340 to 372 stroker kit

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So easy to spend someone else's money...

If I build another sbm it will be a 340 block with a 360 crank and a set of ex-SB2 Pankl 6.2 rods and custom pistons.

Why? Because I have the crank (free) and the rods ($2800.00 new $75.00 on fleaBay). Will need to get the crank machined ($250.00). The pistons will be $850.00.

Lighter, faster and cheaper than a stroker kit that uses Chi-Com parts.

Easier? I can't afford easy.
 
You make some good sense with the below quotes. Allow me to comment on them. A pro vs con.

Hellrats said:
Wow, that's a lot of money. Why not just get a 360 and use it. Bore it 30 over, put on your heads and call it a day.
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Perhaps he already has a 340 block. I think this is the case. Why spend money on something you don’t have when what you have will work? A .030, 360 is 365 cubic inches. A small 7 inches shy of the 372.

With the 360, you still end up with a externally balanced cast crank, stock rods and a smaller diameter piston which has less hp. A internal balancing can be done at extra cost.

While a case can be made to sell the 340 block and roll the money over into the inferior 360, who would purchase a unknown large overbore block? If his sonic check turns out good, now is the problem of having someone believe you.

Wait! Did I just call the 360 inferior? Well, yea. The best thing about the 340 is smaller bearing journals for reduced bering speed, less friction and the previously mentioned bigger bore which has a direct impact on HP as well as helping the head to breath a little better.

Hellrats said:
Yep and it's still a lot of money to get to the same thing as a overbore 360. But if you got the money carry on.
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Isn’t it crazy how people spend there money?
Like, OMG, wasting it on something they want to do, and OMG, a car?!?! That they like?!?!

Rather than act like car hating parents or wives, and this is towards everyone out there reading this garbage today, help a brother out. The 4.0 arm is a helpful thought I agree, but if we all want to do a 373, don’t be so quick to chit on your heads when the choice of a “Nostalgic” stroker comes up.

At this CID, it becomes a extremely efficient package with the available head choices out there.
 
Krooser said:
So easy to spend someone else's money...

If I build another sbm it will be a 340 block with a 360 crank and a set of ex-SB2 Pankl 6.2 rods and custom pistons.

Why? Because I have the crank (free) and the rods ($2800.00 new $75.00 on fleaBay). Will need to get the crank machined ($250.00). The pistons will be $850.00.

Lighter, faster and cheaper than a stroker kit that uses Chi-Com parts.

Easier? I can't afford easy.
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My Eagle forged crank was a Mancini “Steals & Deals” sale which costed me a whooping $425 to my door.
My Eagle con rods (750hp) purchased here brand new in the box from a member going another direction and were about half priced. $250 to my door.
(Give or take a few bucks, I forget exactly)
In a car purchase, the deal included several 340 blocks. In a sense, they were free because the car was a very good deal by itself. Never mind what came with it.
 
ir3333 said:
This happens in nearly every post...
The op wants info on the 372 stroker.
Replies try to talk him in to building something else!
I too would like to hear from memembers that have info on a 340 stroked to 372.Personaly i think this would be the perfect engine for a light A body!
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I agree. While an excellent argument can be made for or against ether engine, it really comes down to YOUR CHOICE on what to build with YOUR MONEY that you worked for.

I see this way to often with guys wanting to build the 318, what they already have. A guy wants to do up a 318, help him! There is nothing wrong with the advice of bigger is better but at the same time so many people show themselves as a hypocrite on the bigger is better. If your going to go big, go big and my question is where does it end?

I think somewhere around a injected, blown, N02 HEMI @ 600+ cubes..... LMAO!
 
Just trying to save the guy a ton of money. My inferior 365 with W2 heads runs quit well. I got the complete engine for $250 and it was a running engine. I leave the 340 blocks for the guys that do restorations. But like I said if you have the money have fun.
 
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I don’t think he wants your, or anyone’s advice on saving money or the thread would have been “I’m a cheap *** SOB! How do I make 700hp for $300? Help me!”

I get what your saying Hellrats. My 360 w/Edelbrock heads runs real well. But my engine and yours is off topic on what the OP is seeking help on.
 
good post krooser
and all
shapes the decisions
lets look at it from another direction
Those heads or any heads flow so much air
heads are what make the top end horsepower no mater how many cubic inches
as said they may not make the maximum possible horsepower on any block- there is always a better head >$$$
but what I like to do is make the maximum HP/ Torque
get the head to its maximum airflow
at the lowest rpm and keep maximum airflow as long as possible
it will still have it's maximum airflow at maximum rpm or at max hp (whatever that is stroke/ rod angle/ cu in dependent)
but it will have a much broader torque/ HP curve- more area under the HP curve, not as peaky
which gets me back to Stroker McGurk- you can't beat cubic inches and the only substitute for cubic inches are more cubic inches-(apologies to Tom)
keep the compression and rpm (and detonation) down and no worries about the caps- or do the caps and studs- what do you think Krooser?
now if you are building a class hp/ cu inch car you do it differently
now shop carefully for the dished pistons as mentioned above no mater which stroke and rod (longer is better)you might be able to use popular 4" stroke pistons with longer rods with one of the shorter strokes your bore size makes the search somewhat harder
 
Build what you want... He's got a good block to build on. I went to look at a 340 when I bought my project motor only to have it be a 360.

Still bought it because it had lots of good parts and was repairable.

Big HP needs a big bore like a 340 can provide. That said he surly won't be lacking power. I got my *** beat several times by a 340 50 years ago...
 
The OPs plan for a 379 inch 3.58 inch stroke small block is really as good as it gets, especially if the decision is made to get the W2s worked up to their potential. It would still have more than enough torque to blow the tires off at will. With the right cam, induction, and headers it would pull into the higher rpms more like a built 340 than the longer stroke engine would. Even though high rpm is harder on overall longevity, the top end rush and raw sound of running on the high side of 7 grand with a strong small block that pulls only as hard as it is revved is a pure adrenaline hunt! If I had a usable .060 over 340 and W2s lying around, I couldn’t help but to want to build that type of thrill ride. Put in some 4.30 gears and a close ratio four speed and your face would lock into perm-grin with every trip.
 
Pistons are gonna be the hard part, not lots of choices at 4.1 inches, which is where his block is.......more than likely have to go to Ross, J&E, Weisco, or others.
 
rumblefish360 said:
The best thing about the 340 is smaller bearing journals for reduced bering speed, less friction......
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I do not for a second deny that the smaller main bearing diameter on a 340 crank produces less friction than the main diameter of a 360 crank, however, I have never ever seen, read, heard, witnessed on a dyno chart any factual information that makes this a relevant statement........at what HP level, at what rpm does this become relevant?? When I see this statement put up in discussions of the merits of building a 340 based engine over a 360 it is to me IMHOP very much akin to spending the OP's money...he already has the block, help him find pistons and rings for a 4.1 inch bore, that would be alot more meaningful than the suggestions for going to a 4 inch stroke crank
 
AJ/FormS said:
Why?
Why do you want 450/500hp to go to work and cruize in?
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Why not?!?!?!
What is the magic in the 450/500 number?
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I’d vote for the lower power level and cross the fingers it dyno’s better or ET’s better. 500 in a small block is a bit of a brute camshaft wise.
You can cruize to work with a 50hp slanty.
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Boring Boooooring, BoooOOOOOoooorrring....
BbbbbbooooOOOOOooooOOOOORRRRRRRRRIIING!!!!!!
:rofl:
 
AJ/FormS said:
Why?
Why do you want 450/500hp to go to work and cruize in?
What is the magic in the 450/500 number?
You can cruize to work with a 50hp slanty.
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I grew up with my dad and uncle building race cars and show cars all being mopars, and now I will be building one for myself and this is the performance level I want to be at with the beauty of the old a-body mopar.
This will allow me to play with the occasional mustang/camaro and for the adrenaline of being sucked back into the seat when I press the accelerator.

I’ve always been into performance as my first car was a 96 transam ws6. It made the occasional trip to the race track for bracket racing only running 13’s but was a lot of fun.
 
I want 700 HP to go to work in b’cuz when I merge onto the freeway and these assholes in California ride nut to butt and dont let you in, I can slam down a couple gears and kick the **** out of the dudes in M3’s and Mercedes AMG’s who think they have a fast car. Can’t really do that in my Big Cummins Dodge, well I can, ya know..force my way into them, they always move. LOL. But that gets old when I can’t keep up with them! :D
 
JBurch said:
I do not for a second deny that the smaller main bearing diameter on a 340 crank produces less friction than the main diameter of a 360 crank, however, I have never ever seen, read, heard, witnessed on a dyno chart any factual information that makes this a relevant statement........at what HP level, at what rpm does this become relevant?? When I see this statement put up in discussions of the merits of building a 340 based engine over a 360 it is to me IMHOP very much akin to spending the OP's money...he already has the block, help him find pistons and rings for a 4.1 inch bore, that would be alot more meaningful than the suggestions for going to a 4 inch stroke crank
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Smaller bearings mean lower operating speeds. Higher bearing speeds degrade the oil film that may cause metal to metal contact. Smaller bearings are easier on the oil film.

A big old bearing in a land yacht like a big Olds or Chrysler is likley to never stress the oil to any degree. But repeated 6000 rpm blasts down your favorite back road in your MAY... another reason to use a good oil if you are inclined to hit the go pedal whenever possible.

There's a reason endurance engines like smaller rod bearings (and main bearings)... 1.850 and 1.88 are the norm right now.
 
Yeh til the crank overlap gets insufficient and you get flex and failure
need better materiel with those small crank pins
I don't know what they are doing now but we ran Olds mains in fuel Hemi's to get more crank strength
 
The Honda journal trick. High maintenance engines that see parts changed out frequently. No worries there....
 
Krooser said:
Smaller bearings mean lower operating speeds. Higher bearing speeds degrade the oil film that may cause metal to metal contact. Smaller bearings are easier on the oil film.

A big old bearing in a land yacht like a big Olds or Chrysler is likley to never stress the oil to any degree. But repeated 6000 rpm blasts down your favorite back road in your MAY... another reason to use a good oil if you are inclined to hit the go pedal whenever possible.

There's a reason endurance engines like smaller rod bearings (and main bearings)... 1.850 and 1.88 are the norm right now.
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again, I ask what and where is the cross over that journal diameter /bearing speed becomes a major consideration.....Personally, I don't think of a 6000rpm blast as the least bit stressful.......good oil always makes sense and knowing how stable/resistant the multi vis package is to break down.
 
Bigger is so subjective and it is not always better, but seems to give bragging rights.
Balance is usually better for most, unless it's a dedicated strip car.
Having said that, when depressing the throttle something exciting had better happen!
 
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logan_searching said:
I grew up with my dad and uncle building race cars and show cars all being mopars, and now I will be building one for myself and this is the performance level I want to be at with the beauty of the old a-body mopar.
This will allow me to play with the occasional mustang/camaro and for the adrenaline of being sucked back into the seat when I press the accelerator.

I’ve always been into performance as my first car was a 96 transam ws6. It made the occasional trip to the race track for bracket racing only running 13’s but was a lot of fun.
Click to expand...

great answer
 
I have a 340 block at .030 over and a 360 crankshaft. Built it the had way with a 360 crankshaft turned down and neutral balanced.
It runs well and is a little stronger than a stock 340. Maybe 300 horsepower?
 
AJ/FormS said:
I bored my 360 to 4.04and change making it a 367. It only has Eddies on it, an Scr of 10.9, and a Hughes 230/237/110 cam; but what a streeter! You are gonna love a 372.
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Aj is that cam pretty streetable? Been looking at there cams
 
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