318 v 340 v 360 Which is best?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 13, 05 7:36 pm

Just wanted to know peoples views on which small block is best for reliable street, strip use in mild tune. I have a 67 barracuda which I would like to drive as much as I can but still gain a good time at the strip. As my car is a right hand drive model what headers can I use.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sat Aug 13, 05 8:32 pm

All good reliable engines in thier own way! Really depends on how much you've got to spend and how fast you want to go. A mild cam, intake, carb and headers is as far as I'd go with a sound 318, if the 318 needed a rebuild then I'd use a 360 instead (same money to rebuild) and end up with a more powerful engine. Forget 340's, you'll be lucky to find one for sale in the UK and if you did it would be pricey, and would not be any better than a 360 for your application. I believe the Austrialian headers ( can't remember what they are called) fit the RHD cars.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sat Aug 13, 05 8:49 pm

Bigger the better. Simple as that.

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Sat Aug 13, 05 9:10 pm

Unless the price of petrol keeps rising ...!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 13, 05 10:44 pm

340, with six pack of course. A genuine T/A, AAR 340 six pack - now youre talking!

Rarer than a Hemi though!
For availability the 360.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 13, 05 11:01 pm

Even 'thick wall' 360's aren't as plentiful as 318's, the ones you tend to find are the late 70's anchors that they put in the dodge and plymouth vans.

How fast do you wanna go? Kev has proven a 318 can be made to shift if needed and all done on a budget. With my gay gears and mild 318 I can still get 20 mpg doing 70 on a motorway, give it blasts of over 120 mph (if it's quiet

) and run a 15.2 in the 1/4. That, to me, makes a good all rounder.

Having said all that, I have now got the hp bug and am building a big 360

Oh and the headers are called Pacemakers.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sat Aug 13, 05 11:55 pm

JamesKing wrote:Unless the price of petrol keeps rising ...!

The power you make = the amount of fuel you burn. The bigger the engine the more power you make before you even start making modifications.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 14, 05 2:10 pm

this depends on what sort of money you want to spend cthe engine in my cdemon is a 340 that has been restroked to 413 its quick i got high 12s at the nats on steet tyres and a worn gear box so ofcourse the bigger the mill the more power you can produce.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 14, 05 2:38 pm

I thought a 340 in standard form was better than a 360 in standard form. Particularly as the former was developed as a sporty engine.
what you do to them afterwards is up to you though!

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Sun Aug 14, 05 2:45 pm

Depends on the 360, new ones are very good sporty engines and can turn 400hp right out of the crate! '70s truck engines are pretty dire stock, but with heads and pistons upgareded they can be ok.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 14, 05 3:29 pm

its all about ci, the more you have the more power you can produce although in standard guise i recon the 340 has got to be the one i suppose the 360 is the one to go for .

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 14, 05 10:36 pm

Not just about CI, also about how the motor delivers the power, reviness, where peak horses and torque are delivered etc.

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Mon Aug 15, 05 11:58 am

Well, this is an endless debate in Mopar circles!! Nothing wrong with the 318 but I suggest it's a battle between the 340 and 360.

Quick brain dump, there are probably others......
340
+ shorter stroke 3.31" therefore revs quicker and higher
+ kudos
+ smaller crank journals therefore less friction
- price
- availability
- more likely to be beaten up
- less cubes

360
+ longer stroke 3.58" therefore more low end torque (streetability)
+ cheap
+ available
+ more cubes
+ bigger crank journals therefore more strength
- kudos

I'm assuming you'll use the same heads whether it was a 340 or a 360.
Bottom line, for a street engine the 360 is a no brainer IMHO

Better still is a 360 stroker!! I allowed myself a rare moment of weakness and went with a 340 stroker (as opposed to a 360 stroker) just because I could get a block and the 340 is such a legendary engine. Obviously stroke and cubes are not a differentiator anymore once you go for a stroker.

OOOOh it's me 500th post

latil · Post by **latil** » Mon Aug 15, 05 2:01 pm

The 318 runs a good rod ratio (bore to stroke) its the heads that are the trouble also good aftermarket pistons are difficult to find. Should be able to find a good 360 for the cost of building a hot 318
You'd need to find some old 'chally t/a to rob it for the 340

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Aug 15, 05 5:37 pm

I intend to put a description of what it takes to convert your 318 to a 360. theres afew things that have to be changed or are useful to have when you pick up a second hand 360.
Call me superstitious but i'll do it once she lives which i'm rather hoping will be tomorrow. she's sitting in the garden all ready to go but its BBQ and friends time now 8)