Small block 340 engine for sale and some questions...
Google is a wonderful tool...
- 1972 - The 340 four-barrel dropped to 240 horsepower:
- Compression dropped to 8.5:1; the compression height of the piston via wrist pin location changed by 0.10"
- The crankshaft was switched from forged to cast somewhere in the production cycle, believed to be in early April 1972, with engine 39118000 (thanks, Karl Thomas)
- 340/360 were moved to "J" casting heads with 1.88" intake valves; exhaust valves remained the same
- Paint went from orange to corporate blue
- 1973 - The cast crank had a different number than the 1972 counterpart, because it was shot-peened for greater strength.