Odd engine combinations and how did they work.

I was remembering a motor I built in when I was in college that ran way better than it should have. I figured I would open up a discussion on the topic. It is fun to me to find out what other people did and their experiences.

I was taking an automotive class in college and for my project I built a 340 short block. I had a 1967 Dodge Dart with the original 273 that was rebuilt and ran good enough. It always lacked low end torque but would Rev to the moon. It had a solid lifted crowed cam with. 488 lift. I ran an old edelbrock LD4B intake with a Carter afb. It also had a good set of hooker headers. It had dual 2.5 inch exhaust with flow master mufflers.

Well because I was 19 years old and the car lived between 6000 to 7000 rpm to make power, the motor did not last long.

I ran it at the drag strip with best pass in the high 15s. I did put nitrous on it once and clicked off a 13.9. It had anopen 3.23 geared 8 3/4 rear axle.

Well I wound up spinning a rod bearing eventually and the motor broke a rod.

I had been building my 340 in class and it was. 030 over short block from 1974. I put a 1969 steel crank in it. Stock cast 10.5 to 1 Pistons. I bought an Erson TQ30 cam and lifters. When the 273 blew up I was forced to swap engines as the car was also my daily driver. I did not have any 340 or 360 heads for the motor so I took the top end off the 273. Small valves, small ports, small intake.I figured the increase in size and compression should give me a little more power than the 273 even though the heads won't flow enough to make big power. I worried about the 10.5 to 1 Pistons with open chambers being bolted to closed chamber heads..

The end result was a monster of a motor. After I broke in the cam, I took it for a short test drive. WOW I gave it gas like I normally did when I drove it and it left 50 feet of rubber. I pulled into an abandoned parking lot and launched it. The tires spun until you let off the gas.

Only downside was it ran hotter and when it was hot it wouldn't shut off. I had it over heating once and brought it up to the house and turned the key off. It was still idling on all 8 cylinders. I pulled the coil wire. It still ran good. I could still Rev it up. I had to choke it out with a shop rag.

It ran 13.8 on motor. I eventually got some 360 heads but it never was as powerful as it was with the small port heads.