71 Dodge Dart Swinger in England
LH23 (dart premium 2 door hardtop)
Standard V8 mill would have been the 2bbl 318, optional 340 which i think is overrated IMHO. 340 is same as a 318 in all aspects as far as crank rods etc. Except one. The 340 has a 4.00" diameter bore compared to the 318 having a 3.910" bore. You got a better dealio with the 360. 4.00" bore same rods as a 318/340, however it has a 3.58" stroke compared to the 318/340 3.31" stroke.
Matt
Not quite correct here.
The 340 had a forged steel crankshaft (as did A318s and some of the LA318 truck motors, but I digress), although late 72s and all 73s had shot peened cast cranks. The 360 crank will not fit into any other block without work as the mains are larger. The cast crank 340s are externally balanced as are the 360s. 318s and early 340s are internally balanced. The aftermarket offers 3.58" cranks with 318/340 journals and internal balance.
Also valves were 2.02/1.60 vs. 1.78/1.50. Head ports are larger on the 340 heads. 340 had a double roller timing chain & a windage tray that was not offered on the 318. Finally, the 318 has light duty rods, whereas the 340 and 360 had HD rods.
FWIW: The 1968 model 340 4-speed cars had a hotter camshaft than the automatic equipped cars had. For the 1969 model year, the '68 automatic cam was used in all 340s. No distinction was made in factory literature of different power output with the hotter cam.
Here's allpar's take on the differences:
"When the 340 came out in late 1967, it was a street fighter from the start. Separating the 340 from the standard-performance 318 were not just 22 cubic inches, but also:
a dual timing chain with a windage tray to improve top end engine RPM by keeping the crank counter weights from 'churning the oil' in the pan.
2.02 inch intake valves and 1.60 inch exhaust valves
a high-rise dual plane intake
an 850 cfm carburetor (from 1971 to 1973)
a forged steel crank (through 1972’s engine #39118000, when a cast iron crank was used)
high-performance heads
a revised oil pump with a 90 degree adaptor
a special carburetor and cam"
All LA V-8s had a 90ยบ adapter when installed in an A-body.
To the OP: Cool find. I admire your sense of adventure driving a LH car in a RH environment, unless you plan on keeping the car on the continent. I recall a couple trying to pass a semi on a two-lane road in the Smoky Mountains while driving a RH Jaguar sedan.
