I have a very nice, low miles 340 4bbl in my 1974 Barracuda (1969 block).
I purchased the car for a Hemi swap, but may settle for a Holley Sniper system if I cannot get anything for the motor (It's nicer than I expected)
The details I have for the motor are:
- Cast date in 1969
- Factory X-Heads
- Mopar Purple camshaft
- Forged pistons and crank - 0.60 over
- Edelbrock Torker intake and Performer 600cfm carb
- Black Headers (to fit e-body Cuda)
- 14" air cleaner w/ 340 pie tin
- Mickey Thompson M/T valve covers
- Hooked up to a 727 with manual valve body - shifts well
The motor has about 2000 miles on it, starts right up, runs very well and sounds great! Probably just under 400hp.
I listed it on here previously (probably too high), but did not receive any responses.
I am enjoying the car now, but as the season comes to an end, I need to make a decision.
Can anyone help me figure out what the motor is worth? How about the 727?
What state or region are you in?
I'm in Chicago, IL.
the engine was cast in '69, but is it a 1969 or 1970 model year engine :takepicture: do you know the partial VIN that's stamped on it?
driver's side front of block has numbers stamped below head, what are they
same with the transmission - what is the part number, date & VIN?
The date stamp is 7-9-69. It looks like it says, OE117143, on the engine block just above the oil pan. Is that the correct number (doesn't look like a VIN)?
I will have to check the transmission tomorrow.
Yes. I took photos when I was under there.
X Heads a plus. ( if they're in good condition ) They're almost becoming an investment nowadays.
I wouldn't buy a 60 over 340 block unless it was sonic tested.
A lot of guys say 40 over on a 340 is max.
It's probably beyond the end of it's Hi-Performance life. The rest of what is inside is kinda frills...
:alan2cents:
Quote from: GY3R/T on October 05, 2018, 07:22:46 PM
X Heads a plus. ( if they're in good condition ) They're almost becoming an investment nowadays.
I wouldn't buy a 60 over 340 block unless it was sonic tested.
A lot of guys say 40 over on a 340 is max.
It's probably beyond the end of it's Hi-Performance life. The rest of what is inside is kinda frills...
:alan2cents:
he's not asking the value of a core engine :notsure:
Quote from: 6bblgt on October 05, 2018, 07:36:37 PM
Quote from: GY3R/T on October 05, 2018, 07:22:46 PM
X Heads a plus. ( if they're in good condition ) They're almost becoming an investment nowadays.
I wouldn't buy a 60 over 340 block unless it was sonic tested.
A lot of guys say 40 over on a 340 is max.
It's probably beyond the end of it's Hi-Performance life. The rest of what is inside is kinda frills...
:alan2cents:
he's not asking the value of a core engine :notsure:
I thought he's asking WIW to sell this 340 & 727. The core of the engine assm is a 60 over block.
I don't want to debate the question or previous " core" motor answer but as one who has sonic tested many 340 blocks and built more than I care to remember, a .060 motor is a ticking time bomb. Heck, I've crack a cly wall on a std bore 340 before. They are really thin. I checked a TA block one that was already at .030 and the major trust side of one entire bank was was only .070 thick. My friends engine builder wanted to bore it to .060. I talked him out of it, fortunately. It was the matching numbered block. But to make a comment on value as a running/assembled motor, I would say not very much since the block is the heart of the build. You might find someone that is not aware of how thin a 340 is and buy it because it runs good. I'd say $2000 would be lucky and MAYBE it would work out for the new buyer.
Regardless of the bore size, I would say a nice running 340/727 set-up, ready to drop in is likely worth around $2500-$3000. I wouldn't think there would be much interest these days though.....tough sell in my opinion, everybody wants a new Hemi ...
I appreciate all the help, guys!
I was surprised to see "0.60 Hastings Piston Rings" on the invoice. I reached out to the engine shop to see if they have any additional paperwork on sonic testing, etc.
The previous owner never drove the car (did not even have the correct fan/radiator), but it seems to run very well now that I am putting miles on it.
Perhaps someone looking for a year-correct motor/trans will see some value in a nice running setup ready to drop in... Continues to be a tough decision
For what it's worth I have a 340 bored 60 over. Runs strong, no worries.
Maybe its me, but I struggle to understand how .040 over is considered perfectly fine but .060 over is a time bomb. That's a difference of less than three sheets of notebook paper per side in the cylinder wall. Doesn't jive with my (admittedly limited) understanding of strength of materials from college.
Quote from: gzig5 on October 08, 2018, 07:40:42 AM
Maybe its me, but I struggle to understand how .040 over is considered perfectly fine but .060 over is a time bomb. That's a difference of less than three sheets of notebook paper per side in the cylinder wall. Doesn't jive with my (admittedly limited) understanding of strength of materials from college.
You're seeing opinions from different experiences.
340 was engineered to rev at higher rpm to make power.
Thinner cylinder walls doesn't necessarily mean splitting wall or windowing the block.
Thinner walls mean more wall deflection resulting in blow-by past the rings... I.E. loss of
potential power.
Any block with .100 or less wall thikness (esp. on thrust side) is a grocery-getter to me. Do
your self a favor and sonic test any block you want to make good power first.
I passed on a 70 340 engine slightly built up w 30 over. Ran great, went for $2500
:wrenching: Thought it was a fair deal
Following along, I also have a 69 340 with x-heads.
Been driving the car for the last 20yrs, curious WIW also.
Putting together plan for a Gen3 swap, so the 340 will eventually go.
Was thinking ~$2k also for a complete running motor.
The trouble I had with a .060 motor was a race motor that I just freshened up. We honed it about .002 because the previous builder had the forged pistons too tight. It ran about 25 passes and went .2 faster and then started putting water in the oil. Pulled it apart and found a pin hole in the cly. Had to sleeve it. It had a big hole when we bored it out for the sleeve. The inside of the cast cly walls are not smooth in the first place and you add water and they can form rust pits. A sonic test would not have caught this hole. It was a thin casting with bad core shift from the factory.
Holes/pin holes are pretty rare. Core shift is not. Sonic test would've caught core shift. Some times core shift is obvious by eye. Big blocks are easiest to spot this.