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The time has come for some new power, so should I rebuild a great running reliable 318 or buy a remanufactured crate motor? The car has a 1972 318 2bbl engine, can we get decent power out of this engine or do we turn it in as a core on a remanufactured unit. The transmission gave up reverse so it is time to pull the 904 out and probably ditch it for a 727 as long as were doing that lets do the engine as well although it runs fine Banging Gears. That is where you people come in handy what should I do? P.S. this is not for my R/T but another car
Just me... fix the 904. Good trans,and lighter than a 727 and just as strong.

Any remanufactured motor you buy that displaces 318 is going to be stock HP/Torque, so there won't be much (if any) of a performance gain over what you have now.

Check the condition of the current motor. If compression is good, and is not burning oil or knocking, Might want to look at just doing a cam/manifold swap to get some more oomph out of it.
What are your goals with the car?
I guess it depends how fast you want to go. I like 318's but would never rebuild a non roller 318. If you did get a rebuilt non roller motor I would put a summit .441 lift cam in it with some comp cams #901 springs with a 600cfm Holley. I had this combo on a stock 70 318 and it ran great and sounded mean.

If I were starting fresh it would be a magnum 318 with engine quest heads a comp cams roller cam around .550 lift with some KB pistons.
67440Dodge Wrote:Just me... fix the 904. Good trans,and lighter than a 727 and just as strong.

Any remanufactured motor you buy that displaces 318 is going to be stock HP/Torque, so there won't be much (if any) of a performance gain over what you have now.

Check the condition of the current motor. If compression is good, and is not burning oil or knocking, Might want to look at just doing a cam/manifold swap to get some more oomph out of it.


I agree with Mike on both points on the engine and transmission... The 904 can be built to handle everything that a small block can give.


I would also match/replace a cam/intake and carb for what you want to do with the car.

I had a 318 in one of my old Cudas. I put on a set of 68 340 X heads I had laying around , thermoquad carb and a factory intake. Then threw in a 2600 stall TQ in the 904 with a shift kit, and that thing would get up and go when needed !!


I smoked every new 79-84 Z28, trans Am and Mustang that I took on in our little town... wish I had the car back ...lol
The car is just a street cruiser friend just want's to pep it up a bit it ,also the car could use some rear end help as well since it has the smaller diff. a few years back we put on an alterkation front end and know he would like to put on the RMS 4 link and a posi rear. We could also go through his trans I just thought the 727 would be better
Might just be me.. but that thing is begging for a 408 stroker...
Always like that car, great project.

What is his budget?

Buddy just rebuilt his original 318 in a `70 Cuda and added a few Mopar Performance goodies to it but nothing crazy and it really scoots now and sounds fantastic.
R/T XTC Wrote:The car is just a street cruiser friend just want's to pep it up a bit it ,also the car could use some rear end help as well since it has the smaller diff. a few years back we put on an alterkation front end and know he would like to put on the RMS 4 link and a posi rear. We could also go through his trans I just thought the 727 would be better

Nice Satellite ... love the body style of the 71 and 72 and the Petty blue colour is even better ...
4404spd Wrote:Nice Satellite ... love the body style of the 71 and 72 and the Petty blue colour is even better ...

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