SV: SV: 1962 Plymouth - 361 or 360?

[Knud-Erik Holm <kebh@xxxxx>]

Thank you for the very detailed answer, I will have to save this mail in my
arkiv. To much info to remember.
Your mail came through on both mails.

-----Oprindelig meddelelse-----
Fra: raybell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:raybell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sendt: 24. juli 2008 00:22
Til: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxx; kebh@xxxxx
Emne: Re: SV: 1962 Plymouth - 361 or 360?


Knud-Erik, I'd like to throw in my 2¢ worth...

It's a '62 Plymouth, so the original engines would have been the 361 or 
the 318 Poly. Either of those engines is correct, the 360 is not correct.

Either engine will give plenty of performance, especially when aligned 
with the 4-speed which was not original... the 3-speed A745 would be the 
original transmission, they're cheap if you want to go original, but the 
only real benefit is that you don't have to enlarge the transmission 
hump in the floor.

Accepting that you have this non-originality in the 4-speed, which 
brings with it the tell-tale floor change that wasn't original either, 
then the 360 might be reasonable. However, I don't think so.

One benefit of the 360 not mentioned so far is the reduced weight at the 
front of the car. However, the Poly, while heavier than a 360, is also 
lighter than the 361. This will count when you attack some twisty road 
and the car wants to plow straight ahead with the extra weight of the 
361 over the front wheels.

The Poly, however, is going to draw a crowd when you open the hood. Not 
many people have retained the Poly, even for cars that came with them. 
They've been hauled out in droves and replaced by big blocks. So to have 
one you'll find it draws its own attention. You'll also find, and Gary 
Pavlovich will agree, that it has some nice potential for producing good 
torque and power.

They use all the bottom end stuff from an LA, so the bearings, timing 
gear, water pump and so on are easily sourced. They do have unique head 
gaskets, valve cover gaskets, camshaft and pistons. That said, I believe 
pistons from an LA will work in them, I have seen one engine so fitted, 
not that I like the idea. If necessary, a fresh flycut in the tops would 
make them good enough... or you can readily order them, most makers 
still have them.

The downside is the lack of performance inlet manifolds. Weiand stopped 
making theirs, Edelbrock haven't made them for ages, but they are 
available if you hunt around eBay etc. Or you can join the queue for the 
new Air Gap-type of dual plane manifolds I'm planning to be making some 
time in the next year or so. I'm even going to make provision in these 
for injectors if anyone wants to run EFI.

I believe that a properly planned Poly 318 can readily produce 350hp 
with total driveability, more if you go with a stroker, for which cranks 
are readily available. Personally, I don't favour that option, though 
it's practical. I might feel differently about it in your case if you 
could get a 3.58" stroke with the 318 main journals in a forging. Here's 
the present options:

1. Forged 4" stroker crank, uses 318 flywheel (internal balance) - $678.67
2. Cast 4" stroker crank, uses 360-type flywheel (external balance) - 
$297.50

My views are my views, however. My nephew, who does know his stuff, 
would jump on the forged 4" stroker in a heartbeat, and he'd be happy to 
use the cast version in a road car too. You would need pistons to suit, 
of course, with a higher pin - these are available in both cast and 
forged, though flycutting might be needed if you're adapting LA or Ford 
pistons. Gary Pavlovich will be able to expand on this.

That will give you greater capacity than either of the engines you're 
considering, and you can do that with what is probably a better head, 
while the weight of the engine is somewhere in between the two others.

What are your prospects of picking up a Poly 318 in your country? Here 
I've been able to locate more than enough of them, though I would never 
trust a crank out of a truck version as they get over-revved on steep 
descents in low gear and tend to flog themselves to death, breaking the 
crank and ripping the main bearing webs out of the block. Same with LA 
truck engines.

The best ones would be out of a Case 1010, 1020 or 1060 Combine 
Harvester, I don't know if you have those there, but the petrol engined 
versions did use the Poly 318 and they never worked hard while they 
were, at the same time, probably better castings in the block (I have 
been told they were, but I've yet to prove it). These come complete with 
a flywheel, by the way!

I'm sending this to both the mailing list and your personal e.mail as I 
don't know if my mail gets through to the list. Please let me know if it 
does.

Ray


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