Newbie Question

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cdawglean

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Can someone answer this simple question for me. What is the difference between a 340 LA and a 340 Magnum. What makes the Magnum a Magnum and how can you tell the difference on your engine?
 
So next question is how to tell what year the engine is? I know its gotta be stamped somewhere but I just want to know a general location.
 
If I'm not mistaken it wasn't until 72 or 73 that they started calling the 340 a magnum. To top it off they were lower output than the previous yrs due to smaller valves, smaller cams, less efficient exhaust manifolds, and lower compression so in a way they were different, less power. Sounds like it was a sales pitch to me. JMO
 
"LA" is the engine family. "Magnum" is the Dodge marketing name for the 340LA. Plymouth went crazy and called it "340 Four Barrel". All 340s are the same thing, except the '68 340s that were for manual transmissions, and 340 TAs which have a few different parts.
 
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