Thread: are all 318's created equal

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I have a chance to pic up a 318 out of a 68 winnebago it has 212 hp stamped on the breather it looks like a normall 318 except for the water pump it sit alot higher and is a monster and I beleive it ports right into the heads Does anyone know anything about these and are they worth anything

Chrysler built that engine for over 40 years and after all that time how many of them do you see in performance cars, hot rods, etc? That should tell you what they are worth.

No firsthand information on a 212Hp derivitive of the 318. The power rating sound about right for a late 60s version of the motor. Perhaps the motorhome version included a heavier casting or a forged crank (as some motorhome 440's did).

There's nothing wrong with the 318, it sits in the middle of the LA series displacement range. Much will depend on what you want to do with the engine.

One of the oft quoted axioms around here is "No replacement for displacement" and it applies here as well as to other marques. It's going to cost about the same to build a 360 as a 318, but with 13% more displacement starting off you'll always (all things remaining equal) produce more power with the 360. The $100 core charge pretty well drops out of the equation when you add in the $2000 budget build cost.

If it's going in a pickup I'd opt for the 360, the displacement and stroke will help getting it moving.

One of the magazines (Mopar Muscle?) recently did a buildup on a 318. As I remember it churned out 400Hp at the crank which ain't bad.

Regards, Mark

Alot of the truck versions of the 318 are the better engines.
Some of these engines came with steel cranks for heavy duty use in larger Vehicals. Kinda like the 426 Hemi in a old station wagon.


~ Vegas ~

nopthing wrong with a 318 at all - Ive had a few from different years in different applications and theyve always worked well for me - Im obviously a mopar advocate - I hate when I see an ol dodge/plymouth rod where someone has gone and stuffed an SBC between the rails - just a pet peeve of mine

youll want to scrap the water pump and intake manifold for something more suited to your application (unless I misunderstood and your building a winnie hot rod :")

Youll have a good set of heads (should be the larger port versions) and the camshaft should be decent for a street machine as well (this all is assuming this was the factory built motor for the motorhome)

sorry for the delay I had trouble with my password anyway I appriciate the input from everyone the only reason I was considering it was because the whole winnibago is a freebie thats a price you really can't pass up. and I'm sure the old thing has some sellable parts on it.

hello, all. newbie here. I just wanted to say that 318s are great motors. I have a friend who runs 13s on a stock displacement 318 in a 74 duster. same guy put a 72 dart 4dr in the 14s with just a holley 600 carb, intake, headers, and dual exhaust. most people just consider them econo-engines, and ignore their potential