Are 340’s rare

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Icetech said:
Yeah, i don't understand the 340 lust myself.. it's like the chevy guys with 327's and double hump heads.. You can still buy a running 440 with trans for $700 (was one on FB last month) or a 340 block for 2k..

For the numbers matching guys i get it though.. but still..
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Yea ive been buying up good deals on 440's. I picked up 5 in the last 4 months lol
.
 
I had the opportunity once to buy a 340 block with a stroker 390 something kit(forgot who made the parts). Everything to assemble the short block was there and the machining was already done, I just would need to hunt for the top end. With such nice and good parts I felt it would be much better for someone else who appreciates the performance parts that belong in something else rather than a maybe 300HP grocery getter.

Also, I need to keep the budget low.
 
340sFastback said:
Its not just numbers matching ppl. There are armies of ppl who think there is some magic in 340s. Some mysterious power making something in the 340s. Baby Hemi, X heads are gold ect. Any other small blocks are sub standard in their eyes.

Forget about the open chamber heads, lack of quench, heavier pistons than a 440, short stroke, excessive cost of 340s ect. Those draw backs do not matter to that crowd. You wont be able to reason and talk any sense to them either. 340s rule, 340s are the best, 360s are inferior, 318s are boat anchors, 273s belong in dumpsters etc. And its a big crowd too. 340 mania, its a real thing.
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Interesting, I sold a Dart that I thought had a stroker, per person who sold it to me. Well, took said car to my buyer, they drove it, was completely satisfied on how it ran, power output. Told me, "it runs very good" Well, sold the car. Get a call a few days later, seems it is not a 360 stroked, but ONLY a 340. Well, I refunded some money, it is only right, BUT they told me "if it were only a 318 I would not want it" AFTER saying how good it ran!!!!!!!!!!!! What difference the numbers on the block, they look the same.............
 
I wouldn't build a 68 - 73 A body or a 70 - 73 small block E body with anything but a 340, not even a clone. That was the performance small block they were available with. Don't care if your 360 cost half as much and has 100 more hp...just not interested.
340 guys take a lot of heat?
 
ir3333 said:
I wouldn't build a 68 - 73 A body or a 70 - 73 small block E body with anything but a 340, not even a clone. That was the performance small block they were available with. Don't care if your 360 cost half as much and has 100 more hp...just not interested.
340 guys take a lot of heat?
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And with an attitude like that lose a lot of races. Now if you are a car show guy I could just lie to you at a show and you would never know.
 
What the heck, each to his own. I have owned many small blocks, 273-4, 318's and a couple 340's. Never a 360 though. I like them all.
 
Ant said:
I had the opportunity once to buy a 340 block with a stroker 390 something kit(forgot who made the parts). Everything to assemble the short block was there and the machining was already done, I just would need to hunt for the top end. With such nice and good parts I felt it would be much better for someone else who appreciates the performance parts that belong in something else rather than a maybe 300HP grocery getter.

Also, I need to keep the budget low.
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oof low budget and mopar is a tough task lol
 
I'll say it again...340 guys take a lot of heat. I have seen a lot of 360 a bodies much nicer and faster than any of my builds have ever been, but because i prefer a 340 in my clones or 340 cars i now have an attitude.
My builds are not fast enough to win a race or nice enough to win a car show.
 
Look at a 318 piston side by side with a 340 piston, before you make a statement like "318 and 340 bore size difference isn't much"

Besides the numbers matching guys out there, THE reason the 340 is and will always be king, is because of that "minor" extra 0.130" bore. It's much more than just the displacement, it's also the headflow that accompanies that bigger bore.
 
Well I can't say I've ever seen a 340 that wasn't in a car around here
They just ain't available. And when they do pop up they are at least 4x the money....
 
Nah, they are a dime a dozen. Tell me where to send that dime and I will take it off your hands.... lol
 
340sFastback said:
Its not just numbers matching ppl. There are armies of ppl who think there is some magic in 340s. Some mysterious power making something in the 340s. Baby Hemi, X heads are gold ect. Any other small blocks are sub standard in their eyes.

Forget about the open chamber heads, lack of quench, heavier pistons than a 440, short stroke, excessive cost of 340s ect. Those draw backs do not matter to that crowd. You wont be able to reason and talk any sense to them either. 340s rule, 340s are the best, 360s are inferior, 318s are boat anchors, 273s belong in dumpsters etc. And its a big crowd too. 340 mania, its a real thing.
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There’s no magic in a 360 or a 440 either. One has main bearings big enough for a Cummins diesel and the other has so many issues I won’t outline them here.

The 340 runs because of the bore to stroke ratio. Over square engines always make better power that a square or under square engine.

Unless of course someone loves gas engines that run like a diesel. If I wanted a diesel I’d build one.
 
Icetech said:
No one is saying take a 318 over a 340.... yet once again... here we are...
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You said it. You said the 318 has a slightly smaller bore. What matters is the bore to stroke ratio. A 318 will never have a B/S ratio of a 340. Neither will a 360.

While the numbers may look small, the ratio matters.

318: 1.180
340: 1.219
360: 1.117
408: 1.007

Two numbers jump out. That’s a big difference.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
You said it. You said the 318 has a slightly smaller bore. What matters is the bore to stroke ratio. A 318 will never have a B/S ratio of a 340. Neither will a 360.

While the numbers may look small, the ratio matters.

318: 1.180
340: 1.219
360: 1.117
408: 1.007

Two numbers jump out. That’s a big difference.
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I did not say take a 318 over a 340.. i am also not the one that mentioned the bore.. we were talking about the value of 340s and the almost cult like worship that some give to it. Didn't say it was bad or better or worse than anything else.
 
As a lot of you gentleman know, I race all the small
blocks in Stock/SS.

The 318 has smaller main caps and unless you replace
them (Pricey), I have broken several when much over
400HP in a drag racing application. The 340 Heads flow
better than the 360 Heads unless you spend a lot on money
on them. I have literally broken several 360 cast cranks on Moderate
to High HP applications in two. I have never broke a steel 340 crank,
although cracked a few on rod undercutting. The 340 block consistently
sonic much thicker than the 360/318 unless you find the rare very early 360
blocks (34xxxxx/36xxxxx). They sell for nearly same money as
340 blocks.

There is NOT a 360 Stock Eliminator car in the country
at similar weight that can come even close to our 340 cars.
I am not aware of a Superstock 360 either that could hold
a candle to our Superstock 340 AND a lot of the racers are
certainly smarter and spend way more than us.
No Brag = Just the facts!

I sell 340 Blocks for $500 up to $1,250 depending upon what
work (Hot Tanked/Sonic tested/Acid washed/Bored/Decked) has been performed
on them and bore size. I just sold a nice block that was 040 for $475.
There are about a dozen in my shop and I am lucky if I sell a couple
a year and I advertise them everywhere. They are NOT a $2000 item
out here on the Western States by any means.

There is a nice 340 early long block for sale on craigslist Pheonix for
$1,200 asking price right now.

We race them all since they were new = but I LOVE the 340s!!

I tell all our customer in our trailer building business = You buy the
BEST and you only cry ONCE!
 
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Icetech said:
I did not say take a 318 over a 340.. i am also not the one that mentioned the bore.. we were talking about the value of 340s and the almost cult like worship that some give to it. Didn't say it was bad or better or worse than anything else.
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DAMMIT. My bad. I quoted the wrong guy.
 
ir3333 said:
I'll say it again...340 guys take a lot of heat. I have seen a lot of 360 a bodies much nicer and faster than any of my builds have ever been, but because i prefer a 340 in my clones or 340 cars i now have an attitude.
My builds are not fast enough to win a race or nice enough to win a car show.
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Yeah, while I appreciate a strong running 360, 408 stroker etc. To me they're kinda like belly buttons, seems everybody has them. Again, I appreciate the performance, but I've had a special place in my heart for 340s ever since getting my clock cleaned (repeatedly lol) by one as a kid driving my 350 powered Nova. Just sentimental I guess. If price was the only factor I'd be building a small block Chevy.
 
I've got 3 standard bore 340 blocks as extras and a couple standard bore 360s. I bought them when they could still be had reasonably.
 
Mean416 said:
Can you clarify this?
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Sure. If a 340 shortblock is $2000 (I'm assuming, I've never owned any small block except for the two barrel 273 from my 67 barracuda. I own more 90 year old straight eights than smallblocks!) I would MUCH rather have a $100 318 shortblock bore it .030, and put a scat stroker kit in it... and probably still have less in it than a 340.
And, anything you can put on top of a 340 short, you can put on a 318/392 and get same or better result.
 
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