340 6 pack more valuable?

340mopar said

I would also like to hear about the "dash" number after the engine size. Pretty much all of the Mopar engines have them, "318-8" "360-6" etc.

I will tell you what I have heard it was and I am not saying this "is" what is or I'm not discounting it either because I don't know what it is and was hoping that someone can tell us.

I heard that it is the quality of the casting as far a accuracy like core shift, etc. the lower the number means the better the block. Well, that's what I heard when I started buying Mopars.

My '73 340 in my drag car is a 340-1

Chuck

Click to expand...

Chuck
Sand core pieces are used in making the engine block mold. During production some of the sand cores get worn/damaged/etc and need to be replaced before the next block mold is ready to be poured. Each time a sand core piece is replaced the dash number -2-3-4 goes up (one or more core pieces could be replced, but the dash number only goes up 1). A lower dash number has no better chance of being a better casting than a higher number, although some may disagree. I had a 340 -12 bored .040 with no ill affects. that is the highest number I have seen. There is a point in mold making when the mold is no longer usable as each casting has an affect on it, but what that limit was I have no idea.
Hope this helps. :coffee2: