The Dodge Challenger Message Board

I have found a 360 engine heads that i want to put in my 318. The numbers i have found on the heads are following :

402 75 96

0409

AAWJ 360

What do you think about such an idea ? The guy asks around 150 USD with local pickup so almost no transport cost. I want to change also intake manifold, carb and exhaust manifold. As it is quite hard to get this parts in Poallnd this is my onlu option now.

Looking forward for your advices guys.

I have just found following info on a bodies forum

"These are junk heads.They are thin material casting and just about every cylinder will have cracks in them.You might find 3 sets out of 30 that are good,if you find a good set.If you have chiose,stay away from them,and install the 308 casting heads,mropartech"

Any ideas what casting i should look for? Please let me know what do you think, i am finishing the body and will be putting that car together soon so i am confused what to do with my stock 318 engine, must say my budget is short at the moment

That does NOT sound like good advice to me.

I can't make sense of the numbers you have listed. They do not seem to form any logical order to me. Are you sure you copied them down EXACTLY as they appear on the head?

What is the number cast onto the top of the intake runner? That is the best number to look up.

Hard to say what order are they as the guy was telling me this by phone. However maybe it is better idea to buy whole 360 engine and rebuilt is and do not touch the old 318. I can also buy 360 from 78` big camper car are there any special thing i should check before i buy, must say there is not so many of these engines in my country so otherwise i will have to import one what is not so easy as you recive the cat in the bag, or maybe anybody know a place in Europe where you can get one with reasonable price ?

The boys in the casting plant were in a "big hurry" in those days to cut labor time costs as 'Ma was damn near broke, hence frigged up numbers on your castings.

Your heads from the "96" at the end, "75" somewhere in the middle, are most probably 75-79?, or thereabout, 360 "J" castings. To be sure look at the exhaust flanges that the exhaust manifold bolts to, for evidence of air injection "holes" on the exhaust flange faces just below the exhaust port.

They work fine, basically the same as any other "J" type 360 casting head, which "any of them", "any year" , may or maynot be cracked in the exhaust seat area. You'll have to clean and mag any head you buy (even imported), to know if they are cracked or not for sure.

As for those particular castings being exceptionally "thin" , I haven't seen concrete evidence of that. They were prone to cracks, but that was more a product of their application in those years, late 70's.
Let me explain;
Chrysler engineering began introduction/targeting of higher peak combustion temps(hotter burn) to combat Oxides of Nitrogen production in the exhaust gases for emissions. (That brown haze over cities-SMOG)It was known at that time, that peak combustion temps above 2400 F reduced NOX production significantly, hence "ALL" manufacturers, not just mopar, were going there, to meet EPA standards for the time. Problem was they weren't initially revising the exhaust port designs to reduce heat sink in the valve seat areas with the extra combustion temp heat, which led to problems with cracking on all castings for many manuf's.

The above, was one of many reasons for the later 308 heads revised exhaust port as a fix. It's interesting to note that the 308 head retains virtually the same intake port as any "J" head from any year, 'cept slightly tighter as it passes the pushrod relief. The 308 heads crack also !

Sorry once again for the rambling/trivia, I seem to be an "almanac of useless information", as the wife calls it.

Nope. That was very interesting and informative stuff as usual from you. thanks.