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i got a set of 308/302 head's but like i said the shop wanted well over $500 to just rebuild um..

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Switching from 302s to 308s is a tradeoff. The 308s flow better but they also have larger chambers resulting in a 1/2 point loss in compression.

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#308 is a 89-91 360 swirl port/open chamber head and is the best head since the X heads back in the day. they redid the exhaust port to flow more. they only came on a 360 TBI engine.

BUT>>in a JY they are few and pron to cracks same as the mag heads.

I agree with you Zack, 360 are not everyones cup of tea. if you do not build the rest of the truck with the parts to make the 360 work it is always a dog no matter what it is in.

the over the counter LA & mag heads are only 75$ more than my local machine shop can do them for..so for 75$ more I get NEW head castings complete ready to install.

hard to beat next day also. most all of mine are a 600$ rebuilt short block with a 600$ set of heads.

comes out to about the same as a long block over the counter..

300$ 91-318 JY engine with a 400$ roller cam is what I am reving now. runs killer in my 85 stepside 2x truck for 700$

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300$ 91-318 JY engine with a 400$ roller cam is what I am reving now. runs killer in my 85 stepside 2x truck for 700$

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300$ 91-318 JY engine with a 400$ roller cam is what I am reving now. runs killer in my 85 stepside 2x truck for 700$

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I had already suggested just dropping a magnum 5.2 in, they can be had for dirt cheap, carb intakes are easy to lay hands on and used roller cams are anything from $50-$150 and don't wear out.

Better heads, better cam setup, lower friction rings, win-win all the way around.

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I have only had 2 brand new engines at 3500 each...over rated and where nothing but hassle to deal with... granted race engines do not like daily driver duty..

so been doing cheap JY freshin ups and run them as hard as they will go till they give up for daily drivers.

dirt cheap and roller cams are investments for the long run.

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So, Upullandpay for the heads ($100) plus porting it with a set of MP templates that a friend of mine had ($0, just my hours of work) plus a used Crosswind intake ($50 at swap meet). Already had a new set of AMC lifters (same cost as factory lifters- got them from Autozone years ago)...and all I needed was the thin Mr Gasket head gaskets and the MP pushrods- MP 5007477, 7.625" pushrods. This is a sticking point as they are no longer available from MP, so you'll have to dig for them.

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a $50-$100 magnum intake for a carb where can they be found? how do we get the fuel to the carb on the cheap with a magnum on this truck? these "little" things add up.
the thread says "cheap 318 build" and as per moparts protocol we have the usual build a 360 or go magnum suggestions, soon it will be build hemi. we have ventured way off course here.

lifted85 if you want to swap heads, pull a set of 302 heads from an 85 up to 91 (premagnum) 318 car/truck/van in a junk yard. get a valve lapping tool(suction cup, very cheap), some valve lapping compound(also cheap) and lap the valves. there are videos on how to do this on youtube. its easy. put some 901 springs on using the stock retainers/keepers. call it done. another cheap upgrade, replace the heavy advance spring in the distributer with a light one(think ball point pen thickness) take the heavy spring to a hardware store and match up the length(cost is probably less than a dollar)

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Good old fashioned cheap build A set of 1.88 intake heads off a 360

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a $50-$100 magnum intake for a carb where can they be found? how do we get the fuel to the carb on the cheap with a magnum on this truck? these "little" things add up.

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Good old fashioned cheap build A set of 1.88 intake heads off a 360

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Drops the compression too much, been there and done it.

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me too, but the right cam makes up for the low comp ratio

like the whiplash roller cam I stuck in my 91 318, it has short duration/high lift/early intake closing/tight LSA to build cyl pressure and not bleed off torque.

then add a loose TC and some gear the lopo 318 will get with the program.

but it is at a street engine level not a racing engine level of performance.

performance above street level is more $$$ and not so cheap.

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a $50-$100 magnum intake for a carb where can they be found? how do we get the fuel to the carb on the cheap with a magnum on this truck? these "little" things add up.
the thread says "cheap 318 build" and as per moparts protocol we have the usual build a 360 or go magnum suggestions, soon it will be build hemi. we have ventured way off course here.

lifted85 if you want to swap heads, pull a set of 302 heads from an 85 up to 91 (premagnum) 318 car/truck/van in a junk yard. get a valve lapping tool(suction cup, very cheap), some valve lapping compound(also cheap) and lap the valves. there are videos on how to do this on youtube. its easy. put some 901 springs on using the stock retainers/keepers. call it done. another cheap upgrade, replace the heavy advance spring in the distributer with a light one(think ball point pen thickness) take the heavy spring to a hardware store and match up the length(cost is probably less than a dollar)

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a $50-$100 magnum intake for a carb where can they be found? how do we get the fuel to the carb on the cheap with a magnum on this truck? these "little" things add up.
the thread says "cheap 318 build" and as per moparts protocol we have the usual build a 360 or go magnum suggestions, soon it will be build hemi. we have ventured way off course here.

lifted85 if you want to swap heads, pull a set of 302 heads from an 85 up to 91 (premagnum) 318 car/truck/van in a junk yard. get a valve lapping tool(suction cup, very cheap), some valve lapping compound(also cheap) and lap the valves. there are videos on how to do this on youtube. its easy. put some 901 springs on using the stock retainers/keepers. call it done. another cheap upgrade, replace the heavy advance spring in the distributer with a light one(think ball point pen thickness) take the heavy spring to a hardware store and match up the length(cost is probably less than a dollar)

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a $50-$100 magnum intake for a carb where can they be found? how do we get the fuel to the carb on the cheap with a magnum on this truck? these "little" things add up.
the thread says "cheap 318 build" and as per moparts protocol we have the usual build a 360 or go magnum suggestions, soon it will be build hemi. we have ventured way off course here.

lifted85 if you want to swap heads, pull a set of 302 heads from an 85 up to 91 (premagnum) 318 car/truck/van in a junk yard. get a valve lapping tool(suction cup, very cheap), some valve lapping compound(also cheap) and lap the valves. there are videos on how to do this on youtube. its easy. put some 901 springs on using the stock retainers/keepers. call it done. another cheap upgrade, replace the heavy advance spring in the distributer with a light one(think ball point pen thickness) take the heavy spring to a hardware store and match up the length(cost is probably less than a dollar)

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What are 901 springs? Can you elaborate
Thanks

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to the other member's i was lookin for a cheap upgrade, the magnum head swap aint cheap, the little thing's add up pretty fast, & why would i pulled a motor that run's good for a magnum??

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A used mag motor complete can be had less than your conversion.

I don't understand the interest in mag heads and not going all the way and running the mag motor. In the long run you will be better off with the mag motor as the cam will never go flat and you can take advantage of better profiles.

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I agreed- you can pick one up for less than my conversion...
But at the time I had no garage or equipment to get a used mag engine from the junkyard to my home, and then pull the 318 out of the 5th to drop it in. I could however swap heads without having to do any of that. The added plus- I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, if the magnum heads were really that good. Turns out they are.

To answer a question someone else asked-
I got a smokin' deal on the Crosswind because everyone at the time was saying they were basically junk, so the guy I got it from sold it for $50 to get rid of it. Brand new, still in the box. Turns out they were wrong. One caveat and to be honest I did give him a factory iron 4-bbl intake off of a mid-70's 360 truck along with the $50. But hey cost is cost. The iron 360 intake was free to me- another friend of mine went Airgap and this was the factory intake. He just wanted it out of his garage along with some other 'useless' items. This is all horse trading fellas- if you can't wheel and deal you aren't going to build anything cheap. Might as well get out the gold card and call Summit.

OP, good luck with the build.

Enjoy!
CC.

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a $50-$100 magnum intake for a carb where can they be found? how do we get the fuel to the carb on the cheap with a magnum on this truck? these "little" things add up.
the thread says "cheap 318 build" and as per moparts protocol we have the usual build a 360 or go magnum suggestions, soon it will be build hemi. we have ventured way off course here.

lifted85 if you want to swap heads, pull a set of 302 heads from an 85 up to 91 (premagnum) 318 car/truck/van in a junk yard. get a valve lapping tool(suction cup, very cheap), some valve lapping compound(also cheap) and lap the valves. there are videos on how to do this on youtube. its easy. put some 901 springs on using the stock retainers/keepers. call it done. another cheap upgrade, replace the heavy advance spring in the distributer with a light one(think ball point pen thickness) take the heavy spring to a hardware store and match up the length(cost is probably less than a dollar)

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What are 901 springs? Can you elaborate
Thanks

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