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cdawglean

cdawglean

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I'm trying to get more Hp out of my 340. I have decided the only way to go is a ProCharger setup lol. In reality I'm open to suggestions. One idea I had was to pull the engine and redo it from the ground up. The only problem is I have no idea what i'm doing but I would learn. The help I need is figuring out the specifics (bore size, crank size, pistons ect..) In order to even submit this plan to my wife (the money holder) I need to come out with a no-**** estimate. The estimate I got for the supercharger was 6 grand. Since the last rebuild on my engine has nothing but chicken scratch on the receipts I cant provide any information on what the internals of the engine are. I did do a Dyno and with everything tuned up, Dougs headers, single chamber mufflers, 904 Trans, 8 1/4 rear w/3.91 gears I got a disapointing 236Hp MAX and 278Tq. These numbers seem about what a stock 340 puts out? I know everyone here is experts and one of the reasons why I like this site is you usually get many opinions and combinations. I want to get as much Hp as possible out of a 340 so lets make me a list!
 
I vote a stroker kit a good cam and a machine shop. Leave everything from the headers back. DONT try to rebuild the engine yourself if you have no experience, find a machine shop that will warranty their work and have them assemble the motor. You should be able to do it for $3500.
Andrew
 
blue missile said:
I vote a stroker kit a good cam and a machine shop. Leave everything from the headers back. DONT try to rebuild the engine yourself if you have no experience, find a machine shop that will warranty their work and have them assemble the motor. You should be able to do it for $3500.
Andrew
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What kind of power number would I be looking at?
 
cdawglean said:
I did do a Dyno and with everything tuned up, Dougs headers, single chamber mufflers, 904 Trans, 8 1/4 rear w/3.91 gears I got a disapointing 236Hp MAX and 278Tq.QUOTE]
And this was wheel hp? Have you ever tried 1/4 mile with it?
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Dusterfreak said:
cdawglean said:
I did do a Dyno and with everything tuned up, Dougs headers, single chamber mufflers, 904 Trans, 8 1/4 rear w/3.91 gears I got a disapointing 236Hp MAX and 278Tq.QUOTE]
And this was wheel hp? Have you ever tried 1/4 mile with it?
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Yup that was at the wheels. No 1/4 mile track where I'm at but at the 1/8 it ran a best time of 8.82. That was the first run of the day. Runs got worse as the day went on with the last 2 runs not being able to hook up with my pizza cutters.
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What year engine? what compression? You just don't throw a cam in it, without knowing what you want as far as: max rpm, carb, valve float, head flow, gearing, etc.
Talk to cam guy/engine machinest; what is you goal? Street? Strip? Both?
Tell them what, they will need that, and weight of car, (a/c? etc). Then transmission guy needs info (cam, gearing, weight, usage). It gets complicated with all these variables.
All components all need to function as a team.
A buddy with a 69 440; his last experience with a jax, fla machine shop was bad-3 trys until it stopped spitting particles from the mains. Talk to Dan Dvorack in Waldo, Fl. We have seen the engine, going into final assembly room. Have seen the parts to be installed, Have had our crotches sniffed by his 3 large Poodles. Lol. He talks to Forte@ Turbo Action to build the tranny.
Call Dan; he holds 20 class wins, and 26 national records; he will talk to you.
 

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green1 said:
Talk to Dan Dvorack in Waldo, Fl. We have seen the engine, going into final assembly room. Have seen the parts to be installed, Have had our crotches sniffed by his 3 large Poodles. Lol. He talks to Forte@ Turbo Action to build the tranny.
Call Dan; he holds 20 class wins, and 26 national records; he will talk to you.
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Now there's a name I haven't read about or heard about in a very long time. Dan's been around forever and really knows his $#!+. :burnout:

Wylde1.
 
green1 said:
What year engine? what compression? You just don't throw a cam in it, without knowing what you want as far as: max rpm, carb, valve float, head flow, gearing, etc.
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Ummm not sure if you understood. I'm thinking about a rebuild..not just "throwing a cam in it" I'm looking for a build sheet/estimate for what it would cost. Compression, carb, heads all that is what I am inquiring about.
One of the suggestions is a stroker kit. When I looked up stroker kits I got many different ones to choose from. Anyone have a suggestion for what a good kit is? I'm planning on keeping the Doug's headers, A/C, the Trans, rear ect. I would also like to keep the intake unless its not good enough for the new/rebuilt engine.
 
Is this car seeing street and strip? And when I say 'strip' I mean 'regularly'.

Or is this a two or three time a year strip car and more of a driver?

Do you want to haul ***?

What I'm getting at is a mild stroker, especially based of a 340 block (416 to 422ci), could put 425lbs torque to the floor AND be a wonderful car to drive daily with a 4" stroker crank(or the new 4.25"!), only 9.8:1 compression, affordable RHS Indy X 2.02 heads (do some blending/porting maybe), and a mild duration cam with .500 or so lift.

You could potentially get this done for $4500, give or take, if you shop around deals.

Procharger's are nice, but not always necessary.
 
Mostly street and a little strip. I always want to haul *** (just like Ricky Bobby said "I wanna go fast!") Your setup sounds like it could be what I am looking for. Anyone know any good engine builders in the Florida Panhandle?
 
Do you have any idea what you have now, as far as compresion, heads, cam, etc?
If you have a sound short block in there now, why not just add some decent heads, cam, intake, etc.

My old 340 in my Dart Sport was just a stock rebuilt 70 340 with some 915 "J" heads I ported at home, MP 557 solid, M1 intake, 727 auto, 4.10's in a 8 3/4". My best run in the 1/8th mile was a 7.49 @ 89--11.90 @ 110 1/4 mile.

I just depends how much money you want to spend!
 
darndart said:
Do you have any idea what you have now, as far as compresion, heads, cam, etc?
If you have a sound short block in there now, why not just add some decent heads, cam, intake, etc.

My old 340 in my Dart Sport was just a stock rebuilt 70 340 with some 915 "J" heads I ported at home, MP 557 solid, M1 intake, 727 auto, 4.10's in a 8 3/4". My best run in the 1/8th mile was a 7.49 @ 89--11.90 @ 110 1/4 mile.

I just depends how much money you want to spend!
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Thats the problem I have no idea what heads/compression/cam or anything all I can cypher from the reciepts is its bored .30over. And thats all I know. Wish I knew more as that would make it easier to select new heads/cams.
 
cdawglean said:
Thats the problem I have no idea what heads/compression/cam or anything all I can cypher from the reciepts is its bored .30over. And thats all I know. Wish I knew more as that would make it easier to select new heads/cams.
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Do you know aprox. how much milage/usage is on your rebuild? From what I've been reading the RHS heads from IMM Engines are going to be hard to beat for the money, and you can't go wrong with a good old MP purple shaft. I'd go with the 280/474, that cam runs awsome in a 340. Top it off with a good dual plane intake, RPM or RPM air gap. And you should have a stout little 340. Before you buy any heads, I'd pull your old ones and look at your pistons. If you have a flat top with valve releifs your OK, but if you have a factory style or TRW 2316 that stick out of the deck, they can only be used with factory open chamber type heads!
 
darndart said:
Do you know aprox. how much milage/usage is on your rebuild? From what I've been reading the RHS heads from IMM Engines are going to be hard to beat for the money, and you can't go wrong with a good old MP purple shaft. I'd go with the 280/474, that cam runs awsome in a 340. Top it off with a good dual plane intake, RPM or RPM air gap. And you should have a stout little 340. Before you buy any heads, I'd pull your old ones and look at your pistons. If you have a flat top with valve releifs your OK, but if you have a factory style or TRW 2316 that stick out of the deck, they can only be used with factory open chamber type heads!
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Not sure on the mileage I will have to check that out when I get back home. Are you saying that instead of doing an engine out rebuild I should just change heads and a cam shaft. If going with the setup your suggesting what kind of numbers would I be looking at? And at what price? Also I have a new Edelbrock Performer Intake installed currently is that a good enough intake or would I need another?
 
cdawglean said:
Not sure on the mileage I will have to check that out when I get back home. Are you saying that instead of doing an engine out rebuild I should just change heads and a cam shaft. If going with the setup your suggesting what kind of numbers would I be looking at? And at what price? Also I have a new Edelbrock Performer Intake installed currently is that a good enough intake or would I need another?
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You can do what you want, but if you have receipts from a rebuild and it wasn't that long ago, I would think your short block should be fairly sound.
That heads, cam, & intake I suggested should get you 375+hp. Sell that Performer and get a RPM or RPM air gap.
 
darndart said:
Before you buy any heads, I'd pull your old ones and look at your pistons. If you have a flat top with valve releifs your OK, but if you have a factory style or TRW 2316 that stick out of the deck, they can only be used with factory open chamber type heads!
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So if I pull the heads and they have the factory type that stick out of the deck they would have to be changed out before I was able to put on new heads? Would I need a new Carb with the setup you recommended? Right now i'm running a 670cfm.
 
If you have Edelbrock Performer intake and not Performer Rpm theres one problem. The performer cuts your rpm to 5500, 340 can handle 6500-6900rpm. If you have stock high compression pistons all you need is J or X heads ported, headers (dougs are great, i have heard) good cam and edelbrock rpm or rpm air gap intake to get you close to 400hp or so. Is that enough, thats your decision...
 
Wylde1 said:
Now there's a name I haven't read about or heard about in a very long time. Dan's been around forever and really knows his $#!+. :burnout:

Wylde1.
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And crazy as ever. He knows mopars. I've been on the drag fringes for 30 years+. Buddy needed an engine built, I talked him into driving down to Waldo, and talking to to Dan. I think I posted the pics in bbody. The pistons are coated, half the weight of factory, eagle rods, mahle (spelling) pistons, 1/16" rings; cam not too radical, idle 750, You would just not believe what Dan knows. That pic, he was explaining how to balance a rod. Got to double this weight, etc. Amazing. Dan built my heads in 1976.
 
OK, a 70 340 factory, pistons .017 out of the hole, 2.02 valves. Advertised 10.5, actually 9.3 to 5.. Pump gas. Then a purple cam, 230 @.o50,.484 lift. Dual plane manifold, electronic Mallory or MSD ( need the rev limitor and other options). It will scream, and out-torque a 350 Camaro, 396 Chevelle, etc. Those engines scream. Haven't driven mine for awhile, but full pedal, it finally shifts into high @ 90 mph.
 
Dusterfreak said:
If you have Edelbrock Performer intake and not Performer Rpm theres one problem. The performer cuts your rpm to 5500, 340 can handle 6500-6900rpm. If you have stock high compression pistons all you need is J or X heads ported, headers (dougs are great, i have heard) good cam and edelbrock rpm or rpm air gap intake to get you close to 400hp or so. Is that enough, thats your decision...
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Now that you mention it. When I dyno'd it the power pretty much cut at 5500 rpms. This is from the Manifold? F!#@ I guess I should of done my research on that. I have the Dougs Headers already so I guess I need new heads and a good cam (along with another intake). Sounds good I like the idea of 400Hp and I should be able to do that for what $2500 or so?
 
Yeah, the Performer does that, its good for stock 318 but 340 dies with it. If the engine really has stock-like pistons and is in good condition you should get close to 400hp (from the flywheel at least) with valvejob, cam and intake. Check the casting numbers from the heads. Ignition needs update too, MSD 6AL and a blaster coil would be good bang for the buck. And of course it needs tuning. Intake costs 235$, pair of edelbrock rpm heads would be little under 1500$...
 
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