Mopar Muscle Association UK

I need to replace my LA 360, but I’ve only been able to find LA 318’s.

Does anyone know whether it will be a straight swap in terms of engine mounts, exhaust manifolds (exhaust run)?

Any other issues much appreciated.

Cheers

Mike

I believe the 273/318 mount ears are different from the340/360 ones. As long as you get the ears with the block you should be good.

360's are I think Externally balanced, 318's internally so Flywheel / Flex Plate will be different and "May" impact on the Convertor balance too....

Drivers side engine mount is slightly different, simple enough fix. 360 is externally balanced so you either need to remove the weights from the 360 convertor or use one from a 318. Other than those considerations it's a straight swap. Whats up with your 360?

Thank you guys, as what’s wrong with my 360-incorrect pistons generally excess wear and heads beyond repair.

Incorrect pistons?

Any pics of the heads?

I’d be interested in a 360
Pistons can be changed to up the compression. Heads should be fine unless they’re cracked. Came from the factory with hardened valve seats so shouldn’t have excessive wear.

yeah stick with your 360 until you have it confirmed that its scrap.....

nothing to say a motor you buy second hand will be better than you have, unless its been rebuilt by a trustworthy source. unless its running and driving or freshly machined, measurable, and in bits you have nothing to go on but the sellers often inflated view of its condition.

£400+ for a 318 sitting on the wet concrete in an ebay sellers yard is a risk.... 100% good or 100% scrap and not much of it fits a 360

Dave

‘Especially as my mate stripped a ‘good running’ 318 this week to investigate a seal leak and found that some arse had put a too long bolt right through the timing cover and into the engine bore! Scrap metal now.. never seen anything like it.

A damaged 318 block still makes for a good plant pot in the garden or table base a la Top Gear, so it will still have value on E-bay even with a hole in it.

"A damaged 318 block still makes for a good plant pot in the garden or table base a la Top Gear, so it will still have value on E-bay even with a hole in it."

I see. I'll take note of this for future reference.

just noted you are in the US

that opens up things way more....

heads https://enginequest.com/wp-content/uplo ... atalog.pdf

EQ-CH318B 318 5.2 1967 - 1989 WITH LA STYLE INTAKE BOLT PATTERN REPLACES CASTING NUMBERS:
53005714, 53006671, 53020466, 53020468, 172CC INTAKE RUNNER
62CC COMBUSTION CHAMBER
EQ-CH318BA 318 5.2 1967 - 1989 WITH LA STYLE INTAKE BOLT PATTERN REPLACES CASTING NUMBERS:
53005714, 53006671, 53020466, 53020468, 172CC INTAKE RUNNER
62CC COMBUSTION CHAMBER – ASSEMBLED
EQ-CH318A 360 5.9 1990 - 2003 REPLACES CASTING NUMBERS: 53005714, 53006671, 53020466, 53020468
172CC INTAKE RUNNER / 62CC COMBUSTION CHAMBER
EQ-CH318AA 360 5.9 1990 - 2003 REPLACES CASTING NUMBERS: 53005714, 53006671, 53020466, 53020468
172CC INTAKE RUNNER / 62CC COMBUSTION CHAMBER – ASSEMBLED
EQ-CH318B 360 5.9 1967 - 1989 WITH LA STYLE INTAKE BOLT PATTERN REPLACES CASTING NUMBERS:
53005714, 53006671, 53020466, 53020468, 172CC INTAKE RUNNER
62CC COMBUSTION CHAMBER
EQ-CH318BA 360 5.9 1967 - 1989 WITH LA STYLE INTAKE BOLT PATTERN REPLACES CASTING NUMBERS:
53005714, 53006671, 53020466, 53020468, 172


you can fit

EQ-CH318AA 360 5.9 1990 - 2003 REPLACES CASTING NUMBERS: 53005714, 53006671, 53020466, 53020468
172CC INTAKE RUNNER / 62CC COMBUSTION CHAMBER – ASSEMBLED
EQ-CH318B 360 5.9 1967 - 1989 WITH LA STYLE INTAKE BOLT PATTERN REPLACES CASTING NUMBERS:
53005714, 53006671, 53020466, 53020468, 172CC INTAKE RUNNER

to you 360 small block LA provided you bend the credit card at rockauto for a magnum rocker arm and rockers set up
or get the heads modified to take you LA rockers
they came with the stud pattern for both types of inlet manifold

you will need to do some small work to clearance for the push rods as the heads were designed for use with a tall roller lifter not a short flat tappet lifter. the change in height of the lifter seat puts the pushrods at an angle that may cause them to rub

sealed power do a higher compression height hyperutectic piston...they can be had from US and mexican suppliers mexicans often cheaper than summit racing.

can't find a mexican supplier at the mo...but the pistons are made in mexico or india

ring sets for LA cheap, ring sets for magnum expensive in comparison, so look for deal on both pistons and rings, the magnum uses a thinner ring set. top 2 fit both but the bottom 3 part expander does not

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/153113695286?r ... ultOrganic


here is a latin american supplier i have used based in the US. they speak Spanish which is no use to me.. but we managed to do a deal

i can say rice and milk/rice puddling , burrito and where is the church and thats it

they do Mopar stuff and its usually cheaper than elsewhere

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrysler-Dodge ... SwEK9UEEX6


I used 318 magnum pistons from this supplier in my Australian I 6

the Mahle rings come with instructions that are way more useful than those included with a sealed power set i.e the rings in the box actually feature in the instructions why sealed power start talking about dykes rings first i have no idea.... pictures of ring cross section showing reliefs and tapers with no indication of whether that is inside or outside is no bloody use...Mahle are better in this respect they don't do a photocopy 1 sheet of paper covering every product they ever made, instruction


Dave

PS EngineQuest specialise in dismantling cars for their drive train and sending working units to Africa Asia and south america

i.e places with the attitiude that 100K miles old is just about broken in


they can probably find you an engine if the bottom end of your current one is a No go...

just fix the 360,easy