what is the best small block and why ?

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that helps alot the car is going to be built for the street. just looking to build a tough street car and maybe go to the track a few times. i do have a line on a 340 complete needs rebuild for 500 dollars could i get a 360 for that price and the 340 is a 1972 block is that a good year and are all 340s 10.5 to 1 and with what heads
 
needsaresto said:
Walk? What did you use for main bolts/caps?
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Ask the factory , both were factory fresh engines that lasted under 10,000 miles .

I f you start out with a 1971 down 340 or any year 360 , non magnum which is the better starting point ? 340 better crank , better intake , better cam , timing chain /gears , better piston and rods and heads . Just rebuild with better cam will smoke the 360 or 318 , unless you change a lot of the parts on the 360-318 , intake , pistons crank , heads .
Or am I missing something .
 
$500 for a complete 340?

HOLY SNIKES! WHY are you still here chatting it up, go get that sucker. I have been seeing blocks sell for $700 and there in deep need of machine work and degreaseing in a big big way!!!!!!!!

IIRC, not a 100% on this, but I do believe that a 72 is a lower compresion year. The heads are a letter head series and may, MAY have the 2.02 valve. It could be a 1.88..

Reguardless, the 1.88 can be opened up to a 2.02 and then ported the same as a 2.02 head to the same level as any other letter head.
 
1wild&crazyguy said:
cost diff between the 360 and 340 is maybe 50 bucks....

and thats the cost pistons=$199 vs $250

Now stroke them 4'' and tell us which has more cid....

I build either one, or which ever one I had.
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Ahhh.This is the reason I chose a 400 over a 440,was bigger bore= more breathing
 
cannonfodder said:
Big cubes are no good unless you got the heads to feed them. Unless you want a truck engine.
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i disagree with this. its very rare that a street engine uses up all the port. its true that most of the time a gain could be had with more port or lets say flow. there are so many things that effect flow. there's a saying in racing the easiest way to get air threw the port if you cant port the heads is put a bigger pump under it. obviously there is a point at which it becomes detrimental but not in a 340 360 case. and on the street lower rpms are less were and tear less maintenance with over all more usable power millage. the reason for more rpm is to put more gear to it i mean think about it. so what if a 340 can turn with power 500 more rpm then a 360 if you don't put the gear to it its less torque to the rear wheels then the 360 and no advantages anywhere else.do the math if a engine is putting out 100 pf of torque at 1000 rpms and another engine is putting out 90 at 1200, the second engine is making more hp but here the real math if engine 1 has 3.0 gears then around 300 pf is getting to the rear wheels. engine 2 with the same gear is getting the rear wheels 270.so unless you put the gear to it witch on the street most people don't your small engine with those more poneys is a loser.put the gear to it and look out but there goes all the other things that make cruising fun. this can be fixed with new over drive trans but i aint got the money for that do you.i hope you do but if you dont do the simple math
 
the wall said:
...but there goes all the other things that make cruising fun.
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I can "cruise" at whatever power level I feel is appropriate. I think winding it out and banging the gears at WOT is what destroyed my 4-speed. That's what I use the car for, not cruising. I have a '71 New Yorker 440 TnT for that. :D

Just depends on what you use the car for.
 
I vote 5.9 Magnum.

:)

I forgot the why...

They are readily available in ready to use condition, and are 360 cubic inches.

They have a lighter weight rotating assembly than the 340 or 360.

They are hydraulic roller from the get-go.

They seal better and are more consistently machined from the factory than the LA stuff.

The pistons are typically only in the whole .050 from the factory so you have a prayer of getting decent compression with a stock block and rotating assembly.

The heads do crack, but there are better than stock replacements available for less than the cost of going through a set of stock heads (and can be drilled for LA bolt pattern intakes).
 
2 fast z28 said:
hy guys i bought a 76 dodge dart about a month ago and it corrently has a 318. what is the best small block 340 or 360 and why is it better. i see alot of people running 340 but to me i would think a 360 would be better to build because of bigger cid but i just dont know so if some one could educate me that would be great.
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what exactly are you trying to do. i have had quite a few 340 motors over the years. i won't pick them up unless its a really good deal. i sell them to some numbers chump and fund a 360 project. :)


both will do the job. 9 times out of ten you'll be able to pick up a 360 for hundreds cheaper so your ahead of the game there and the longer stroke is what i like. i wan't tq. thats what gets a car moving.
 
Well I guess you could always just say screw it and go get your hands on a 5.7, 6.1, or 6.4 Hemi (assuming you want to stay in the small block world)
 
Rat Patrol said:
If I was building a race engine using factory stroke and bore - then the 340 has the better Rod/stoke ratio which means it will survive better at higher RPM.

The 340 also also more oversquare making it suitable to RPM higher.

HOWEVER - If i was building a streeter - I'd opt for the 360. More torque due to stroke and CUI, cheaper parts, and it will make power where you can use it.

A lot is made of the bigger mains on the 360 and the greater inertial friction - but I reckon the cui and storke of the 360 outweighs any minor disadvantage of larger mains.
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+1. Well said.
 
cannonfodder said:
Big cubes are no good unless you got the heads to feed them. Unless you want a truck engine.
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I agree, stay away from stroking it to 400+ cubes and leaving th e heads bone stock.

Stock heads on a 360 even stock don't flow to well, but then again, there not to dismal ethier. Could be worse. If the car was realitivly light and track prep'd, AKA gears, sus penson etc.... stock heads can run low 12's easy with a Hyd. Cam.

Ooooff course the overall package may not exactly be a street freindfly mill for you...
 
340 all the way!! Bigger 2.02 heads, steel crank pre 72', high volume oil pump, higher rpm's stock. Worth more for resale. Not many around like 318's n 360's. 318 with 360 heads makes it a wedge motor but the crank won't hold up. This was mopar's high performance small block for the 70's.
 
GATORS340 said:
340 all the way!! Bigger 2.02 heads, steel crank pre 72', high volume oil pump, higher rpm's stock. Worth more for resale. Not many around like 318's n 360's. 318 with 360 heads makes it a wedge motor but the crank won't hold up. This was mopar's high performance small block for the 70's.
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So why did mopar stop building the 340 and keep building the 360?

after all the 340 had better heads..crank...timing chains...cured acne ....impotent .....

install 2.02 valve/heads....use kb107 pistons...pick your cam...360 all the way...


with engines that are over 40 yrs old...there is nothing stock anymore...rebuild the engine with new parts and be faster...

and I have not still seen a 360 break a crank...and I am no spring chicken....LOL


here is your modern day 360......


http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=158426
 
trucks would be the answer , trucks need cubes at low revs so the the 360 made sense , performance was a thing of the past and Chrysler was in debt .
 
Mr Aarcuda , 2 motors , 1 1970 340 , the other a 1974 360 , both as came from factory , both $1000.00 , whats you going to buy ???
 
jerry6 said:
Mr Aarcuda , 2 motors , 1 1970 340 , the other a 1974 360 , both as came from factory , both $1000.00 , whats you going to buy ???
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neither...

but you would have to be stupid to spend 1k for a 360...360 should sell for a few hundred bucks..

i bought a complete 72 360 for 100 bucks...and use the saving to rebuild the engine
 
So why did mopar stop building the 340 and keep building the 360?
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jerry6 said:
trucks would be the answer , trucks need cubes at low revs so the the 360 made sense , performance was a thing of the past and Chrysler was in debt .
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emissions is the answer.

if it was still 1975 yes you would want the 340. but thats because no one made pistons (well cheaper off the shelf) for the 360 so the 340 was the budget way to go because at the stock bore you had compression, if it needed to be bored there were off the shelf pistons. these days a 360 will run anywhere you want it to because there are tons of parts out there for them and all kinds of off the shelf pistons.

same deal with the 400. people used to throw 400 out all the time. screw a emissions 400 they would rather have a 383 over a 400. well everyone wants 400s now. why is this? because they make pistons and stroker kits for them now...

me i'll take a roller LA or magnum 360 over a 340 every day of the week and twice on sunday. 340s are great to make cash on to the numbers crowd though.
 
and the 360 weak crank is bull ****.. i know guys running in the 10's and 11's for years between rebuilds and they have never had a crank failure with a 360 cast crank.
 
And I know guys with vegas with 300,00- miles , still a shitbox
 
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