Posted by RDavis on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 at 3:14AM :
In Reply to: 340 V8 conversion posted by Gordon Maney on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 at 0:33AM :
All LA smallblock engines interchange some
parts with each other. We will disregard the LA 273 even though 290hp was possible but had such a short production life.
The LA 318 and 340 can interchange may parts
including cranks but the 340 was really a performance engine with the same basic size block but built with stronger,beefier webing in the crank area.The heads used larger valves and a 4bbl manifold but the LA 318 did not come factory with a 4bbl from approx.1968-1983.
The 360 heads and intake will fit the 340 and 318. Both the intake and heads must be used together when swapping to any LA smallblock,such as, when using the 340 or 360 heads on a 318 the 340 or 360 intake must be used also.
The 360 crank will only work in the 360 block.
The engine dept of chrysler or should I say MOPAR performance, makes the 340 blocks and engines complete and the RB bigblock engines including the 426 hemi can be had and with whatever degree of machine work (or little) you want,most people don't know this.
I suggest using the 360 in a truck that will be turning taller tires or pulling a load and the 318 for a basic conversion that will be used mostly for just crusing around.
The 360 has plenty of torque but not good mpg. The 318 using a set of 360 intake & heads, a 340 purple cam from HPMopar and you'll have a strong good breathing 318.
The 318 and 360s are common and parts are more plentiful. if they used the 318 in W-500s, they are plenty enough engine for a WDX-WM300 or W-100-200-300.
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