Help choose engine for my 68 Barracuda

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eeka440

eeka440

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Hi

I have a mint 68 FB with 318. I also have a '70 340 and a '77 360.

The 318 is stock.

The 340 has a set of 10.5 forged speed pro pistons .030 over
Bores are good
has spun rod bearing, so needs crank welded and rods resized.

The 360 has to be bored .040 to clean up the bores
Will need the rods resized and new pistons
I have a good crank.

I have a set of 2.02 heads ready to go on.

What would be cheapest?
What would be quicker?
99% street driven
3.23 with 3000 stall converter.

Thanks

Dave
 
360 all the way. You can put some good pistons in since it needs it anyway. built 360s are MEAN!!!

The 318 will probably leave you with a feeling of wanting more later.

The 340 is an overpriced version of the 318 ....they have the same stroke.

The 360 with good pistons and a good over all build will be the way to go for overall cost and what get out of it.
 
eeka440 said:
Hi

I have a mint 68 FB with 318. I also have a '70 340 and a '77 360.

The 318 is stock.

The 340 has a set of 10.5 forged speed pro pistons .030 over
Bores are good
has spun rod bearing, so needs crank welded and rods resized.

The 360 has to be bored .040 to clean up the bores
Will need the rods resized and new pistons
I have a good crank.

I have a set of 2.02 heads ready to go on.

What would be cheapest?
What would be quicker?
99% street driven
3.23 with 3000 stall converter.

Thanks

Dave
Click to expand...

*Stroke that 318! You can tell everyone it's the factory 318 with a couple bolt on's!
I love mine.
I just asked a question about headers on here but with factory 68-70 340 manifolds and stock exhaust my 68 FB moves quite well!
I did it mainly because of the 318 factory car to begin with and also...to be different from all the 416,or 408 builds..
 
I would go 340 myself, I will take all the overpriced 318's over a 360 any day. Nothing wrong with a 360, just like 340's. And unless it's a 73 340, it's a steel crank.
 
If it was me I'd sell the 340 to some one who desperately needed one and then use the money to build the 360. Twenty more cubic inches means twenty more HP.

Again that's just me and what I would do.
 
..340's were tough to beat on the street back in the day,somewhat of a legend.
...you can make anything go fast so it's up to you,but i know what i would want.
 
CUDACOX said:
*Stroke that 318! You can tell everyone it's the factory 318 with a couple bolt on's!
I love mine.
I just asked a question about headers on here but with factory 68-70 340 manifolds and stock exhaust my 68 FB moves quite well!
I did it mainly because of the 318 factory car to begin with and also...to be different from all the 416,or 408 builds..
Click to expand...

I'm a fan of a stroked 318 !
 
I like 340s, way more motor than a 318. The 360 also makes a good street motor with the extra stroke. With the 3.23 gears I'd go with the 360, get the compression up to 9.8 or 10.1-1, with the right cam and intake you'll have a fun ride.
 
360 all the way, for a streeter.
teeners are too teensy
put any cam you want in a 340. then same cam in 360 equals way more bottom end torque.
put any cam you want in a 360. Then same cam in 340 equals major low rpm disappointment.
Because of the extra stroke you can put more cam into a 360 without the penalty loss in Dcr.
360 hypers are so light now, they go 7000 easy/often.
340s got the rep, 360s got the rap. Time to turn it around!
360 with Eddies and a cam in the 223 to 232 range equals major street fun in an A-body.Easy 400plus crank-hp and same torque. Buy your tires in bulk, (I do).
 
As much as I like 340s, I say sell the 340 ad use he money to build the 360.
 
why not put the 318 crank and rods in the 340 or atleast the crank then get a good set of rods and get the rotating assembly balanced while your at it. prob be the cheapest and easiest with what you have. The 340 360 debate will go on forever but for drag racing give me a 340 big bore short stroke rev to no end lol
 
I'm on the "sell the 340 build the 360" bandwagon... Only reason to go with 318 if you have the choice is fuel economy IMO. Or you just want to be different like all the other A-body guys out there lol
 
JBurch said:
If it was me I'd sell the 340 to some one who desperately needed one and then use the money to build the 360. Twenty more cubic inches means twenty more HP.

Again that's just me and what I would do.
Click to expand...

I never got that one, true a larger engine can make more power at any given rpm but given similarly built engines wouldn't the 340 would just make it at slightly higher rpm?

Since you already picked your gear the largest engine will work best. The cheapest would be a 360 or a 3.58" stroked 340.
 
thesiren74 said:
Put the 360 crank in the 340!
Click to expand...

THIS!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^

273 said:
I never got that one, true a larger engine can make more power at any given rpm but given similarly built engines wouldn't the 340 would just make it at slightly higher rpm?
Click to expand...

Yes

Since you already picked your gear the largest engine will work best. The cheapest would be a 360 or a 3.58" stroked 340.
Click to expand...

Yes! I would favor a 3.58 stroke crank in a 340 and a over bore for 372 cubes.
(Then fully ported Edelbrocks and a small solid roller, 1-3/4 headers and ........)

But WTF do I know?
 
jammied said:
why not put the 318 crank and rods in the 340 or atleast the crank then get a good set of rods and get the rotating assembly balanced while your at it. prob be the cheapest and easiest with what you have. The 340 360 debate will go on forever but for drag racing give me a 340 big bore short stroke rev to no end lol
Click to expand...

:thumbup: I agree with this!
 
..maybe a .030 over 318 (3.94) with a 3.58 stroke (360)would be the best "all round" build,
same as the Corvette LS performance platform.
..how did GM arrive at 3.94 x 3.62 stroke?
 
ir3333 said:
..maybe a .030 over 318 (3.94) with a 3.58 stroke (360)would be the best "all round" build,
same as the Corvette LS performance platform.
..how did GM arrive at 3.94 x 3.62 stroke?
Click to expand...

Slugs for the 3.58 stroke in a 318 bore are not cheap IF you can find them.
 
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