How can you identify a 340 motor

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Wizard

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I have this motor in a barracuda and I don't know what it is. I can't get the camera down along either side of the block to snap some photo's of the block number due to there are headers on the engine. I tried but unable to get photos of numbers. Someone definitely raced this barracuda cause I found a racing fuel can plastic in trunk when I popped it. Can't get underneath it cause no tires and very tight. Is there any other way just looking at motor from front to tell if its a 340? The intake manifold is gone. What is difference that from 273/318 motor?

Thnks,

Wizard

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Get a better picture , of those second picture,numbers.. The casting numbers, should have a 5 digits, with two dashes.. The middle three, should be the original engine displacement.. My memory is foggy, hopefully someone can assist.(hopefully, it runs well....)..:)
 
Driver side under exhaust will have casting last 3 will be displacement .
Also under driver side under cylinder head will have casting .
 
There should also be some numbers on the front of the block stamped right below the left head. They may be a little easier to access.
 
Why not try using an inspection mirror on a stalk...........you have to be DaVincie like reading upside down and backwards but it would tell you what you want to know
 
Leadfoot said:
There should also be some numbers on the front of the block stamped right below the left head. They may be a little easier to access.
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Leadfoot is exactly right, you might have to scrape some paint and grime off to see them.
There is a small pad on the front of the driver's side just below where the head and the block meet that has the numbers on it.
 
273/318 have different driverside motor mount ears than 340/360; 4 lugs versus 3 on the smaller engines.

EDIT
I think it's the drivers side. In any case, the 340/360s have 4-lugs on both sides
whereas the 273/318s have only 3 lugs on one side and 4 on the other.
 
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As stated above, on the front of the block just under the drivers side head will be the assembly date stamping pad and assembly information! If it is a 340, it will be clearly stamped on the pad!!
 
AJ/FormS said:
IIRC all sbms prior to 1970 were red.
But paint is cheap. I first painted my Eddie headed 367-beast red when I dropped it into my 68 Barracuda.
Never failed at car shows; " oh a 273 how cute!"
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Yeah, those numbers code out to a 318 block on the side of the block in the pics. You can make them out barely but believe that's what I have is a 318 with some headers on it.

Thnks,
Wizard
 
For future reference, 273/318 motor mount flanges are the same width on both sides. 340/360 are narrower on the driver's side by about 5/16". Easier access to check.
 
Odds are very high it's a 318 with the odds being slightly lower that it's a 273. Buy a lottery ticket if it is actually a 340 since the odds are super low that it is a 340. Millions of 318s and 273s were cast compared to thousands of 340s. The can of racing fuel in the trunk is a decoy as any engine (even a 198/225 slant 6) can sip racing fuel.
 
I'm thinking 318. The 3 numbers circled in the pic, plus the small intake ports in the pic without the intake. Wouldn't there be an X or a J cast between the Spark Plug holes also?
 
Dartswinger70 said:
I'm thinking 318. The 3 numbers circled in the pic, plus the small intake ports in the pic without the intake. Wouldn't there be an X or a J cast between the Spark Plug holes also?
Click to expand...

Later 360's didn't have a "J". "X" was a 340 exclusive with 2.02 valves till they started using the 915 J, U, etc heads in 1970/71 with 2.02" intakes, then 1.88" afterwards.
 
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