68 340 Vibrating idle, loss of power

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68FishNate

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I've scrolled past threads that have talked about this issue, and just need a further head examination.
Recently, I bought and rebuilt a 340. First time building a roller motor. It has been an art of patience and learning along the way. Cast crank and pistons reused, freshened and turned, block and heads checked with new bigger springs to match cam, new rings and hardware.
Fast forward to, I got it in the car and running, driving so I thought. I had the throttle linkage getting caught on the carb and turned that around. Problem solved. Now I have full throttle instead of sticking throttle. Last Tuesday, figured that out and decided im gonna finally go down the highway and see how it feels. Went a mile or 2, turned back around and got back on the highway and backfired drivers side muffler and now I have a hole. Don't waste time with patch kits, learned that. Got 2 new mufflers 2_1/2 inch. My inlet is 2_1/2", but my exit is 2". I had a cat shop fab 2 reducers to make up for the length of mufflers and got those installed, sealed, and bolted Saturday. Still had an exhaust leak and now after running, I was vibrating and shaking motor, shifter, car. I didn't and still dont think I'm off that far on timing, but I can't seem to see the line on passenger side timing marks to say differently. Tonight, I took it up to the shop that made the reducers and welded the exit side with the exit pipe. No more exhaust leaks. However, still have vibrations and loss of power. Stopped at oreillys, and checked plugs, wires, disconnected, reconnected, replaced 3 plugs, 2 had some oil on them.
Sorry about the long story. I had a 318 prior and thought that I could use the harmonic balancer that was less than 6 months old and put it on the 340, no issues. It was shiny I thought, still good. Everything else has been replaced in the 340 outside of pulley brackets and this balancer. I remembered I still have the balancer that was on the motor when I bought it, before I disassembled and put it in the machine shop. My question is, is this harmonic balancer a "meant for 340 externally balanced" balancer that I need to immediately put on my 340? Over thinking and over doing here, I think.

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Is that the balancer you had on the engine?
Is it an automatic trans?
 
if the crank you have in the motor is cast AND it's 340, then it's external balance and a 318 balancer is not going to work because all 318's internally balanced.

however, since you don't know what's in there... it's anybody's guess....
 
I'm confused as to what you've got.
You said cast crank (which are factory externally balanced), but you also said '68 block which would have had a forged crank (which is internally balanced from the factory) and then you showed a picture of a 318 balancer which is also for an internally balanced crank.
So, since you say you had it at the machine shop, I'll assume you had the assembly (whatever it actually consists of) balanced? And did you assemble with all the same parts they balanced it with?
 
Agreed. You have a steel crank balancer in the picture. Which would be fine if you have a 68 block and steel crank. If you indeed have a cast crank, you need the weighted balancer.
Do you have any weights on your torque convertor?
 
I remember walking and talking through with the machinist telling me cast crank, but I may be incorrect. I'm going to call the shop tomorrow and jog memory here. Rotating assembly turned at the machine shop, not with either of the balancers I have.
4 speed. Its possible that the dart the motor came out of before i bought it was an automatic. Don't have that answer.
The balancer i have on it currently was from my 318. Summit OE replacement. Internally balanced motor.
The picture is the balancer that came with the 340 when I bought it.
Here is the item I currently have on the new motor.

Screenshot_20250922_222533_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
I remember walking and talking through with the machinist telling me cast crank, but I may be incorrect. I'm going to call the shop tomorrow and jog memory here. Rotating assembly turned at the machine shop, not with either of the balancers I have.
4 speed. Its possible that the dart the motor came out of before i bought it was an automatic. Don't have that answer.
The balancer i have on it currently was from my 318. Summit OE replacement. Internally balanced motor.
The picture is the balancer that came with the 340 when I bought it.
Here is the item I currently have on the new motor.

View attachment 1716458790
Not a cast crank 340 balancer. You need to find out what you have FOR SURE, even if it means pulling the oil pan.
 
I didn't and still dont think I'm off that far on timing, but I can't seem to see the line on passenger side timing marks to say differently.
And along the way, you need to mark TDC on your balancer. You say you have passenger side timing marks on your engine, but most aftermarket balancers come marked for the '70 and up engines with driver's side timing marks. Might be easiest to just put a timing tape on there, but you really need to get a gun on that thing and get your timing dialed in.
 
I remember walking and talking through with the machinist telling me cast crank, but I may be incorrect. I'm going to call the shop tomorrow and jog memory here. Rotating assembly turned at the machine shop, not with either of the balancers I have.
4 speed. Its possible that the dart the motor came out of before i bought it was an automatic. Don't have that answer.
The balancer i have on it currently was from my 318. Summit OE replacement. Internally balanced motor.
The picture is the balancer that came with the 340 when I bought it.
Here is the item I currently have on the new motor.

View attachment 1716458790
So, you're saying that you had it at the machine shop, assembled it with parts unknown as to what exactly they all are, and didn't have it rebalanced?
 
If you have a 4 speed, that eliminates the whole transmission side of things as far as balance and weights go, even if it was in a car with an automatic none of that matters now. As stated above get TDC marked and put tape on it and get a gun on it. But you need to find out for sure what you have.
 
BTW, if you actually do have a cast 340 crank, this is the balancer you should be running.
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And then the flywheel or torque convertor also needs to have the 340 external balance- and that is different from any other Mopar external balance (ie LA360, 5.9 Mag, 440).
 
Check your spark plug firing order, if you mix up the 2 rear wires on the passenger side, it'll run amazingly well, but shake like hell under acceleration, mix up the back 2 driver's side, it'll backfire like hell just trying to start it.
Triple check them .

Screenshot_20250922-211247.png
 
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Btw, the 69 and older passenger side balancer is NOT 90 out from the 70 and newer balancers.

I have a 67 pass side engine and balancer AND a 70 up timing cover, one would think just move the timing light pickup to the correct plug and read the timing. But nope! With timing set at 0 on the pass side it is not 0 on the driver's side i don't recall how much but it's enough to make the timing way off
 
I dont believe I'm going crazy over here and most likely read to much into previous forum posts and working myself up.
I may be mistaken on the cast or steel for the crank and whatever that takes I'll figure it out.
I know 100% it was running great as soon as I switched the throttle linkage, rounded a corner and it wanted to send me left real quick, this is what it feels like. YEEAAA
However, something happened on the way back. Backfire I didn't hear and got a hole in my muffler. The only other thing I did to it was set the lash as it was ticking. And now it's vibrating. He'll, tonight I had blow back through the carb, which makes me think I'm 180 out. I need to get it timed. I should be seeing a mark on the passenger side reader.
 
If it revved like hell when the throttle stuck, it is not uncommon to punch a hole in a rocker, or bend a pushrod.
You may want to check your rocker arm functions, you mentioned a ticking .
 
Btw, backfire out the exhaust, suggests fire with an exhaust valve open.

Backfire out the intake suggests fire with an intake valve open
 
If it revved like hell when the throttle stuck, it is not uncommon to punch a hole in a rocker, or bend a pushrod.
You may want to check your rocker arm functions, you mentioned a ticking .
I couldn't get throttle at that time as the screw on the linkage was sticking on that carb and not opening. I set the valve lash up for the cam spec and that moment I didn't have anymore ticks. Now I'm hearing everything, along with vibrating and shaking and definitely feel the loss of power
 
Could be I'm 180 out and cant time the thing properly, to much to little fuel. I'm just spit balling possibilities and trying to cross something off the list of what it could be
 
Start at beginning with finding true TDC. Once that's found mark balancer. Have u talked to machine shop about crank?
I would be pulling valve covers as well.
Good luck.
 
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