New to 340 so I have questions

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If the year was 1969 and i had todays technology I'd bolt a set of 1:6 rockers with B3 racing correction, a small double pumper and a good converter to a 391 geared A-body. No Manual for me. Just making conversation and where I'm heading with a build.
 
If it were an untouched original '68 4 speed 340, I'd say yep that cam is special as they were one year only. If your happy with your '69 car which looks very nice, leave it alone and drive it.
 
I have some video of my 69 that runs the 68 manual cam. It clearly is more aggressive than the automatic cam equipped cars. I'll post them on YouTube later today when I have time.
 
This is a stock 1969 340 with the 68 manual cam 2899205 and with electronic ignition and my vacuum mufflers, closed. This has a true Dr. Gas X pipe so it is not quite as crackly as it would be without.

This is with the mufflers open. You can hear the lope of the 68 cam here.
 
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Just my 2 cents....

If you want to race the car keep the aftermarket parts on the outside

If you want to show the car put the OEM parts back on.
 
I would just drive it until you get a feel for what is or isn’t to your liking. Then start piddling with it. Those are fun cars although they aren’t 600 HP. As a kid I felt like my 340 Duster could take on all comers, it did fairly well in with a 727, 3:91’s and a thermoquad. There was a bunch of people running nitrous who usually beat me, even though they claimed it was all throttle.

The 340 was nicknamed the Big Bore Hunter and I was a bullet proof punk!
 
RustyRatRod said:
That's a really nice looking car, Nick! Could you maybe shoot us a little video of it running from behind so we can get some exhaust note? That would really help. You will need to upload it to a hosting site like youtube and then post the link here.
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I hope it works. It is idling about 950-1000

 
VOETOM said:
This is a stock 1969 340 with the 68 manual cam 2899205 and with electronic ignition and my vacuum mufflers, closed. This has a true Dr. Gas X pipe so it is not quite as crackly as it would be without.

This is with the mufflers open. You can hear the lope of the 68 cam here.
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I hope this works. It is idling about 950-1000

 
vacuum is 12, pretty low.
Car sounds nice. Cam doesn’t sound very agressive.
Car looks great.
 
Nick it sounds really good. Mild, but very good. If it's not a tire melter, you might want to tune on it some. It's not going to ever run like 600HP, but in a Dart, it should be pretty impressive.
 
Yea, sounds like a performance (the right cam- street-strip) cam pretty close to factory specs.
 
TF360 said:
Yea, sounds like a performance (the right cam- street-strip) cam pretty close to factory specs.
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Which leads to more questions. The car does sound healthy and looks well cared for. Nick is this a low mileage car with the original 340? I'm wondering if it has the original bottom end, cam and heads with a swapped intake and carb. Inquiring minds. :)
 
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Woodys_Cuda said:
Which leads to more questions. The car does sound healthy and looks well cared for. Nick is this a low mileage car with the original 340? I'm wondering if it has the original bottom end, cam and heads with a swapped intake and carb. Inquiring minds. :)
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good question, I am still trying to figure that out too.
The odometer reads around 64k, but that still doesn't mean anything.
The heads are X heads, that's for sure, I spotted the X immediately.
I want to check the block, I was told to check it like a big block at the pan rail, but I can't get on the ground to check it because of my bad hip and knees, (Replaced) it's too painful and I can't get up.
I was told to check the casting number, but I can't seem to find it because of the header in the way.
 
AZ-Nick said:
good question, I am still trying to figure that out too.
The odometer reads around 64k, but that still doesn't mean anything.
The heads are X heads, that's for sure, I spotted the X immediately.
I want to check the block, I was told to check it like a big block at the pan rail, but I can't get on the ground to check it because of my bad hip and knees, (Replaced) it's too painful and I can't get up.
I was told to check the casting number, but I can't seem to find it because of the header in the way.
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Nick, I can certainly relate.
 
AZ-Nick said:
good question, I am still trying to figure that out too.
The odometer reads around 64k, but that still doesn't mean anything.
The heads are X heads, that's for sure, I spotted the X immediately.
I want to check the block, I was told to check it like a big block at the pan rail, but I can't get on the ground to check it because of my bad hip and knees, (Replaced) it's too painful and I can't get up.
I was told to check the casting number, but I can't seem to find it because of the header in the way.
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The X heads have the big valves so that's a bonus and correct for that engine.

Yeah I understand, I'll be 70 in a few months. Crawling under cars for some of us is painful now.

No big deal, it's a very nice car so just enjoy driving it. :steering:
 
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A-Z, If you are mechanically inclined, buy a Harbor Freight leak down tester and compression gauge, or similar. Check the engine for both compression and leak-down. Depending on altitude, a solid 340 should have ~170 PSI Cold Cranking compression and leak-down should be 10% for a well-sealed engine. The leak-down test will also point out the reason for leakage if it is >10%. Noise in the exhaust is an exhaust valve, and the same with intake noise. Lots of are coming from the valve cover indicates ring leakage.
I just did this on a friend's 440 that he was given. Leak-down was 10 +/-5% for all but #1 cylinder which had a leaky exhaust valve. it was at 20% leak-down so we will run it as is and see how it goes. Going into a /6 '67 FB Cuda, but boy will it need some suspension and brake help!

Mike's 440 Front View.jpg


Mike's 440 Rocker Arms.jpg
 
Bodyperson said:
Some of that information is wrong or the format got screwed up. I don't think the factory came out with a half inch cam and some of the valve size values are screwed up.
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Agreed. Not a formatting problem, though. Just incorrect information. The person who wrote that probably heard of someone that had a 292/.508” cam in a 340 and took it as the gospel that the factory put it in.
 
AZ-Nick said:
I cant get it below 950 according to the tac,
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sure you can, just need to know how, And it will sound so awsome.
I know it can be made to idle at less than 650, in gear, and rolling down the road. I know because mine does/did it;
at 500 with the previous cam (270/276/110/51* overlap), and
at 550 with the current cam, (276/286/110/61* overlap), and
at one time, she ran the....... (292/292/108/76* overlap), cam, which idled almost that low, still pulling itself with confidence.
All cams spec'd at advertised of .008 tappet rise.

Making it take throttle from 500/550 takes a lil finessing, which is why I leave mine set at 550 when parading, 650/700 normally (in gear and idling). However, my engine is a hi-compression 360, and has a manual trans, with 3.55 gears, and a big fat factory flywheel.
> To do both instantaneously, (550 parading and say 750 normal in Neutral), you will need to be able to retard the timing electronically, from the front seat, with a timing-retard box.... mine is adjustable with a knob, within a range of 15 degrees.
Yeah, nice car! you have there
 
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