The 340 is finally being rebuilt

[340_dart_power]

The outside exhaust area, with the 340 idling.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdD_Pqv66q0"]YouTube - ‪Dyno Four.MP4‬‏[/ame]

 

[340_dart_power]

Getting the final numbers out of the 340.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djjy082Dz5s"]YouTube - ‪Dyno Five.MP4‬‏[/ame]

 

[340_dart_power]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI-J5qYZSMA"]YouTube - ‪Dyno Two.MP4‬‏[/ame]

 

[Joe Mc]

Sounds great - nice.

 

[HemiMark]

Sounds really good. The best part of the dyno is you get to drop it in and hammer it down the road! WOT Have fun with that.

 

[a68postcar]

pretty cool car. and i have to thank you for your service! ny oldest son was there around that time also. postcar.

 

[65meanFISH]

Get yourself a nice set of Cragars and BFGoodrich Redline Radials.

 

[340_dart_power]

Thanks, guys.
So far so good. All four wheels are in and the tires should be here tomorrow for mounting. The next job is to get the steering box reinstalled, steering column shaft connected, tires & wheels mounted on the front and back, go pick up the engine from the engine shop and get it down to the resto shop to drop it back in place. We still need to get a torque converter (wanted to wait until we had performance numbers for the 340 from the Dyno runs) so we'll be ordering that this week.
I'll be out of town for a couple days so when I get back hopefully the engine will be reinstalled and the Dart will run again.

 

[340_dart_power]

pretty cool car. and i have to thank you for your service! ny oldest son was there around that time also. postcar.

Roger that, post.
I lived on Camp Slayer but worked on Victory, Liberty, Cropper, and around the Baghdad Airport at the other bases nearby. I interfaced with the Army primarily, but also had contact with the other branches as well.
Your son make it back okay?

 

[340_dart_power]

Small bit of progress but still a significant one; the new tires came in and are mounted on the new rims.

 

[airwoofer]

LOL, someone is looking a little concerned about her new expensive rival.

 

[dano]

Nice car, looks like your having fun with the build.

Just an FYI, your 72' engine (as do all 72-73 340's) have a special cast crank and is externally balanced, hence the counter weight on the damper. If you look on the counter weight, it will read "use with cast 340 crank only" or something like that. My 72 340 also came with 360 heads or "awj360" heads.

My wife gets the same looks about my car....

 

[340_dart_power]

Yeah, she (My Bride) is a bit apprehensive to say the least about how much this rebuild is costing. I keep telling her, Hey, it's only money; someday we'll both be dead and none of this will matter.
Doesn't seem to reassure her much...

Dano, I have those 360s for sale but at this point I'm about to take them to a salvage yard and sell them as scrap as no one seems to need/want them.
Right now they're big paperweights sitting in my garage.

Thanks for the counterweight info; didn't know that about the '72 340.

 

[dano]

.

Dano, I have those 360s for sale but at this point I'm about to take them to a salvage yard and sell them as scrap as no one seems to need/want them.
Right now they're big paperweights sitting in my garage.

Thanks for the counterweight info; didn't know that about the '72 340.

Unless they have the intake and/or exhaust seats beat into them or are cracked, they are worth keeping. Put them on Craigslist, they have value. I'm surprised the rebuild shop didn't offer to buy them as cores. These are the same as 340 "J" heads.

 

[340_dart_power]

Got my valve covers back from powdercoat and my new torque converter arrived today from Performance Torque Converters (PTC). The guys @ the Resto Shop got the rebuilt steering box installed along with the steering shaft parts; the bearing which goes around the shaft in the tunnel and the coupler rebuild kit.
Hoping the Dart is put back together by the end of next week in time for Frankin On the Fourth in Franklin, TN.

 

[skypower]

Shes looking good.

 

[Johnny Dart]

Its great watching this car come together.

What size rims/tires did you end up going with ?

 

[340_dart_power]

The fronts are 17" diameter by 7" width and the rears are 17" by 8"s.
I forget which tire size we went to; it was an intense Internet search to find tires to fit the rims once we selected the rims based on the combination of diameter and backspace to fit the brake setup.
The tire brand is (of all things) Yokohama.
Not thrilled with putting something other than Goodrich T/As on it, but my selection was narrowed due to the wheel sizes.

 

[1970Duster]

Most of my cars have Toyo's on them. Names be damned, I want a good tire!

 

[97reddodge]

looks great man i just changed the steering box with the motor in the can man wait a pain! lol we are all pretty close i live in dyersburg

 

[340_dart_power]

I can imagine, what with the 340 in the way. Gutting the engine compartment and starting over seems to be the way to go.
You have any Mopar Car Shows over your way?

 

[Howard1784]

Hmm, I smell Blackwater employee???????????

 

[340_dart_power]

LOL, no, not me.
Just another employee of Uncle Sam's.

 

[OneOfMany]

Damn I love it.. Really like the oldschool look wheels on Darts. And especially like the stainless trim along the rocker and wheel mouldings. Looks excellent with the blue and blackout!

Grant

 

[340_dart_power]

Received this yesterday from Campbell Enterprises (http://www.campbellenterprises.com/jw_performance_wheel_sfi_flexplate.htm) for the Dart. When I opened the new Torque Converter from Performance Torque Converters (http://www.ptcrace.com/) the directions indicated I should be using a heavy duty flex plate with the converter. Did some Internet searching and came up with this one from Campbell Ent.
Here's some shots of the new one (round and beefy) and the original one. Looks like everything lines up properly, as far as the mounting holes, so we should be okay. With the 340 putting out >380 HP @ the crank, this seemed to be the right way to go.