Phauwizzer

Hi

I've never been able to find or hear from anyone the difference between a 318 fireball and then just a 318 (I guess it's only a 318). Anyone shed any light? Cheers.

CK_318

i heard some where that the fireball had a semi hemispherical cylinder heads, but somehow i think its just another name for a 318

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wabbit

the fireball had a slightly different cam. a touch more duration

and larger jets in the same carby.....or whatever carters have to increase fuelling


the rest is exactly the same, so any engine that's been modified makes no difference at all

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Nothing to see, here


Move along, please

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mackeb

I was quite suprised one day to find the stock 318 put out 120HP, with badges touting this on the back of the car!

Thats as much as a full emmisions red two barrel 253! No wonder the valiant didn't sell too well with eights. The aussie cars are so much better with the sixes (stock for stock). 265 anyone?

wedgemotors

ok, the fieball was the 68 to 70 318, it had a cast iron single plane intake with a wee 2 bbl carb, probly much the same carb a a 225 slant 6 engine of that time, hp was rated at 230bhp, and yes a 265 would give one a good hurry up for sure, but there are other reasons for that we dont need to go into on this thread,

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faster faster faster, untill the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of DEATH

CK_318

why not it might be fun see i knew there was something different about them. i was wrong but there was something different.

so the fireball is basically the American LA small blocks as they were also known as????

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stroker355

Im sure 318s with a bit of tunig would have heaps of potential!

CK_318

yeah no doubt its just that from factory they were doughy fuel guzzling POS's

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Phauwizzer

Cheers fullas

Thanks for the information and chat. I have heard bits and pieces about views xtra horses etc but I think what I really like is that it is a 68-70 block and so now for my next question - the earlier blocks had thicker wall castings and [in the States] were made of hi-nickel alloy, wonder then if these fieball blocks (if in okay condition) are good ones i.e. better than the stock LA 318s from the 70s and onwards??? Cheers!!

wedgemotors

its like the 440s blocks, sure early seems to be better but its hit and miss, Iv seen early blocks with thin walls due to casting core shift, so yea try it but there is nothing wrong with a late block, as for nickel content ?? well thats nothing realy in the big picture, after all its not generally the blocks that fail

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faster faster faster, untill the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of DEATH

wedgemotors

picture this...wee 2bbl carbs, choking wee ports and valve sizes, compressions under 8 to 1, lame cam sharft lifts and durations to make them "smooth" running engines, choking exahast manifolds, 3200lb automatic four door cars with horse power robbing ridiculos power steering, 2.92 diff ratios, etc etc.

now.... bump the comp up to 10 to one, 600cfm holley, open the ports up and install bigger valves, a modern alloy intake, close the egr heat x over,, get a decent modern cam with a split lift and duration, headers or at least tri Ys, a bit more stall and a shift kitted auto, change the diff gears from 2.92 to 3.55 & whata ya got... ya got a BIG Val that will rattle a HSV thats what.... an old favorite saying of mine is..."never under estimate a 318",

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faster faster faster, untill the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of DEATH

CK_318

yeah i know they can be a good motor once you put some modernish gear in em, my dads one has a pair of CL/CM ELB heads on his and it goes alright, well i used to think it did anyway. haven't really had a comparison since i was 8 . it used to ping on leaded super.

and i did say bog stock motors, not modified

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wedgemotors

read my comparisom between the bog stock and a mild updated engine

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faster faster faster, untill the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of DEATH

Hemi Metal

My old CL Regal SE had Fireball 318 on the original aircleaner.

I thought it was just the name they used for all 318s until the ELB motor.

I have also once seen a 318 down the Gold Coast with Made In Brazil stamped on the block.