Finally, the Complete Engine:

Front view: Just a regular old 340, with a few add-ons and chrome goodies.

A nice view of the passenger side exhaust manifold and the Carter HP fuel pump.

Stock 1968 HP manifold likes to have an adapter to rotate the oil filter 90 degrees from the face of the block.

Although I'll probably use headers for the "evaluation", the original manifolds sure look cool!

Passenger side manifold showing contortions required to clear the starter and power steering box. A definite restriction, but these manifolds are

far and away the best available stock manifolds. They also don't weigh any more than a set of headers.

I hate these Cheapo-Deluxe chrome valve covers, but I would have had to mangle the cast aluminum Mopar Performance valve covers to get them to work, and I just couldn't justify it. For some reason, the Weiand Stealth manifold sits a little bit too high on the block, and the lip that normally drops over the valve cover gasket hits the manifold. I "fixed" this by hacking up the covers and making room for the manifold. Once this engine comes back apart, I'll try to find out just what is going on. Until then, I have to live with the Cheapo's.

It's hard to see in this picture, but the tab on the intake right above the valve cover bolt hole is what makes the covers fit strangely. I just cut bits and pieces off of the cover until everything fit. Meatball surgery at it's best. For the record, I'm not completely sold on the Weiand manifold yet. I bought it mainly because it wasn't an Edelbrock (can't follow the main stream anywhere!), but if you have an old LD340, this manifold will look STRIKINGLY familiar. At least the new Edelbrock RPM LOOKS like a new design. Let's hope it runs OK. By the way, those are 273 rockers with 340 6-Pack pushrods for the Crane hydraulic cam. And yes, that's a hole in the center of the exhaust manifold. Don't know why, it's just there. It WILL be plugged. Note the stainless socket head bolt that replaced the heat riser assembly.

UPDATE (03-16-00) I finally got off my ass and ordered the braided stainless hose and fittings to finish off the fuel system. That's finally done, and all I need now is the coolant bypass hose adapter, and she's ready to drop in. Guess I'd better get after the synchros in my new 4-speed if I'm going to install it, too...

NEW (03-16-00) Click here to see the estimated power curve of an original 1968 340 with the manual transmission camshaft. This curve was also based on the best data I could find for COMPLETELY STOCK "X" heads, 10.5:1 compression, 600cfm carb, and HP manifolds with dual exhaust. The camshaft was approximated by using the automatic-trans cam specs and increasing the duration and lift to match the manual cam specs. It was assumed that the lobe separation and centerline was the same for both cams. If you know the actual specs for the manual cam, email me and I will run this simulation again.

NEW (03-16-00) Click here to see the projected power curve of this engine. This curve was based on the best data I could find for the mods I did to the heads, stock 8.5:1 compression, small-tube headers, a 750 CFM carb, and the rest was done in Motion Software's "Dyno2000" engine simulator. Great program that is easy to use, especially if you know exactly what you have. As with any model though, garbage in = garbage out!

When DragStrip2000 comes out in April 2000, I'll run these engines through the ideal quarter mile and see how they do...

(09-07-00) Well, DS2K didn't actually come out until July, 2000, typical for software, I guess. Why don't they just tell you the truth? Anyway, before I go off on a rant... It looks like a pretty slick program, too. So far, I'm pretty happy with their products. I ran the engine simulation for the tweaked 340 above in a sim '69 Valiant with 4-speed, decent tires, good driving, etc. Click here to view the stats of the car that I input... Click here to see the results of the sim... I sure hope this software is accurate! I'll be comparing these results to real-world drag strip testing, and to the G-TechPRO accelerometer I have. Cool toys!

NEW (12-19-04) Well, it's about damn time! Lots of things have happened in the last 4 years, and none of y'all are interested in the wedding, changing jobs, or remodeling the house, so I'll spare you those gory details. Suffice to say, shi-things happen, and there goes your time. Also, plans changed. This little 340 which came in my Barracuda will no longer be going back in my Barracuda.*** In fact, she's already found a home in Elvira. The 340 got installed in the Valiant last October, and she MAY have had 2000 miles put on her since that time. I CAN tell you that she runs GREAT. The DTD2K estimate may have been a little optimistic, but it's not meant to be exact, it's a go-by. That said, I took the car by Alamo Autosports in Arlington, TX for a run on their Dynojet chassis dyno this morning. I went in hoping that she'd be putting at least 250 HP to the rear wheels, and that's almost exactly what she ran. Here's the power curve from the dyno. Three runs total, see if you can guess which one still had the choke partially closed... All in all, I'm pretty happy. The little 340 makes pretty good power, with a solid, flat torque curve. Comparing these numbers to ones published in the February 05 Mopar Muscle Magazine article "Mopar Dyno Combos", Elvira the Valiant should be a solid 13-second performer. Which, by the way, is exactly where I wanted her to be!

*** Don't be worried about the engine for the Barracuda.  If things continue to shape up as they have been, she'll end up with the 440 that I used to have in my 74 Swinger...

Last Updated 12-19-04