Summit Intake Kit---any good?

[acelondon]

Hey guys, i have a 1974 charger with a 318 and a 727. Bone stock with 3.23 gears. My little 2bbl can't really get proper fuel into the engine, so im thinking about doing an intake, carb and cam kit. I have a set of built 360 heads that need shaved, maybe for the future.

How do you guys feel about this kit?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cmb-03-0162/overview/make/dodge


Thanks!

edit: typo

[RallyeMike]

It will still be a 318. I think you would have a lot more satisfaction putting that $950 into a 360 swap.

[cowboy4x4n]

318 are underrated and with good compression and better heads they will see 400 hp.  they have a better bore to stroke ratio than a chevy lt1 which the chevy guys love and more cubes than the reveared ford 289 302 and chevy 302.  i like to be different and i built my 318 on a mild budget with good power to embarrass most small blocks.  i commend u for sticking with the 318 they are bullet proof

[cowboy4x4n]

as far as the intakes summit isnt a bad choice.  i got good power from the edelbrock performer

[acelondon]

blah blah blah, everyone says engine swap. Not my style.

Frankly, i'm wondering most about the cam. The rest is fine, but i know a poorly chosen cam will ruin any engine.

[cowboy4x4n]

with my 318 build i did minor head work on my 69 318 heads then im going to upgrade to the indy lax heads.  i used the comp cams 268 cam and followed a few online builds that I read about in the magazines.  runs good and has more than enough power to shut of the "oh its a 318" people

[cowboy4x4n]

if u go with the 360 heads keep in mind it will drop your compression which is already low.  either have the block zero decked or have your heads and maniforld milled.  i think u have a stout package

[RallyeMike]

blah blah blah, everyone says engine swap. Not my style.

The 318 can deliver decent performance in a lighter car, but the combination in a 4500lb 74 Charger is just not well matched if you are looking for something other than the blahs. A bolt on 4-bbl & cam alone with this blah engine-car combo just isn't going to improve things much. By the time you realize you need something other than your current blah converter, blah gears, and maybe shed some pounds to make this an improvement worth spending money on, you'll also realize how far ahead you could have been by instead adding some cubes. Considering that the 318 to 360 swap is easy, and a good used 360 can be found for half of what you plan to spend on this kit, it may be why "everyone" is telling you save your pennies for a swap.

318 are underrated and with good compression

if u go with the 360 heads keep in mind it will drop your compression which is already low.

You sure know your 318's. Typical: Good compression in some cylinders. Not in others.  

[71green go]

blah blah blah, everyone says engine swap. Not my style.

The 318 can deliver decent performance in a lighter car, but the combination in a 4500lb 74 Charger is just not well matched if you are looking for something other than the blahs. A bolt on 4-bbl & cam alone with this blah engine-car combo just isn't going to improve things much. By the time you realize you need something other than your current blah converter, blah gears, and maybe shed some pounds to make this an improvement worth spending money on, you'll also realize how far ahead you could have been by instead adding some cubes. Considering that the 318 to 360 swap is easy, and a good used 360 can be found for half of what you plan to spend on this kit, it may be why "everyone" is telling you save your pennies for a swap.

318 are underrated and with good compression

if u go with the 360 heads keep in mind it will drop your compression which is already low.

You sure know your 318's. Typical: Good compression in some cylinders. Not in others.  

Agreed..Nothing worse then being blown away by a stock honda Civic SI...No replacement for Displacement

[acelondon]

NOT swapping the engine! Numbers Matching. Not building a race car. I just wanted to know about that one cam profile. Geeze, i feel like im on the Honda Fit forum i belong to, where the answer is always OH PUT A K20 IN IT LOL.

[chargd72]

NOT swapping the engine! Numbers Matching. Not building a race car. I just wanted to know about that one cam profile. Geeze, i feel like im on the Honda Fit forum i belong to, where the answer is always OH PUT A K20 IN IT LOL.

Nothing wrong with keeping your 318.  Seems like a lot of lift and carb in that kit though.  I would tone it down a bit to keep your throttle response up since it will just be a driver.  You'll never take advantage of what that kit is meant for on the street.   

[chargd72]

Also, it looks like it doesn't come with matching springs which are a must.

[RallyeMike]

NOT swapping the engine! Numbers Matching. Not building a race car. I just wanted to know about that one cam profile. Geeze, i feel like im on the Honda Fit forum i belong to, where the answer is always OH PUT A K20 IN IT LOL. 

Nothing wrong with sticking with a 318 or keeping the car a comfortable driver.

I guess the point is, since you are not going achieve much performance with this kit, and it's not a goal, why pay $950 for it?
Spend $50 and rebuild your 2bbl. That leaves $900 left over for beer.

[oldschool]

 .  and what the hell is a "k20"?

[acelondon]

Already rebuilt the carb. Helped a lot, but i want a bit more. So cam time it is. Also, a K20 is a cute little 2.0L 4cyl they put in European RSX's. 215whp stock, so it ain't all bad.

[firefighter3931]

That package is better suited to a larger displacement smallblock (340-360) and with the low compression 318 using that cam it would have poor throttle response and be a slug out of the hole. After 3000 rpm it would be a different story. 

Here's your cam : http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=2341&gid=297

The edelbrock performer is fine for the intake manifold or any intake with the 318 sized ports will work.

Proform makes a nice 600cfm 4bbl vacuum secondary carb : http://www.proformparts.com/product-exec/product_id/872/nm/PROFORM_reg_STREET_SERIES_CARBURETOR_b_600_CFM_b_VACUUM_SECONDARY/category_id/182

Of course you should install a new timing set and valve springs matched to the cam profile 



Ron

[JB400]

What all have you done to the car performance wise?  Exhaust?

[acelondon]

The car is bone stock other than the fact that from the muffler back (including the muffler) is missing. I may have hooked it on a drive way...and then cut it off. What's left of the Y-Pipe is nearly solid rust, and since i'm column shift, i cant do headers without modding the shift linkage. Frankly, this is all planning, as i need to do suspension/body work before i reach for 400 hp. I don't want my rear axle to pass me on the highway.....

[Nacho-RT74]

blah blah blah, everyone says engine swap. Not my style.

loved this answer

318 are underrated and with good compression and better heads they will see 400 hp.  they have a better bore to stroke ratio than a chevy lt1 which the chevy guys love and more cubes than the reveared ford 289 302 and chevy 302.  i like to be different and i built my 318 on a mild budget with good power to embarrass most small blocks.  i commend u for sticking with the 318 they are bullet proof

totally true... on a country where 318s are everywhere and practically every Moparian here have to play and live with those, we can testify that.

then think in Argentina with tricked and blowered /6s

[TwistedShifter]

I didn't have that kind of money, I scored a craigslist Performer manifold for 45.00 and an Edelbrock 1406 carb for 55.00. I tried a rebuilt 2bbl that was a waste of money. The Edelbrock saved weight over the lump of iron and runs way better. The best advice to offer is to get the proper kickdown lever to prevent ruining your transmission since the change over moves the carb higher and farther away than the factor set up.