A 4” crankshaft is only $150 more than grinding a old one. Then you could also have good compression no matter what head you use.
I put 273 closed chamber heads on a 318 once for more compression along with a stock 340 cam. That was a really great engine for years of hard abuse.
I agree.. the stock 340 cam worked well specially on a small chamber
So, what I am saying is for a basic street and short hualing 4X4 truck, big buck Aluminum heads are overkill and not needed when there are some good IRON ones out there. Yes the aluminum heads will drop your 4X4's weight down some...... but for nothing.
In a light A or B body the weight savings would be noticed but in a 5,000 pound
Aero Brickwall.....
My first engine build for my 65 B-Cuda when I yanked the 383 out of it was a 78 Lebaron 318. Bored 0.040" and 9.2:1 pistons but with the closed chamber heads it was higher compression. I did a 340 hyd cam and the ported 273 heads with a set of 1.88in and 1.60 ex valves. A Performer 318 and a 625 AFB. It was faster than the 383 4bbl.
With 2.76 SG and 253/70 14's I would drive from Auburn WA to Yakima Firing Center base and get 25 MPG. Then I put a set of 3.55:1 SG in and WOW!!!
So if that can be found, a set of 302's or 308's with 1.92 and 1.62 valves pocket ported and gasket matched on a 318 will give a big bang for the buck. On a Stroker crank, even bigger bang for the buck but you would now be at the flow limits. But I would not pass up a set of cheap stock 360 heads for this combo...
This 4X4 will never be a 7 second 8th miler or a 12 second 1/4. So IMHO, don't spend money trying to make it one.
