more powwa

[buechecj7]

i have a 78 AMC 304 what can i do to make more power i have a performer intake and carb with a small cam. and headers anything else if not anyone wanna sell a 360???

 

[mylittlecj5]

$600 and you can have both of my 360s. One of them is still installed in the CJ, and the other is tore down ready for a rebuild.
The runner has enough power to satisfy you....

 

[dalefan88]

one problem with more power is can the rest of your drive train handle it.

 

[Busted Knuckles]

i have a 78 AMC 304 what can i do to make more power i have a performer intake and carb with a small cam. and headers anything else if not anyone wanna sell a 360???

Try the offy 4 barrel intake, the performer might as well be stock (worthelss intake, just my opinion). Also cam, enough cam in a AMC 304 or 360 can be a fire breather. HEI is a nice edition, if nothing else for a better curve. Also where is your cam timing and did you use and aftermarket chain, and did you retard/adavance cam timing ? Ive owned a couple AMC screamers.

My buddy used to pull his front tire off the ground with 44" tires and a AMC 304 when dumping the clutch. AMC 304 will move if its put together right, a 360 is pretty much physically identical to a AMC 304 year to year, you just get those extra 54 cubes, nothing more, its not a silver bullet to high performace.

If you want to change engines to "go fast" at least go for the 401 if youre going through the motions. How about swapping in a 454 ? Or a chevy 400 small block or 383 with vortec heads, if you want to make carbed HP and torque.

If you have the means, drop in a LSx 6.0L the best of all worlds.

BTW, my B/O works for a fuel company, they own several hundred gas stations, the guy who owns the place told him last week to expect cheap unleaded at $6 by june and $10 by the end of the year...HP=BTUs=Gals per hour of fuel. Faster you go Faster you spend.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Dalefan88 is spot on about more power can mean more repairs. Again from the “been there done that” file, I stuffed a Chevy 350 into a CJ2a years ago and then proceeded to change out Transmission , the rear end, and the front end one piece at a time after they blow out. If stock, your 1978 CJ has an AMC20 rear end which is bad at best, and the Dana 30 front can use some help too.

The AMC 360 is plentiful in the bone yards, can be built to make a lot of power, and is a direct bolt in plus the AMC V8s are great blocks due to their high nickel content. If you can find a 401 of course it is a plus but they are getting fewer and fewer. Other than the cubes the good thing about the 401 over a 360 is that the rods are forged in lieu of cast letting you turn a few more rpms before they come apart but don’t be afraid to go with the 360.

 

[buechecj7]

thanks for all the input on the motors ive been lookin for a 360 found a couple is there better years to look for? my jeep is far from stock in the drivetrain besides the Transmission and Transfer Case but i have a few backups there it has chevy 3/4 ton axles now.

 

[Busted Knuckles]

thanks for all the input on the motors ive been lookin for a 360 found a couple is there better years to look for? my jeep is far from stock in the drivetrain besides the Transmission and Transfer Case but i have a few backups there it has chevy 3/4 ton axles now.

The earlier the better, I dont know if anyone has 'broken it down" on the web, but IIRC, the very early 360s had bigger intakes, higher compression and where rated pretty high in HP numbers. If you can find "intake/exhaust valve" catalog online, that will tell you the break in years.

 

[buechecj7]

o ok thanks i think i read somewhere that the 69 and earlier were the better ones but idk

 

[CJ]

o ok thanks i think i read somewhere that the 69 and earlier were the better ones but idk

The 360 was produced from 70- 91.

From the Wiki -- >> AMC V8 engine - Wikipedia

The AMC 360 had a displacement of 359.80 CID (5,896.1 cc).[5] The 2-barrel produced 235 hp (175 kW) to 245 hp (183 kW) in 1970 to early 71 while the 4-barrel produced 285 hp (213 kW) to 295 hp (220 kW), 175 hp (130 kW) to 220 hp (164 kW) from mid-1971 to 1975, 140 hp (104 kW) to 180 hp (134 kW) in 1976, 129 hp (96 kW) in 1977, and 160 hp (119 kW) from 1978 to 1991.
It was the last AMC V8 to be manufactured. It was used exclusively in Jeep J-series Trucks 1970-1987, Jeep Wagoneer models from 1972–84, Cherokee from 1974 to 1983, and Grand Wagoneer from 1984 to 1991 - becoming the last carbureted engine used in an American-built vehicle. It was also installed in the Bricklin SV-1 car in 1974 only.

 

[buechecj7]

o ok thanks alot ill try to find an early 70's one then

 

[Busted Knuckles]

o ok thanks i think i read somewhere that the 69 and earlier were the better ones but idk

Well now that's going to be a problem see-ins how they didnt start building the motor until 1970... Id look for a 70 or newer, the pre-70 will be hard to come by .

 

[buechecj7]

Ya i fixed it

 

[Busted Knuckles]

Ya i fixed it

My bad, I somehow didnt refresh to see that "Cj" had dropped in and added a post and you responded... sorry..