Confused - What Combo

[Bruceynz]

Hi Guys,

Here we go again! I am confused, I have read to much stuff on the internet, read to many dyno flogs, got caught up in the hype.

My Car is a 1983 Cordoba with a low comp 360 in it.

The engine has summit full length headers, performer intake and 600 holley sitting on top with an unknown cam. Rear end is 3.21:1 the rear end is not changing and I am not pulling the engine out again.

This is a list of all my parts I have.


XXX302 heads - Stock rebuilt
1983 318 stock heads used
New 360 valves 1.88/1.6
Mr Gasket .028" head gaskets
New Push Rods
New Lifters
Edelbrock Sure seat 5877 valve springs
Comp Cams XE250 206° / 212° and .432" / .444" on 110LSA
Mopar Performance 228°/231° and .450"/.455" on 110LSA
Double Roller timing chain
RPM Airgap intake manifold
Holley 770 Street Avenger

I want to make my 360 perform, so with my bits I have is it possible to put something together to make my 360 Cordoba have a bit of go in it?

I was thinking to port match the 302 heads and tidy up in behind the valves, fit the 360 valves but have been shot down every which way on that one. Closed heads would get the comp up nice! match with the XE250 cam. But was told will never flow although I have read people who have done it and said it makes 360s go real good!

Then I was thinking after that disaster to go with a bit more aggressive cam, an intake with bigger ports and a bigger carb but problem there is it is still a low comp 360. But it may still make ok power

I don't want to pull the engine out and rebuild it, just want to get the best combo I can with what I have got.

So can anyone see a good combo that would work with any of the parts I have?

Happy New Year
Bruce

 

[brotherGood]

Forget the idea of 318 heads. You'll be turning the engine into an asthmatic 11 year old kid. It may be fast, but it won't be able to breathe.

Use the shims gaskets, have work done on the 360 heads, put a low rpm cam in it.

Out of curiousity, was the bottom end rebuilt before you put it in the car?

 

[Justwondering]

Bruce --
I think if you get one more pallet of items from the US you can build a 2nd car, sell it, and fund all the things you've done (are going to do) on the 1st car.
lol

 

[Bruceynz]

Engine was supposed to have been rebuilt, I had pan off and replaced rear main, bores looked good, has HV oil pump, double roller timing chain, took a main cap off and bearing looked new, valve springs have dampers in them.

Forget the idea of 318 heads. You'll be turning the engine into an asthmatic 11 year old kid. It may be fast, but it won't be able to breathe.

Use the shims gaskets, have work done on the 360 heads, put a low rpm cam in it.

Out of curiousity, was the bottom end rebuilt before you put it in the car?

 

[Bruceynz]

I was thinking, Performance 228°/231° and .450"/.455" on 110LSA, air gap intake and 770 street Avenger. Any ideas on this combo?

 

[BudW]

If you are changing the camshaft or timing chain, I would highly recommend getting a timing chain tensioner. They are available aftermarket, from Dodge and from Mopar Performance. They fit all small blocks (even the V-6 used in pickups). As long as it looks like the photo below, then you are good.

Now with that said, I wouldn’t go through the trouble just to add this item - but if you are already in the area, then I would highly recommend adding the tensioner.

As to your original question, I would rather let others answer.
(But if I was asked, I would start with pistons).

BudW

 

[Bruceynz]

oh I have one of those as well in my stash of parts

 

[MiradaMegacab]

 

[Bruceynz]

friend has one of those Paxton setup on a magnum 360, 600hp but change pulley for 800hp if he needs it, well so far everyone seems a bit quiet on a combo for me

 

[Bruceynz]

Hi Guy's,

Check out this link here about a 360 smogger.

Dyno-Test 360 Smog Motor - Mopar Muscle Magazine

Let me know what you this think.

 

[jasperjacko]

What is your goal, snappy cruiser, street/strip, etc. You need to have a goal in mind, find the combo, and stick to it. Don't try to reinvent the wheel.

 

[jasperjacko]

My goal was a comfy cruiser that would run a 14.0 1/4 mile. Happily with some tuning I'm in 13.60s. I could have built more into it but that wasn't my goal. Of course now I want more power... always with the more!

 

[Bruceynz]

Snappy Cruiser, I am not into drag racing, I would like to be 14s 1/4 mile if possible. I am thinking 330 - 350 dyno hp if possible. I think my XE250 cam and air gap and 770cfm could get me in the low 300s and the mopar performance cam in the mid 300s.

 

[Bruceynz]

this is from shady dell speed shop

“302” CASTING SWIRL PORT 318 HEAD PORTING

LIFT-------AS CAST---------PORTED

.100”-----51.8/N/A---------71.8/N/A
.200”-----92.5/70.7--------148.4/86.3
.300”-----130.1/104.3-----212.2/113.9
.400”-----163.9/113.2-----241.5/131.1
.450”-----169.1/115.2-----244.6/137.7
.500”-----170.4/117.3-----246.7/139.7
.550”-----172.2/119.0-----242.6/144.9
.600”-----172.5/120.4-----240.8/144.9

- All #’s at 28” of water
- No flow tube on exhaust
- As cast #’s are 1.78”/1.50” valves, Ported is with 2.02”/1.60” Ferrea 5000 Series, No Back Cut.
- Ported Intake Runner Volume is 151 CC’s

And here is a site with head flow numbers

360 Cylinder Head Comparison

 

[brotherGood]

After weeks of this..why not just do what you're researching? Take the opinions of this forum, the other forum, and all other sites you've seen and form a plan. At the very least, you'll be able to answer the question of if it's a good combo or not.

Have you tried calling or emailing an actual engine shop? I'd get you my local guy, but we're so far away that the phone car would be outstanding..and I don't think he has email.

 

[Bruceynz]

I called the local shop, he had just recently put 318 heads with 360 valves on a 360 smogger with a comp cams high energy 250, he said it worked really well on the street.

 

[brotherGood]

Well, do it..lol

I personally don't see putting the 318 heads on a 360, but I have never said I know everything, and I never will.

 

[Bruceynz]

I just found this, its a bit of a mixed bag, some say 302's yes! some say its bad.

302s work very well in 340/360 applications. The right ones. If hp is your goal, then it's not the right setup. They will make mad torque, and will be very strong up until about 5500. That's where my 360 gives up. Mine I ported to the larger intake size, but really didnt make the rest huge. It's enought to smoke the tires in 1st and 2nd in my Swinger, and pulls fine in OD with 3.55s at 1500rpm.

 

[Bruceynz]

Ok putting 318 heads on a 360 to me seems wrong, who in their right mind would want to smuther a 360! But and this is the but you get the smaller chambers. I thought in my backwards brain that with 360 valves in 302 heads with some port matching had the potential to make an engine that would make good power to about 5000rpm, I know you guys love to spin your 360s to 7000rpm but and this is where it seems like I made a mistake, a high tq cam with 318 heads would give amazingly strong off line performance starting to peter out around 4000 but still make power to 4800 - 5000rpm. I was hoping that someone here may have done it and could of giving me their thoughts, i have taking a lot of flack over this idea that I just dunno what to do as you can see I have enough parts to go either way.

Happy new year to all!!

Thanks
Bruce

 

[Bruceynz]

Hi Guys,

Here is what this guy said about his 360,

I put a 79 360 into my 87 Diplomat some years ago. During the time I had it I did numerous things to the 360. One of them is relevant here. Take a stock 79 2bbl 360, add a 340 cam, mid 80's stock 4bbl intake and an edelbrock 750 carb as the base engine. Added a set of J heads, no noticeable change. Added an Edelbrock Performer intake, no noticeable change. Add a set of stock 87 318 (302 castings) heads, very noticeable difference. Down low I had lots more torque. Up top, no noticeable difference. Top speed was a bit over the 125 mph mark on the cop speedo, which turns out to be right about 4500 rpm, same for all three heads and both intakes. The only thing that affected the top speed was if I swapped in my 600 cfm Edelbrock, top speed dropped but mileage went up a lot.

The Diplomat had an A833, 2.94 rear gears and P255/50-R15 tires. I'll bet you have steeper gears, but bigger tires so YMMV.

and then this

imho,yes they will work the 318 on a basic 360 short block makes a nice torque motor for a 4x4,i have done it a few times bumps the cr up a point,has high volosity in the runners i liked the 3302 swirl port closed chamber 318 the best for this but the ones you have will work and have been opened up some for a little more flow small 4-v carb and headers helps also not a high reving engine and is done by 4500rpms but has a nice off idle torque curve for low end pulling

and

I was 18 and not a ace mechanic but i put a pair of '69 318 heads on a 74 360(and the torque converter

)..it did not work the car wouldnt go over 70 mph it was a 70 Dart but would boil the tires from a dead stop??I mixed martini's on the dash for day then put the 360 converter in.

.Good luck.


there are more mixed post here 360 with 318 heads? | Moparts Question and Answer | Moparts Forums

so looks like 4500 - 5000rpm is it for 318 heads, what RPMs do you guys pull on a stock bottom end externally balanced engine?



Thanks
Bruce