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Chrysler LA 318 4-bbl ELB specs: 318 ci (5.2L) 8-cylinder, 3.91 x 3.313 in (99.3 x 84.2 mm) bore and stroke, 8.5:1 compression. Built 1978.
The Chrysler LA 318 4-bbl ELB is oversquare — the 3.91" bore exceeds the 3.313" stroke by 18.0% — a layout that favors airflow and RPM over leverage at the crank. The 3.313" stroke does not reach 4,000 ft/min of mean piston speed until about 7,250 RPM, so piston speed is not what limits this engine's revs — valvetrain and breathing are. A rod ratio of 1.848 is long by production standards — less side-load on the cylinder wall and gentler piston acceleration around TDC, the geometry that tolerates high RPM. Each of the 8 cylinders displaces 39.8 ci (651 cc).
8.5:1 on iron heads is low by modern standards and generally happy on regular pump fuel.
It is one of 9 engines in the Chrysler 318ci family, all of them 318 ci — the differences between them are in compression, heads and rating, not displacement.
| Displacement | 318 ci / 5.2 L |
|---|---|
| Bore | 3.91" |
| Stroke | 3.313" |
| Cylinders | 8 |
| Configuration | V8 |
| Compression ratio | 8.5:1 |
| Rod length | 6.123" |
| Rod ratio | 1.848 |
| Bore/stroke ratio | 1.18 |
| Block material | cast iron |
|---|---|
| Head material | cast iron |
| Valvetrain | OHV |
| Fuel type | gas |
| Firing order | 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 |
| Years | 1978 |
| Bore/stroke character | 1.180 — oversquare — bore exceeds stroke, which favours higher RPM and larger valves |
|---|---|
| Mean piston speed at 6,000 RPM | 3,313 ft/min — conservative for a street engine |
| Rod ratio | 1.848 — long — less side loading on the cylinder wall, favours high RPM |
| Displacement per cylinder | 39.8 ci |
| Static compression | 8.5:1 — low by modern standards, generally happy on regular pump fuel |
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1 factory vehicle, 1978. Each year opens that model's engine table.