340 4 speed vs 5.2 5 speed

Hot Rod Magazine dyno tested a lot of engines back in the fifties and sixties. The 340 was the ONLY one that actually made more than its rated horsepower. BTW, a 73 smog 340 made 240 net horsepower. The high compression 340's 275 rated horsepower was in my opinion actually its net horsepower despite being offered back in the days of SAE gross horsepower.

I'm sure one can build a 5.2 Magnum to perform well, but a 5.9 will run better with the same mods. Back in 94, I bought a new Ram 1500 with a 5.9 (I still call them 360's). Took it to the drag strip during a Mopar meet. A guy there had a 5.2 Ram 1500. Same as mine except for the motor. His truck was a full second slower than mine. He was saying, but you only have ten more horsepower. I said, yeah, but I have 42 more cubic inches and therefore more low and midrange. It ain't just peak horsepower that counts in a drag race.

Stock to stock, the 5.2 Magnum isn't really close to a high compression 340. Modified to modified, the 340 still has 22 more cubes and will make more power. Of course, a 360 has 20 more cubes than a 340, and equally modded, the 360 will make more power. Cubic inches matter. Why do you think people build stroker motors??