360 with 318 heads?

hey guys i'm having a 360 built for my truck right now and have question. it's a basic rebuild .030 over block. my question is the heads. i've gone through 3 sets of 360 heads trying to find a pair that weren't cracked trash. i found a pair of #163 318 heads i am considering.

New Hardened Cast Guides

Guides Cut Down For Larger Lift Cams

New Hardened Exhaust Seats

New Positive Steal jacketed Viton Valve Stem Seals

New Brass Freeze Plugs

3 Angle Valve Grind

Head Gasket Surface Milled .015

Heads casting # 4027163

Bowl Blended With 75* BowlHog Then By Hand Into The Runners For A Smooth Transtion

New Stock SBI Replacment 360 Intake Valves

New Stock SBI Replacment 360 Exhaust Valves

NEW SEALED POWER STOCK VALVE SPRINGS VS510*16 Good to .510 lift
I am going to to run a "RV" cam...believe machine shop said the cam was 422 intake....444 exhaust lift. and the advertised duration is .278 and .288. Will these heads work well for my needs? 87 w100 Ram work truck. Should i just keep hunting for 360 heads? What can i expect for comp? I know 360 are gas hogs but will these heads help or hurt?

the ports may b smaller which will not hurt you in this app and will most likely help you w increased velocity. These will work excellent for you. On the CR measure the deck height & note if dish and or valve reliefs (no need to CC as the specs will b listed for those pistons & will b very close (close enough) but definitely CC the heads (they vary alot) then plug it all into KB's calculator

I think that the general consensus will be that the 318 heads will be okay for low rpm use but from 3000 rpms and up, they will pose a bottleneck to flow. Finding decent 360 core heads isn't easy. I had similar problems in 2008 when I was looking for good 360 heads for a build. I went through 15 heads before I found a pair on the same engine that were NOT cracked. After taking the 3rd pair to the machine shop for magnafluxing, I started popping the valves out at the junkyards and looking at them with a magnifying glass. It was a real pisser. Now there are better choices. Have you heard of EngineQuest? They make NEW Mopar small block heads that flow better than stock heads and are somewhat affordable. Good Luck.

Enginequest? Has anyone used them?

I would buy a pair of RHS heads. Go to Hughes engines and look at what they have good luck.

This is a budget build for a 4x4 work truck. probably won't see 4000rpms. I'm going for low-end not crazy hp and rpms. I'm curious as to if the heads i mentioned will work for my needs. I know that Indys or RHS would be great but it's just not in my cards.

Trial and Error. If the motor is not seeing over
4500 rpm, I would say yes to the 318 heads. Cam
choice is limited with those heads. Otherwise, a pair of
1.88 int valve 360 heads would fit the bill better. Just have them checked and set comp. in the 8.9-1 to 9.2-1 (no HIGHER than 9.5-1) range, by
either milling the heads and/or zero deck w/flat top pistons.

imho,yes they will work

the 318 on a basic 360 short block makes a nice torque motor for a 4x4,i have done it a few times

bumps the cr up a point,has high volosity in the runners

i liked the 3302 swirl port closed chamber 318 the best for this

but the ones you have will work and have been opened up some for a little more flow

small 4-v carb and headers helps also

not a high reving engine and is done by 4500rpms but has a nice off idle torque curve for low end pulling

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This is a budget build for a 4x4 work truck. probably won't see 4000rpms. I'm going for low-end not crazy hp and rpms. I'm curious as to if the heads i mentioned will work for my needs.

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YES, They'll work. You've answered your own question, "Budget build", "won't see 4000 rpms", "going for low-end" "NOT crazyhp and rpms".

Do it and don't look back. You'll have great port velocity from idle to 4500 or wherever it stalls. Do a little bowl work and you'll need even less throttle to get down the road. Probably better on gas. It'll be a torque monster.