Posted by Bill Giles on Monday, August 14, 2006 at 10:48PM :
In Reply to: 340 mopar in PW? posted by Doc Dave on Sunday, August 13, 2006 at 7:56AM :
Mine has a 340 and I love it. The good news is that most of the drivetrain parts are compatible. I'm running a Np 435 with a hydraulic clutch and the old bellhousing with the 2 motor mounts. I'm even using the breaker point ignition!
The temperment and performance of a V8 engine all depends on the cam. The 340 had a fairly hot cam - I think it was a 278 or 284 duration if I remember right. The cam needs to be matched to the vehicle. Mine has a crane cam made for towing, and heads from a 360. The 340 heads won't be good with unleaded gas unless you have seat inserts installed or use octane booster.
If the engine you're looking at is stuck already, how good can you expect it to run when you get it unstuck? All that rust in the rings ain't just going away. You'll end up rebuilding it relatively soon.
The bottom line is how cheap can you get it and how bad do you want to say you're running a 340?