Dodge 383 vs. dodge poly 318

SomeSometimes fast isn't pretty.....but I'll take it over a slow pig.....[QUOTE

Hmm valid point sinister custom. Slow cars suck. I suppose I will go with whatever runs best, I am bringing an apprentice mechanic mate and we will do a compression test. The poly is from a 63 phoenix and the big block is in an uglyass station wagon that looks like the ghost busters car it sounds great through the twin 2" pipes,

I am on a budget so pretty will lose to practical if this poly is a dog.

 

...if your're considering using a TF the the 63 will provide a nice 'button arrangement.


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Have built both.
Both are excellant motors. A 360 crank can be turned down and used in a 318 poly. Must use the 360 balancer and torque converter or B & M prebalanced 360 flex plate.
Silvolite has a piston for Dodge 318 trucks that is speced for both poly and La engine. It works for this combo of the 318 block and 360 crank. At 060" over you get 354.5 cubes. We used a fury 2x4bbl on the last one but a 4 bbl would be good too. A good cam grinder could put a decent grind on the stock core. Solids were standard for almost all 318 polys however we convert them to huydraulic (manton makes us pushrods for the difference required for hydraulic lifters.) I use the 68 340 mopar stick grind ground on the old core. Any shop doing regular cam regrinding probably has that master. It is good grind for street use on a daily cruiser. Lots of people grinding cams for the poly now though. Great motor. Really ticks off the bowtie crowd when you smoke em with one. Fury engines were 290 hp in 57 so the 360 cranked deal should be approx 323 HP at least and would be more with the newer cam. Header flanges are available.
383 is also a great motor. It is about 100 pounds heavier
Can be built at 10 to 1 Sealed power or TRW makes a 10.1 piston as a forged replacement . Not expensive. All other pistons are a fudged 2 bbl /4bbl piston and do not have the right compression ratio for the old magnum 383 4 bbls. Lots of good cams. Ersons old hiflow I or hiflow II were great . Racer Brown has the best mopar cams I have found. Momma mopar are probably the w..., never mind. You know. Heads, Best head is 452 late model BB mopar. is also fine for unleaded as is. BB Mopar heads are too thick as produced and are about 10ccs over sec in chamber size. Ts prevents one from getting the proper compression ratio. Sometimes up to 090 must be removed to bring the head into factory specifications. (80 ccs) Dont bother trying to say it can or shouldnt be done. i have done it so many times i cant hear you. It is not too thin or too much it IS the way it was designed to be at stock specs. This will give an engine capable of good power and high revs. A 383 has a stroke of .100" less than a small block chev 350 so revs are no problem. Needs a 750 Carb.
For a 35 Dodge I would do the Poly myself but there is the skinny on both.
BTW There is a 4 inch stroker available for the 318 but i think that is too much myself. Never liked a stroke bigger than the bore. The 3.58 stroke of the360 crank is darn near perfect for it. Or you could keep the stock stroke too. It is a coin toss at best which to pick but the poly would definately be different and fast as well.
Don.
Don

 

Problem is finding the cool parts to make the 318 something and when you do, they are higher than girrafe pussy

 

LOL!

Ah, but if you know where to look...

One of the most fun parts of putting together a 318 Poly is the scavenger hunt!

~Jason

 

Dont call our 383 boring................It may get upset



Both are great motors..the 383 gets overlooked alot over a 426 or 440 but they are really strong runners and reliable.

 

I seen a set of curved script valve covers at a swap meet

Not priced of course, nicely ask the guy ..How much man ?

He looks at me, $1800 ..

Are you paying that kind of money for those parts ?

Sweet baby Jesus !

 

PS

This is not ugly, no way, no how ..

 

Thanks Dolmetsch, Thats exactly what I was lookin for. There are far more parts for la motors than big blocks in oz so the poly seems doable. I think i'll try to get two poly motors one runner and one builder and build up a 360 crank stroker unit.

 

its like anything, how bad do you want it and how bad do you want to be different?

if $$ really faze you then go chev, SBC Suck Blow Cough, BORING!!

the poly will scoot a mid sized car along fine. nothing wrong with a BB either, but its just not the same.

as for the P600's you can try the old man but both his are in use at the moment so he won't part with them and I have one set aside for a 60's roadster build Aussie style. Parts are around and easy to get.

I have a 324 Rocket motor as in Oldsmobile, can't get shit for them, not even a gasket kit here!! but the poly is easy, either call All American Auto parts in Ballarat or Flysher in Melbourne, they keep gasket kits etc.

Kanter etc do full rebuild stuff too. as said LA stuff can be used and again is easy to get.


Here you go Jason, some poly porn for you. Sorry I only just found this thread!

the old mans latest.

 

Garth,I'm not too sure who you know in Bris but if you look up Black Dave,he has more know how regarding Mopar stuff than most people in OZ. Poly stuff is made in OZ, Covers etc. and There were dozens of them sold here mostly in the old 'dogs penis' . So once you crack into the mopar mafia you will find poly goodies everywhere.
I had a mate in Dubbo who got hassled by the city council for having 30 of them in his backyard.
The best deal for a bloke who has never built one is too start by building a stock short block,get the heads rebuilt with a 3 angle valve job. Run the Weiand single four barrel with a 650 holley . LA dissy with an orange box and what ever headers that look OK. You will find it will eat most SBC's with ease. here.
Cams are all solid lifter ,so the rocker gear needs to be perfect . If not they not only rattle but the looseness causes valve timing to be out costing you power.
You can get very good cams ground in Brisbane at Ivan Tighes. He has a new place out at Darra.
I get my machine work done in Deshon Street ,gabba. probably the best place in Brisbane ,they do the machine work for a lot of the V8 supercar teams.

 

Well I keep hearing about the "POLY 318 " ! What is the difference of the poly and the later 318 ?
Now my 2 cents worth , I have owned a later 1960's 318 , 383 and a 383 magnum , I will tell you the 318 is a great engine with alot you can do to it . Now the 383 mag I had was in a 69 Dodge Super Bee and I would do anything to have that car back ! That car had a ton of power and I raced the hell out of that car for 4-5 years and only one small problem with a pushrod going through the rocker arm and out the valve cover ! That was a first but I was doing over 120 mph too ! That car would put you back in the seat very fast and keep you there !
I have always loved the Mopars and the big blocks the most . Parts are easy to get too .
So , both are very fine engines BUT for pure power I will take the extra 100 lbs for the big block any day of the week !

**Have a nice pair of 3213S Carter AFB,s if anyone is interested in them . **

 

1 of the recent threads had a photo showing the difference between the "A" Polysphereic chambers & the "LA" wedge chambers. The a block probably has more in common with the earlier Hemi block than the LA block.

 

and if it matters to anyone i just found out from Matt at Lakeheaders.com that the U-fab intake kits he sells for the red ram intakes will bolt right up to the Poly. he hasnt tried it himself and neither have i. so just saying if'n you want rows of happy little carbs on that motor. i dont have any idea as to the availability for for a multi carb set up for the 383.

 

Leapin' Lizards!

Is that the one he built for the magazine article?

~Jason

 

The only thing they share with the early Hemi is like one exhaust rocker and the bellhousing bolt pattern (but only from '57 - '62... '62 - '66 blocks are the same bellhousing bolt pattern as the LA motors).



~Jason

 

PS ..

If anyone needs a set of POLY header flanges, I can hook yah up here with my friend who makes them

 

U-fab intake kits he sells for the red ram intakes will bolt right up to the Poly

An assembled Dodge red ram intake is too short for the 318 Poly A, only fits the Dodge-based motors. The flange bolt patterns and placement of the runner holes in the flange and plenum are too close.

 

Flanges can always be made off the intake gasket... the hard part is making a valley cover that's stiff enough and will bolt down hard enough to seal.

There was talk of one a while back. Fugly at the Diamondback Engines poly forum has made cardboard templates. Hell, at one time I even talked to Dennis (O'Brien Truckers) about making one, and he seemed down with it.

The flanges Big Dad are talking about for headers really are pretty nice... 29Jay has a set on his 318.

~Jason

 

Jason,

its the one he built for his 32 coupe. It has come up pretty nice I think. He still has a few shiny bits to sort out, but it will be the crown jewel in the car.

 

You know, the Fountain boys should use this as an ad for their valve covers - that's the best shot of 'em I've ever seen!

~Jason

 

You can get complete headers from Stan's Headers. They also sell flanges.

http://www.stans-headers.com/chrysler_flanges.htm

That being said, I've had an epiphany concerning the 318 Poly. It's a hell of a motor, unusual, and cool as hell, but I'm not going to recommend anyone put one in their project.

Why?

The more people who run them, the less interesting they are.

 

Yep. It's an exclusive club.

If you get one, you get to play with the "cool kids" on the playground... LOL!

TTI makes a hell of a set of headers for B and C body Mopars... but they're like $700!

http://www.ttiexhaust.com/Header-Poly/Poly.htm





And don't forget about MoparNorm's truck ones (he's on about all the Power Wagon forums).

~Jason

 

Thanks evrybody much appreciated. Hey DIRTYNAILS WHAT IS THE "DOGS PENIS" I HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT

 

Aussie rhyming slang for Dodge Phoenix.
made up by Holden owners I think

 

Did someone say multi carb for a 383. Here's my edelbrock. This intake will work on a B or RB block. And is drilled for 4 bolt or 3 bolt carbs. It came with 6 Rochesters, but I'm planning on running 6 Holley 94s.

 

LOL!

Even I've heard that one.

Of course, I'm a member of http://www.oldholden.com ... LOL!

~Jason

 

Holy crap! Nice one, man!!!!

You know, if you ever want to sell those Rochesters to finance your 94s, or even trade them for 94's, this is the right place!

~Jason

 

I've traded 3 Roch for some 94's already. I'm gonna keep the other 3 in case I ever feel the need for a 3x2 setup.

 

I meant the general design, thick wall casting, ect is more simular to the hemi than the LA. Not specific parts, just a general thing.