Learn more about one of Chrysler's most reliable and durable workhorses: the LA Series 318V8 employed in everything from Plymouths to Dodges to Chryslers.
Good to hear this story of the Chrysler 318. My father was a mechanical engineer and always said Chrysler engines were well designed and this engine is a good example this. Excellent history.
My Dad owned repair garages and service stations from 1955 to 1994. He said the same thing! The 225 slant 6, 318, and 440 were his engines of choice by Chrysler, so much so, he didn't care that I bought a car with a 440 as a teenage kid.... He expected me to drive like a maniac, which I didn't since I loved that car. I have to say, that car is still my favorite of all I owned: we drove it all over the state of Washington and Oregon, without a worry of break down, after I slowly replaced all the pumps and ignition since it had sat for over 7 years. The thing ran like a top. Another case where my Dad was right.
Chrysler gets a bad rap but their engines are actually really reliable, with only a couple exceptions such as the 2.7L. The internet blows everything out of proportion, but the real everyday drivers will have a car rust out before the engine finally dies.
I got a 1988 D-150 with a 318 as a "work" truck. Since I'm single and don't really "work" she's dedicated to hauling furniture, hauling parts for my Mustang and just hauling me around to enjoy a nice drive. She's perfect. Fell in love with her. She's got 170K miles and grandpa owned. I just got her so I don't know much about her. So I guess she got that full 1988 treatment.
i had two well used 15 passenger vans with the 318s,in the 80s, and in 5 years they never missed a beat, while others at the same plant were periodically breaking down, i am a mechanic and maintained them, and still that cost me nearly nothing; i remember the only breakdown under way,coming to a stop: the ignitor died, and of course i had a new one in the glove box, IT was the ONLY sudden death electronic gizmo in the van, and 10 minutes later it was back on its way; bought another new one,for spare, the same day,25 dollars in New Brunswick, NJ. today you can't carry new spare parts, between sensors and modules,you'd need a full trailer-shop behind you so,in that regard we went backwards by a looooooooong shot,thanks Greenphissers, but now the world is starting to see the deep hole you've been digging.
We had a 1968 Fury III with a 318 when I was a kid. It was a beautiful car. But my father was terrible at maintenance; somehow he managed to kill that engine by never changing the oil or putting anti-freeze in for the winter. Even with that abuse, it took him 5 years to kill it. He later went on to kill the slant 6 in our 1972 Dodge Dart, which was an even greater feat. My father was a good man, but you didn't want him anywhere near your car.
When I worked at the Chrysler dodge jeep dealer we had many customers who had put over 300,000 miles on their magnum 318 the one that had the most miles was a 94 grand Cherokee that the 318 made it to 600,000 miles when it soon after broke a piston ring and lost compression on number 1 cylinder it was a sad day.
I had a 1988 Dakota with the 3.9 V6, at 172,000 miles it was smoking bad, I pulled the engine, and 2 cylinders had both compression rings broke. Had it bored. 030 milled both heads, and block. Had it balanced, rods rebuilt, and it ran better than ever for 21 years from 2001 until 2022 when I sold it running for strong with over 70,000 miles
I had a 318 in a 1972 Plymouth Barracuda. I added 1970 340 Heads, an Edelbrock performer intake with a 625 Carter AFB. I ran a Crower Group II cam and a Cloyes double roller timing chain. I also ran 70 340 Exhaust Manifolds and Glass packs. That Car was quick. I was in the USAF and when I got transferred overseas to England, my Stepdad complained about the Car and it got sold while I was in England. It was my first car that I bought with My Own Money in 1978. I wish I still had it.
One of the many vehicles that I owned one was a 79 Dodge Aspen R/T ordered through the MARINE CORPS post exchange. The sticker on the door jumb said made by Dodge for export no cats or lean burn and very quick 318 without the pollution control garbage.
@@abdulabdanahib9617 mustangs made 200hp with their hi-po engines in the 80s, 400ci firebird made 250hp in the 80s, it is no shame having 150hp coming from a workhorse engine.
@@abdulabdanahib9617 American v8s are easier to work on and a 318 will outlast any 70s or 80s bmw non diesel engine. Not to mention, they had around 200hp net standard, but those 318s are easy to reach the 500hp mark naturally aspirated with few mods.
I once owned a 68 Fury 3 with a 318. I loved that car now I own a 89 Dodge D150 with the injected 318 it is approaching 200K miles and runs great with routine maintenance.
Mopar made some excellent engines, the 318 was a reliable workhorse, as a kid I saw a few of those my uncle owned and the slant 6? what a great engine!
I had a ‘96 Dakota with a 318. A light truck with 4x4 and a v8 was an absolute blast to drive and beat. The weakest link was the rear spider gears after burnouts and off-roading.
I own a ‘79 Newport with the 318. Bought it from the original owner. It has just over 200 000 miles and it runs so smooth still. I’m quite impressed. Nice video 👍
In Australia the 318 was a very popular engine to retro fit into speed boats.I always wondered why but never got a definitive answer.After watching this video i presume one of the reasons is because it is light.I was also told that it was strong enough to pull 2 - 3skiers all day long.Add to that they were probably cheap and reliable and i think i finally have my answer.Thanks Adam!
Awesome long lived engines along with the b big blocks. Large lifters, great rod ratio, beefy blocks. Demo derby guys love small block Mopars because they can take the heat. Good set of aftermarket aluminum heads and stroker kit for a 318 make it a formidable engine…even better than the 340
@@mikecyanide7492 yeah I’d definitely run a hydraulic cam with the stamped rockers if i used that intake lol. Not pulling all that shit apart to adjust rockers a couple times a year
I owned a 81 Dodge Mirada with the 318. I had zero problems with it from 81 thru 88 when I traded it for a new Ford Thunderbird. I never thought of the 318 as weak. It surprised many of my friends with it's acceleration.
A friend had 73-74 dodge van 318 automatic. A set of headers into some purple straight-thru glasspacks exiting ahead of rear tires. Oh, and a Holley 500 2-barrel up top. It had 130K and he ran it (hard) past 270K. Sounded so sweet.
I had a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 with a 318. Going through the gears was an amazing experience hearing that American V8 roar which is a rare experience as all my family has Toyotas. It was fun thinking it had the same engine as the Plymouth fury which is the car they used in my favorite movie “Christine”. With manual fuel injection it pushed 230hp and it being a 5 speed manual with 0.73 OD and 3.96 axle ratio it did surprisingly well in gas.
My uncle had a 1967-1968 Plymouth Belvedere with a 318. It was the only Mopar he had ever owned. He said it was among the least problematic and most reliable and decently performing and economical cars he ever had. He had nothing bad to say about that car AT ALL.
Goodday Adam, A very popular engine here in Australia. I have had plenty of 318 over the last 3 decades & still have one in a long roof ( station wagon ). Here they were know as 318 Fireball. Your number 1 Fan in Australia Louis Kats from Melbourne Australia ☺ 👍 ❤
The 318 is a true classic! I also find it interesting that our '66 Plymouth Barracuda had the famed 273 that begat the 318! My Dad loved to work on it, and my Mom knew how to drive it. Can't count the number of times she blew the doors off a malaise era Camaro/Firebird from a standing stop. It was reliable as a stopwatch as it was before Lean Burn
The LA engine was developed because the A engine was a very tight fit in the Dart/Valiant engine bay. They were eventually able to shoehorn the B engine in there!
@@bill90405 I had an O.E. '67 formula s 383 4 speed coupe in H.S. I put in a 440 with a button clutch with the STOCK engine it had a 160 m.p.h. top end and consistent 11.00 second quarter mile e.t.'s AND 25 m.p.h. had highway ! I also had an O.E. '68 formula s 383 4 speed sport coupe till recently with O rust
Many years ago i owned a 1964 Dodge Dart Gt with a 273 V8. It had a factory 4 speed with a Hurst floor shifter. Put on a Carter AFB 4 Barrel and dual exhausts . It looked like a granny mobile. Surprised many Ford Falcon sprints and Chevy II novas at the traffic light. Lots of fun. Keep up the good work . Jeff Cler
Would definitely agree with you regarding the 318, and if anyone thinks you can't make them competitive against the small block Chevy, you're sorely mistaken. My 71 Challenger came equipped with a 318, 2 b carb, and single exhaust. 904 Torqueflite backing it up. I found a 4 b manifold at the wrecking yard, bought a new 625 Carter AFB, and installed a set of Cyclone Headers, with the dual turbo mufflers. I couldn't believe the difference, I could keep up neck and neck with my buddies 383 Charger
I had a 24'1969 Pace Arrow motorhome built on a one ton Dodge chassis. It had the 318 V8 with TF automatic transmission. One of the toughest motors I've ever owned. It would climb a pass at a slow 30mph and do it all day long.
Hi Adam. Back in 1980 I had a 69 Polara with a 318 and blew the head gasket on the driver side. Some how I got the head off without removing the intake or exhaust manifolds and ran it. 18 mpg cruising. Thanks for the memories!
I. " loved " my ' 67 Barracuda Coupe ( original ) formula S 383 , 4 speed , 8 3/4 rear with 3. 23 : 1 sure grip . i installed an ( O. E ) 375 H.P. " 440 " and a button clutch did consistent 11:00 second quarter mile w/ L60 15 street tires with 5-7 p.s.i. and with 25 p.s.i. did 165 -170 M.P.H.and got 25 M.P.G. and " loved " MANY OTHERS i built .
Had a 92 Dakota with the magnum 318, great motor put a few Mopar performance parts on it and it ran like a champ for 258k miles but a wreck claimed her.
I think it should be noted that the 318/V8 was not considered low on power for its time; not at all. Chevy was still using the short block '283' as its mainstay with Powerglide (less efficient than TorqueFlite) and Ford was dropping the little 260/289 into most of its cars. Having lived in that time as a child car nut, I can assure you that people in general were more realistic about power in their cars. I took my driver's ed in school driving a beautiful 1971 gold Fury III sedan with that 318/V and TorqueFlite and in a lot of city and highway driving over that summer, it was in no way underpowered with its 230hp and 4 people. Quiet, workhorse engine like most people wanted then.
You are absolutely right about people in general being more realistic about the engines in their family cars. I took my driver's test in our Olds Super 88, with a 394 4-bbl, and it consumed a tank of gas just to go around the block! Our Driver's Ed car was a 1968 Dodge Coronet, with a 318 and Torqflite. A perfect match of body and power train.
Thank you for mentioning this engine.. 318 is my favorite engine of all time I had several of these through the years some with well over 200,000 miles on them never any major issues.. I hope to get another Mopar with a 318 when I retire.
Thanks Adam - it would be interesting to see something on the "old" 318 engine as well. We had a 1963 Fury when I was growing up which had the A-series 318 - Dad loved the power, Mom loved the gas mileage and the TorqueFlite transmission with the pushbutton controls. She still talks about that car
@@johnmaki3046 Agree! And it was in just about every work truck Dodge produced or a slant 6. They were the Olds 305 of GM fame but were produced for decades.
The A and LA 318's share much in common and with little modification heads are interchangeable, Both the A and early LA have pretty heavily duty and rugged block castings. Both used internally balanced forged cranks.
Lost count of the 318s I've had(have four right now). Mostly the higher compression years; 69' and the later 80s roller cammed engines. Used to convert them to earlier electronic ignitions with the recurved Direct Connection or MP distributors. Really woke them up. The later Holley 2280 or 6280 2bbls could be tuned to deliver impressive mileage. Far better than the Carter BBDs. Especially with those 2.26:1 gears, yet still pickup quickly with the 2.74 1st gear. Installing the later Magnum chain tensioners and earlier double row timing gears makes for the smoothest idling V-8 you could ask for. Super reliable. Just buy the best plug wires you can afford to stop spark scatter. I use Taylor SpiroPros. Cheap and effective. Wish Dr. Jacobs still sold those double thickness distributor caps. Thanks enjoyed the clip Malcolm Ottawa Valley
..hi Adam...I am the proud owner of a la series 318, in a 1967 Coronet and am proud to say that it is still running strong after all these years....thanks for the video.....
It was noted at 5:32 that the 318 always had hydraulic lifters. This is only true for the LA engine. The A engine with polyspheric heads had solid lifters.
My parents had a 66 Valiant (Canadian version) Custom 200. It was equipped with the 273 V8 with 2bbl carb. That was rated at 180 hp. My mom said more than a few other drivers were surprised when she took off from stoplights in a compact car (with two kids in the back) that was sporting V8 power. My dad said the Valiant's rear end was too light to really transfer all that much power to the drive wheels. My uncle had a very nice 71 Satellite Sebring with a 318. After the Valiant, my parents switched to Volvo temporarily. Their one last Mopar was a 77 Volare Premier wagon. It turned out not to be a favourite.
My ' 65 Formulae S's pinion gear contracted broken tooth syndrome. Dropped in a '70 Duster 340 engine, 'rock crusher' transmission and rear end. A perfect combination. Went fast enough to scare hell out of me.
I love the 318 I’m getting 379 hp out of my 1974 w-100 318 works great with electronic ignition fuel injection can’t ask for a better 318 reliable great fuel economy and reliability thanks for the video retired sergeant major US Army Gamsby
True Jerry! I had a 1970 Australian Chrysler VIP (basically a luxury stretched-wheelbase luxury Dodge Dart with the Fireball 318 and torque flite. Metallic green with bone vinyl roof. MAN l loved that car with that sweet V8 as did my friends ☺ The 318 was a large capacity V-8 by Oz standards…
I still remember the 1964 Plymouth Fury my dad owned. It had the 318 with the push button automatic. The fan made more noise than the engine. We got over 250,000 miles on that car before the transmission started slipping. My dad sold the car for $50! I almost cried.
That was the 318 poly. It would have been a nice to have seen improved poly heads offered on the LA. But, I guess that's why they offered a big block. The poly engines were as heavy as big blocks and would not fit into the A body.
Definitely a great engine. The only problem I ever had out of one was caused by the factory “silent-chain” nylon toothed timing set. That’s definitely the weak point. Mine was a 1971 318.
Very Well Done! Excellent Engine LA 318 with the Carter 2bbl BBD! I hear the comments now “it was a dog” NO it was a dependable, workhorse that lasted almost forever, great engine in a Duster as a daily driver.
Right! Compare the smog era 318 to a Chevy 305, Olds 307, or a smog Ford 302. The 318 doesn't seem weak after comparing it to them haha. Better fuel economy and longevity too!
@@johneckert1365 they all last a long time, they don’t make enough power to do any damage they make enough to get the job done effectively, had them all, all great engines.
My father was a Mopar man most of his life and owned several all with 318 engines. Always reliable and respectable fuel economy. When he started to look for a new Mopar, the first question was, does it have a 318 in it. Great memories.
I had a '79 Dodge Van with the 318 2bl. My grandfather gave it to me as my first car. It had about 120k on it in 1990 when I started driving it... I had it for roughly two years and only took it up to about 135k, then it went to a family friend who used it as a work van for another 6 or 7 years after that. Finally went to the scrap yard in 1999... threw a rod at 265k. At that time I was under the impression that the engine was going to be rebuilt by the guy that bought the van... but the van itself was pretty much roasted at that point... body panels had probably lost 40% of their mass due to corrosion...the rear single piece door had rusted off the hinges and was welded into place... almost nothing electrical still worked... But it put up a fight before it died.
@@markpaulo9584 It wasn't good... and this was over 30 years ago... But the few highway road trips I took and paid attention to the mileage, I ended up around 13-14MPG. Just city trips, back and forth to school/work... I'd guess it was probably 9-10MPG
My first car was a 68 barracuda, 318 . I took the engine out,an built a giant killer. 340 engine Built, 727 turbo action,and at the end of the cars life, 5.38s in the rear.
I just inherited my mom's 2nd Gen 318 Dodge Ram. She really took care of it. This video gave me some good insight and somewhat relief on why my mom would leave this to me. Thanks for the video, and keep up the good work.😎👍
Great video. Here in Australia I own a 1980 Chrysler! 318 which used to have the factory lean burn system and two barrel carby. Now it’s boasting a bigger cam,carby and ignition and so on. Still even with all this done it made 220hp on the dyno but I still love it. Had it for 7 years now. Just keeps going. On my channel.
Dude I've got 14 318 engines I've collected over the years because really the 340 and 318 are the same engine with different top ends. I'm obsessed with these engines because they wake up easy and will take one he'll of a beating
I had a 92 dodge Dakota. The first year for the 318 magnum. That little truck flew. I remember it was hard to do the oil change. All of the 4x4 parts were in the the way of getting it out.
I bought a 92 Dakota 4x4 new with that Magnum 318 . It sat on the dealers lot for months none of the employees there even gave it a second glance . I had a couple of friends that worked at that dealership that drove my truck after I bought it and couldn't believe the performance . If I had a rolling start taking a then current 5.0 or a Z28 was no problem .
@@edwardt9585 I could woop mustangs with it. And it put other trucks to Shame. My friend's dad worked high up in Chrysler back then. He told me it's nickname was the little rocket.
My dad had a 58 Plymouth with a 318 Poly (Powerflite) which later became mine. Then, as a young man, I ordered my first new car, a 70 Duster with a 318 LA (3 spd man). Would give anything to have either one.
@@ronripplinger5235 yes, however, you really didn’t have to do much repairs because it was so dependable. The Ford inline 6 300ci was another great 6 cylinder
My uncle owned both a 77 Dodge Tradesmen 100 van as well as a 77 Dodge D100 reg cab long bed both with the 318. The van made it to 350k before rebuild and the truck 280k before rebuild...truly remarkable considering the typical 100k lifespan of most carbureted engines, regardless of manufacturer, during the era.
In '93 I rebuilt a '76 360 from a cordoba using the original crank, rods, pistons. It went in a '86 Dodge d150 with the granny low transmission , dang flywheels were like hens teeth . The 360 had nearly 100,000 miles in the cordoba and currently has over 100,000 miles in the truck and is on it's second owner since I sold it.
The mass produced 318 is a great small block for building hot rods. The casting is identical to the 360 with just a smaller bore. Making it stronger due to the extra iron between cylinder. Even bored over it's thicker and more temperature stable. With modern aluminum heads and stroker kits it can be a real powerhouse V8.
360 water jackets are further apart, allowing for a bigger bore potential for the 360. 360 also has minor casting differences that are also shared with the 340
Hi Adam. Yes these were great engines. One of my 1st cars ever was a '74 Dodge Challenger with the 318. I have no idea of the HP but it was more than adequate. It was an ugly green colour but had white interior with buckets and the slap stick auto shifter. A real plain Jane car with basically no options. But what car to have as a young guy. It had about 16,000 miles when I bought it for only CDN2200. Immediately I installed Michelin radial tires to replace the bias ply factory rubber and it drove like a completely different car in terms of handling. This car served me well and the 318 was faultless until I sold the car with 120,000 miles on it. The oil was a bit foamy when I sold it so I suspect the head gasket needed replacing by that time.
All my Mopar V8s have been 318s. Love them. I have a '68 Fury VIP fast top and a '79 St. Regis with 318's and both are running late 70's Holley 2280 2 barrel carburetors. Very happy with both of them. The '68 Fury VIP's 318 has never been apart but has gotten a new timing chain on schedule. The St. Regis 318 has almost 200,000 miles on my dad's rebuild as the car itself nears 300,000 miles. Keep up the oil changes and timing chain replacements on schedule and they'll run practically forever.
Had a bunch of 318s back in the day, they were nearly bullet proof. Souped up one in my '71 Dart GT, 4-barrel manifold and carb, headers, etc. She would scream!
In stock form, they're great reliable engines. If you're willing to do the work, 318s respond well to performance modifications, much like it's big brother, the "giant killer" 340.
Thank You Adam to feature this great motor, very enjoyable to watch. Looking for a 318 to replace a 273 in my valiant. Maybe feature the 273 someday. You highlighted the 1966 DDart 275 hp motor, nice caveat.
The LA 318 in my 1987 Dodge Diplomat was excellent in every way. 265 lb feet torque at 1600 rpm. 2 barrel carb. Beat that with something that isn't turbo/super charged with direct injection. I know which one will be more durable - if you even can match it.
Chrysler also produced the 318 in Brazil, from 1970 to 1981 (when Chrysler local operation was sold to VW). It equiped the Brazilian Dodge lineup, ranging from fullsize sedas like Dart, LeBaron, coupés like Charger and Magnun, also pickup trucks and trucks. By 1980 there was also an alcohol-only version.
my first car a 1967 Dodge Polara 4 door had the mighty fine 318 with 2 bbl Carter carb,,,the car sounded and ran great with a cherry bomb muffler in 1982!!! She was a beast!!
Had 5 different Mopar 318's over the years, from 67-79. Loved my '73 Challenger with slap stick, but my favorite was the '78 Volare (yes, Volare) with 4spd and T-tops that I had in the mid-80's. With a few tweaks, it was a decent performer for the time. Even with an 85mph speedo, I know that it went around 110 at least once since I had a tach and knew the base RPM at speeds. (Had my girlfriend looking for cops since we were rushing to try and get her to the airport - both of us were military and she'ld be awol if we didn't get her to the plane on time!) Loved these engines - actually killed that Volare's lean-burn computer by changing out the carb for an adapter-plate and Holley 650cfm 4-bbl. My friend and I had a wonderful evening of a sub- 6sec 0-60 time and torquing over the trans, but as the tach went up the fuel noticeably went down. It wouldn't start the next day, and ultimately was towed away to a junk yard while I was back overseas. Damn, I miss that car even now!
Oh, BTW - had removed the Holley before it got towed away, so used it on the '73 Challenger later on with a proper mid-rise 4bbl manifold in the early 90's. That same friend said that he'ld been chasing the same performance and sound for years when we mounted it up.
For your Chrysler's owners Chrysler redesigned distributor rotor which makes the spark gap rather excessive, so when I did my research I found out the Napa Mo 30000 brings the Gap the way the rotors used be. Allowing your ignition system to work a lot better.
This lifelong Mopar junkie thanks you for a good overview. I only take exception to one detail: the Magnum 318 came in 1992. I remember because I test drove a new Dakota V8 in 1992.
Which was a breath of fresh air after the abomination that was the tbi and hall effect ignition they ruined it with either it ran (closed loop rich) as a muffler bombing pantload or didn't run at all. Tuning was like trying to tune a piano with a brick.
Actually it was 91. 318 and 3.9 V6 went Magnum in 1991. The 360 stayed TBI through 1992. When the 360 went Magnum in 1993 they went like hell, and it was the most horsepower in a half ton pickup until 1996 when Chevrolet's 350 went Vortec.
Good video. My wife's family had a Dodge Swinger with one of these. From other videos, I have heard the Chrysler slant 6 and flathead 6 engines were very reliable.
My father's LeBaron had the 318. Great engine except for that damned Electronic Lean Burn. I personally preferred the 383 engine. I had one in my Dodge and that was a very reliable engine. Plenty of power too.
Extremely underrated classic Mopar v8: not as powerful as today's multi-valve engines with variable valve timing & gasoline direct fuel injection, but has a lot of workable low RPM torque that modern 21st century "wonder motors" don't have.
I have to agree; an early 318 with relatively few emissions components is a pleasure to own, service, and generally take care of. Very smooth, simple, and very accessible in terms of working on. Durable, and robust. 👍🏻
I absolutely loved the 318 since I wasn't interested in jackrabbit starts or going from 0 to 60 in six seconds. For a V8 they were stingy on gas too (about 14-15 mpg in town which was really good back then. And what longevity the engine enjoyed, it's first variation coming out in 1957 on Plymouths.
Just had to pull the heads of my Mopar low deck 383. First time since 1959. Almost 600 000 absolut troublefree KM. Had it to 150mph regularly in the past 34 years. Reason, ex valves sunk in the heads because of 30 years w/o lead, otherwise it would still run like new. Gotta love Chrysler for building the greatest engines.
