Build suggestions for 340?

I thought the same thing, but AJ has examples of 2.5, 2.6, 2.7...so I don't know where it comes from or how to calculate it. (I'm thinking it does have something to do with the timing of the intake valve closure after BDC.)
Effective stroke is what is left over after the Intake valve is at it's advertised closed position, which you have to input as Ica. This is a computer-generated number and not the real world number cuz; the number that you input as Ica is the fall-out from using advertised numbers in which the valve is not yet closed! At .008tappet rise, and with 1.5 rocker ratio, the valve could still be open up to;
.008 x 1.5 = .012inch
But the calculator consistently generates that number from whatever you input, so it is still a useful tool.