself if it comes down to it. I found an apparently reputable machine shop via FB that's not far from here.
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Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
That's definitely not a Magnum engine (thank God). Unless there was nitrous involved I don't believe for a second it made 397HP with that camshaft. That's not a negative, though--it looks like a good 318 street camshaft for the activities you describe. It's really not a hell of a lot more than a stock 340 cam. It doesn't look like you're out of the running just yet, Robert. Fastenal won't ship it.
I don't know that I'd bother with a 318 unless you've got something very specific planned around that displacement. You'd get so much more return on investment with a 360 (far less so with a Magnum, of course).
I don't know that I'd bother with a 318 unless you've got something very specific planned around that displacement. You'd get so much more return on investment with a 360 (far less so with a Magnum, of course).
b-body-bob
Well-known member
Nah the seller told me the guy had found a shipper.
The dude snaked me on it though. If it was something I really wanted I'd be pissed.
I'm just thinking it's not going to be easy to find a 360 is all.
71ChargerRT
Well-known member
Why the Magnum hate? 
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
What's to like?Why the Magnum hate?
You & B-body-babe should road-trip that Dakota up this way over the summer. Bring a trailer. We'll ship you home with however many 360s you can swing (or fit) @ $300/pop, complete, with transmissions. You should be able to profit nicely if they're that rare in the eastern US. Everywhere else, they nearly grow on trees. I've given away a couple in the past few years, as has Stretch.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
Where is "up this way", Saskatchewan or Vancouver?
I don't trust the Dakota to make it to Columbus OH from here (3 hours).
I called Garland Napier (Napper), he's trying to find me an LA, gotta call back tomorrow.
Exploring an Antique Junkyard in the Hills of West Virginia
I've got two words for you on why an LA 360 is hard to find - Cash 4 Clunkers
Or how about five? We're too close to Mansbach
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I don't trust the Dakota to make it to Columbus OH from here (3 hours).
I called Garland Napier (Napper), he's trying to find me an LA, gotta call back tomorrow.
Exploring an Antique Junkyard in the Hills of West Virginia
I've got two words for you on why an LA 360 is hard to find - Cash 4 Clunkers
Or how about five? We're too close to Mansbach
Log into Facebook
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b-body-bob
Well-known member
Now the other guy's shipper has fallen through. I think he's just yanking the seller's chain because at the same time this is going on he's got a thread running talking about building a stroked 360.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Upper Michigan. My brother made numersious visits to Virginia when his kids lived there in a similar-year F-150 with a V6. He never had a problem. Did I ever tell you about the time I moved home from PA in a '72 Charger that had been sitting for decades? I moved one week after swappinng the windshield, rear axle, and front suspension, rigging up some exhaust, and getting the 318 running. I did all of that in a clearing in the woods, hurriedly. It didn't knock, so I ran it.
What's failing on the Dakota? Is it knocking? Does the clutch slip? I'll bet that truck would make it to California and back.
For all the vehicles that got turned in for that shit--which is far less than people believe--I'll bet very few were powered by 360 LA engines. That program was a failure overall. Chrysler cast several million of them, you know.
I would bet his plan was to buy that engine just for the top end, then he figured out he's not really saving much, if any, money by going that route.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
The truck has no mechanical problems that I know of, now. The cab has a lot of rust in the floor and rockers.
Biggest problem is me. One thing I've noticed is that my age progresses, confidence regresses. I worry about things that I wouldn't have thought twice about in the past. I'm never going to be used to a world where 170k miles is just getting broken in either.
There is a dealership here that participated in C4C. They had more C4C cars on their lots than they had cars for sale. I remember they took over a couple of other lots near it just to store the things. There weren't that many mopars here to begin with either. It's like chevy engines grow on trees though.
The junkyard guy I called apparently had no phone service yesterday. A big storm blew through and took down a lot of power/phone lines.
Anyone that thinks they can save money on a set of heads and an intake from a $3000 motor needs to learn how to think. New E-heads are about 1k each, intake about 500, and that's rounding up. I don't know what he's thinking, or if he even is thinking.
I should just contact the seller and tell him he can wait on that guy for another week, or he can just sell me the engine now but I'm going to move on if he decides to wait. But I haven't because, well, it's a 318, and that dyno number makes me skeptical of the whole thing TBH. And I figure the day after I send money, there will be a 408 for sale - that's just the way my luck works.
Biggest problem is me. One thing I've noticed is that my age progresses, confidence regresses. I worry about things that I wouldn't have thought twice about in the past. I'm never going to be used to a world where 170k miles is just getting broken in either.
There is a dealership here that participated in C4C. They had more C4C cars on their lots than they had cars for sale. I remember they took over a couple of other lots near it just to store the things. There weren't that many mopars here to begin with either. It's like chevy engines grow on trees though.
The junkyard guy I called apparently had no phone service yesterday. A big storm blew through and took down a lot of power/phone lines.
Anyone that thinks they can save money on a set of heads and an intake from a $3000 motor needs to learn how to think. New E-heads are about 1k each, intake about 500, and that's rounding up. I don't know what he's thinking, or if he even is thinking.
I should just contact the seller and tell him he can wait on that guy for another week, or he can just sell me the engine now but I'm going to move on if he decides to wait. But I haven't because, well, it's a 318, and that dyno number makes me skeptical of the whole thing TBH. And I figure the day after I send money, there will be a 408 for sale - that's just the way my luck works.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
Got a 360, doesn't look like it's ever been apart but after 50 years who can say.
I'd bet it's in a truck judging from the photo
Dig them headers. The ad says "can hear run"
$500 motor and trans and it's local.
I'd bet it's in a truck judging from the photo
Dig them headers. The ad says "can hear run"
$500 motor and trans and it's local.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
Turns out it was in a demo car. 78 big chrysler. I didn't hear any funny noises and it started right up so it's everything I need.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Didn't even need to read that last post to know it was either a mud truck or a demo car, just by the headers.
Think Gina will let you put 'em on the Duster?
I get the "not as much confidence" thing, but thus far I've not been left stranded. Sure, I had to butcher-job an alternator and rebuild a Thermoquad on my fender at a truck stop next to Lake Michigan (repeatedly chasing wind-blown parts across the parking lot) but A) that was a hot-rodded POS in the first place and B) I was able to continue. I think about thing like Mom's '77 LTD wagon that had the crap beaten out of its 400M by four teenagers (self included, at age 13) yet that car went 227,000 miles, dying only when my sister drove it 25 miles with a blown head gasket. It got her home and promptly cracked the block in the garage about a minute after being shut off. Or the ol' man driving to both Lansing and Detroit in a Maverick through which you could chuck a cat with the windows closed.
I also remember that the only car that ever really left me stranded--on two separate occasions--was only three years old at the time and only had about 40,000 miles on it.
What's funny to me is that I fully understand your thought process, yet if you're anything like me you're better-situated financially to deal with a some kind of breakdown, yet you worry far more about them now than when you were 20. In my case, though, I still plan on depending on old iron daily in the future. If I can't eventually hop in my Challenger and cruise down to ol' Virginny to visit my friend B-body-Bob, why have it?
Think Gina will let you put 'em on the Duster?
I get the "not as much confidence" thing, but thus far I've not been left stranded. Sure, I had to butcher-job an alternator and rebuild a Thermoquad on my fender at a truck stop next to Lake Michigan (repeatedly chasing wind-blown parts across the parking lot) but A) that was a hot-rodded POS in the first place and B) I was able to continue. I think about thing like Mom's '77 LTD wagon that had the crap beaten out of its 400M by four teenagers (self included, at age 13) yet that car went 227,000 miles, dying only when my sister drove it 25 miles with a blown head gasket. It got her home and promptly cracked the block in the garage about a minute after being shut off. Or the ol' man driving to both Lansing and Detroit in a Maverick through which you could chuck a cat with the windows closed.
I also remember that the only car that ever really left me stranded--on two separate occasions--was only three years old at the time and only had about 40,000 miles on it.
What's funny to me is that I fully understand your thought process, yet if you're anything like me you're better-situated financially to deal with a some kind of breakdown, yet you worry far more about them now than when you were 20. In my case, though, I still plan on depending on old iron daily in the future. If I can't eventually hop in my Challenger and cruise down to ol' Virginny to visit my friend B-body-Bob, why have it?
b-body-bob
Well-known member
He's keeping the headers and the distributor. He mentioned the distributor was borrowed.
His kid is 14, and is an up and comer in the demo circuit. He was telling us about a coming event in PA with a 100k pot. I would've never guessed but he says it's a growing sport. They had several unidentifiable heaps sitting around. He had a Camry smashed in the rear end they were going to use next. Go figure.
I remember the days of jump in it and go cross country too. I was sent to Cleveland for alignment training, about half way there the old road runner took to missing. I changed plugs on the side of the highway, no change so I soldiered on. Eventually I noticed there was a cloud of black smoke following me around, put two and two together, and found the choke I had wired open wasn't open.
We went on trip after trip in old junk without a care in the world. But that's what we had so if we were going to go, that's what we had to take. We've got a new-ish VW and Gina's Subaru if we have to go long distance now.
I've gotta figure out how to strap that motor down. It should be out and waiting for me today. The only limitation is I've got to pick it up and be home before dark. The Dakota has one headlight with a broken socket and I'm just about night blind these days.
His kid is 14, and is an up and comer in the demo circuit. He was telling us about a coming event in PA with a 100k pot. I would've never guessed but he says it's a growing sport. They had several unidentifiable heaps sitting around. He had a Camry smashed in the rear end they were going to use next. Go figure.
I remember the days of jump in it and go cross country too. I was sent to Cleveland for alignment training, about half way there the old road runner took to missing. I changed plugs on the side of the highway, no change so I soldiered on. Eventually I noticed there was a cloud of black smoke following me around, put two and two together, and found the choke I had wired open wasn't open.
We went on trip after trip in old junk without a care in the world. But that's what we had so if we were going to go, that's what we had to take. We've got a new-ish VW and Gina's Subaru if we have to go long distance now.
I've gotta figure out how to strap that motor down. It should be out and waiting for me today. The only limitation is I've got to pick it up and be home before dark. The Dakota has one headlight with a broken socket and I'm just about night blind these days.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
And of course the 318's available today.
Now if things turn out as I expect, I won't be able to get the 360 out of the machine shop for a year.
I'm pretty sure those places don't work like bodyshops, but you never know.
Now if things turn out as I expect, I won't be able to get the 360 out of the machine shop for a year.
I'm pretty sure those places don't work like bodyshops, but you never know.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Machine shops have been closing at a breakneck pace in the last 15-20 years largely thanks to factory crate engines, so chances are it won't be there too long. They're going to want to get it done and get that money in the account. Don't pay ahead; I made that mistake and not only my block was gone for 18 months, they actually seemed surprised that I showed up on the exact day and time I told them I would.
It's still a pretty reasonable deal if once could retrieve it, based on throwing the 397 number out and just accepting what it is. Methinks that once shipping is involved it starts to get borderline. I did notice it's .060" over, which might be OK with a 318 block, and that it's got hypereutectic pistons. Personal preference would have those pistons out and gone pretty quickly, with a sonic check of the bores while they're open.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
I had to ask where a machine shop was around here. They used to be all over the place, we even had guys that worked as machinists in the factories with home operations set up. Not any more.
Yeah there were too many questions on that motor that kept me from just saying drop that other guy, I've got cash and I'm ready.
I'm hoping the 360 is in as good shape as it seemed to be. It was supposed to be a low mileage car to begin with that they found abandoned. You never know what a motor's been through over the years, but it looked like it hadn't ever been apart - which means zilch 50 years down the road from new. I tried to listen to it for funny noises, but yeah those headers. Of course going stroker means a lot of problems don't matter one bit.
I'm hoping for a .030 cleanup on it. Once I've got that nailed down I'll start spending money to get it done as quick as possible and hopefully be driving it before my car season is over. Maybe a stroker, maybe just a fresh rebuilt 360 depending on what the machine shop decides.
It also comes with a
One PITA is I'm going to need to buy my 3rd engine stand, or put that 440 on the ground until the 360/408 is finished.
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b-body-bob
Well-known member
I realized last night when loading up straps etc to go get the engine today that a full sized strap hook won't work with the front strapping points in the bed floor of the Dakota. It's too big to fit in the hole through the bed. I could hook it to the lip of the bed but that's bound to bend the bed floor.
I've got plenty of 1" straps, but internet knowledge says don't use those, but since they're in the front I don't think there's as much to worry about as strapping it from the back. The concern is, if you have an emergency stop and a strap breaks, the engine could come through the cab.
The next question is, you're supposed to put it all the way to the front to prevent building momentum in case of that possible emergency stop, so how the hell am I going to get it back to the rear to pick it up? I expect the tailgate is going to have to come off. Hopefully it just lifts off like my big Dodge did. But I'm still skeptical that my cherry picker's going to reach it. Having the trans bolted to it doesn't make it any easier.
We'll figure it out, we always do.
I've got plenty of 1" straps, but internet knowledge says don't use those, but since they're in the front I don't think there's as much to worry about as strapping it from the back. The concern is, if you have an emergency stop and a strap breaks, the engine could come through the cab.
The next question is, you're supposed to put it all the way to the front to prevent building momentum in case of that possible emergency stop, so how the hell am I going to get it back to the rear to pick it up? I expect the tailgate is going to have to come off. Hopefully it just lifts off like my big Dodge did. But I'm still skeptical that my cherry picker's going to reach it. Having the trans bolted to it doesn't make it any easier.
We'll figure it out, we always do.
b-body-bob
Well-known member
This was our latest episode of "Overthinking 101"
I wouldn't be surprised to know it's still got the factory valve cover gaskets.
904. Not a bad thing. The 4-speed is still on the table though, especially if I don't have to buy new rods and crank. Definitely going to get a set of heads and more compression. If the crank's bad then it'll be a stroker.
I wouldn't be surprised to know it's still got the factory valve cover gaskets.
904. Not a bad thing. The 4-speed is still on the table though, especially if I don't have to buy new rods and crank. Definitely going to get a set of heads and more compression. If the crank's bad then it'll be a stroker.