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finally, a block to buy

6K views 90 replies 10 participants last post by  Warlock's Dad 
#1 ·
found an engine on craiglist. a 1990 318 block. i'm assuming its a hyd roller block. since its a fuel injection engine. which is what i want. 125$. planning on reusing the hyd roller lifters from my old engine. new cam, intake, and carb....

what do you guys think?
 
#53 ·
so now a few questions. i read somewhere that 360 magnum heads can be used on LA blocks.......but need some machining. cooling ports need to be matched up or something. cant remember. or is it the oiling ports? anyone know? also.....i have 2 torque converters, alternator, power steering, all those brackets etc etc.....that stuff should be fine with the 360 i assume? like the acessories from the 318 should match the 360?

i figure magnum heads would be a cheaper way to have the increased valve size. plus they flow better and require less porting than regular old iron LA heads. any suggestions?
 
#54 ·
torque converter will be different. 318's are internally balanced where 360's are externally. The guy building the motor, ask him if he can balance your assembly and that will save you a lot of headaches down the road! Balancing usually is only about $100 and NOW is literally the time to do it!

Here is a great read on putting the magnum heads on a LA block...

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=851383


Only issue that may a potential problem is the alternator mount. Everything else mounts to the block so you should be good to go. I believe on the Magnum heads, they have the same bolt hole location so I THINK it will match up.
 
#55 ·
right right, but dont they just throw a weight on the converter to balance the 360....or is it a completely different converter? i think someone mentioned that the rotating assembly is already balanced. cant remember, that was 3 beers and about 8 hours ago.

and thanks for the link angus
 
#57 ·
You need the converter, flywheel and balncer to do a balancer along with the short block. Stock flywheel and stock balancer makes it pretty easy but slight variances in the crank grind or with the caps can make bigger differences at the balancer or tc. Either way, tc needs to be spun to put the weights on the rightspot so might as well spend literally a few more bucks to have it all chwcked and build with confidence.
 
#58 ·
ya, the 360 was just too good of a deal to pass up. besides i was on the fence to do a 360 magnum build anyway.
 
#59 ·
i remember......the engine was balanced but it was balanced with a flywheel, not a torque converter. i'll have to buy a converter and get it rebalanced huh?
 
#60 · (Edited)
It's not uncommon to see a 360 internally balanced, its just some extra work and normally, your average mild street build won't do it. Most likely, you just need a neutrally balanced TC and you'll be good to go.

Just double check and call the dude to make sure!
 
#61 ·
ya i'll have to ask. started looking up on how externally balancing is done. apparently you buy a torque converter with a pre-installed weight on it and install it in the trans. how do you know the weight is in the right place? i also read that you can get flex plates that can balance externally too.....just as long as you have a neutrally balanced torque converter.....but then again, how do you know the cut out or the weight on the flex plate is in the right place?

i also read about internally balancing a 360. spendy though. have to drill out the crank and install mallory (sp?).

just wondering if anyone can help me out with my confusion here. seems to me like it should be a little more complex than just throwing a weight on a flex plate or torque converter and installing it randomly.
 
#62 ·
For a mild build, you dont have to be crazy exact with it. Basically, if the crank, pistons and rods are all matched up, thatll leave just the HB and TC to play with the weight/balancing. Im sure you have noticed the notch in the back of the crank and the offset bolt patern. This is done because of balancing, same as the backside of the balance is usually halfway filled in. The alignment of all of these offsets is what sets a majority of the balancing so that your weights on the TC can be pretty easy to place at the factory.

When you start getting into a custom/stroker crank, different length rods or different height pistons, this is where balancing becomes more important as tolerances or angles maybe be different enough that corrections need to be made. Having the rotating assembly matched is also huge to help ensure that the innards will be set and if any additional balancing is needed, it can easily be done on the TC. Sounds like your new block already has this done, just need to know if its just matched or fully internally balanced.
 
#63 ·
alright awesome angus. thank you for the info. you got rid of the confusion. cut out and offsets. thanks man.
 
#64 ·
just to update. my boss' friend is digging the engine out of his shop sooner or later. my boss has another friend searching his shop for some aluminum high performance 360 heads. i think all we'll need is intake (edelbrock rpm air gap), a cam (not sure which one just yet), and a 670 CFM holley truck avenger carb. hopefully here in the next month my beast will be rolling again. pics to come as soon as i get the engine.

and a question. radiator. my old 318 radiator is in good shape. is it good for the 360 or do i need to find bigger?
 
#66 ·
thanks wolfie, good idea.
 
#67 ·
If you have a fan shroud, that makes a world of difference. You can make one out of an old dryer/washer tub and some sheet metal...

There's also a bunch of ideas for electric fans. Aftermarket or junkyard.

Another cool idea I saw on the web not that long ago is electric water pumps. You may be able to find a direct pump, but there are also universal electric motors you can hook up to the existing pulley with a belt. I believe I saw one with a 40% overdrive...

They are a cool idea, however, you will have to look into your electrical system to weigh the costs/benefits for each component. That's where a dual battery setup could come in handy though... :D
 
#68 ·
my plan is to go to electric fans eventually and i do have a shroud. i've also been planning on going to the dual battery setup for an electric air compressor. i have seen many electric water pumps around the shop i work at.....although i dont think i'd want an electric water pump. something about it doesnt seem reliable or simple. i'd have to change the pulley and belt configuration to install a electric water pump. wait...i just saw that you mentioned they have one that works with electric and mechanical? might have to look into that.
 
#69 ·
Yep, it's an electric motor that you would mount like an alternator/compressor/ps-pump, and run a belt to the factory water pump. It would take the drag off the motor's crank, however, add to the electrical load. Also, they have a switch so you can leave the pump off while the engine warms up in the morning, causing quicker warm ups. You could leave it on after shut-off, so you can cool the engine faster...

Pretty interesting to me and worth taking a look at.
 
#71 ·
Just my 2 cents worth.

Wanda (upgraded to a 360) came with a small radiator. May have been crudded up - she ran run hot but didn't really overheat.

Replaced it with a larger V-8 radiator and a twin fans set-up from Summit (details on request) but no room/need for a shroud. I had to unplug one fan for what passes as winter in Houston. Very cool running

Not crazy cheap but well worth it for some overkill in the Texas heat and I hope A/C in the future. Grady
 
#72 ·
i'll give the 318 radiator a go and see what it does. maybe by then i'll have some money in the bank account and can upgrade if needed.

is that radiator you got a bolt in replacement for a 360?
 
#73 ·
hey angus devil, what cam did you use for your build?
 
#74 ·
I did a Lunati Voodoo 60402. It's pretty good and has a nice lope to it. It does really well at low RPMS and is pretty responsive after ~1400 RPM's. It REALLY rocks above ~2800 RPM! Kinda wish I went with a 60403 but played it on the safe side. If I had to do it again, I would go with either one of those.
 
#75 ·
thanks, i'll take a look
 
#76 ·
the one I have is torquey just like they say and good if you don't want to spin over 5k rpm. If you want to drive it like a cuda, get something a bit bigger, at least a 268. I will say, the longer durations on it are nice at the lower rpm but you can feel a little bit of drag on the system when the cam isnt in its sweet spot.
 
#77 ·
torque is what i'm aiming for so that cam you picked maybe what i'll get. you seem happy with it.......what gearing are you running?
 
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