Today, dollar for dollar, is the 318 faster than the 340 ???

would you agree ?

  • yep, the 318 wins if buying and building for under 3k

    Votes: 48 41.7%

  • Nope, the 340 always has and always will beat the 318

    Votes: 57 49.6%

  • Actually, never thought about it like this... Good Point !

    Votes: 10 8.7%
  • Total voters
    115
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318willrun

318willrun

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As of today, this day! To a point, yes! I'm on record stating a 318 is faster than the 340 "dollar for dollar". Not better than the 340, not worth more than the 340, not faster equally built than a 340, but faster dollar for dollar.

I looked TODAY, and I found this complete but disassembled 340 for 1500.00. This would be in my "region", and I'd travel round trip about 5 hrs, so add gas and a burger/fry to that making it 1575.00 and we donate the time!!
340 Chrysler Mopar Engine - $1500 (54603) | Auto Parts Sale | La Crosse, WI | Shoppok

Seems to be the claim here on FABO that 318's are "free", good running ones too.

So for the sake of discussion, lets give the above 340 the benefit of doubt that its a solid core. So we are re-ringing it, honing it, and apply a valve job w/new springs and new exhaust valves at the local machine shop. We got lucky, valve guides were ok to use. Next we add a FT hyd cam of choice, with an aftermarket intake such as a Eddy RPM or Stealth. We can assemble ourselves and we are sitting at about 2500-2800 into this re-ring/bearings oil pump timing set fresh heads and assembled at home.

Could one put the 2500-2800 into the free 318 and out run the 340 ?? I say yes.... and easily !! So at TODAY's prices, if your budget is 3k or less, you'll go faster with a 318 than 340.

AGREE ? BE RESPECTFUL .... please. This is NOT about the 360 or UTG.
 
.... Oh, and just for the record I've owned and built both. Just talk'n SB's, I've probably owned about 50 (I'm guessing) small block mopars.
 
........But for how long? Seems like you did the basics to the 340 to make it a solid runner. You are right though, if you just slapped on $2800 worth of go fast goodies onto the 318 it would move. But you'd still have old worn out heads, old oil pump and old rings. JMHO.
 
dollar for dollar, im going option 4...build a 360 instead, magnum style so i got roller rockers and can run "off the shelf oil"
 
IMO, the cost of the core is the difference, good pistons for the 340 may be easier to find though. The machine work, gaskets, bearings and other parts will be the same. It also depends on how radical the build is, if you're looking for 400 hp the 340 may be cheaper (parts) to get there, you will still have the core costs difference though.

In the end how do you judge performance per dollar? If you doing a typical street type performance build and the 318 will get there by all means go for it.

It would be interesting to see two builds where the only difference is one is a 318 and the other a 340, dyno or et in the same car.

Why not throw a 360 in the mix?
 
let's be done with it, put all the rest aside and go for a 440.
I'll take the extra 80 -122 cubes any day.
but I could take an extra 2500- 2800 and stomp a 340's *** with a free 318.
 
CFD244 said:
........But for how long? Seems like you did the basics to the 340 to make it a solid runner. You are right though, if you just slapped on $2800 worth of go fast goodies onto the 318 it would move. But you'd still have old worn out heads, old oil pump and old rings. JMHO.
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For 2800, you could put aftermarket aluminum heads, with 030 pistons, etc.
 
Bore size is the limiting factor to max hp potential of a given block, cause it determines max valve size and that determines max flow amount. But no one is building engines to there max potential except Maybe F1 NASCAR etc….

So rpm becomes the limiting factor, that depends on the person, most build to make peak power in the 4500-6500 rpm but a smaller group is ok with 6500 - 8000, 9000 plus.

But since 318/360/340 all take the same performance parts other than pistons for the most part, and since the bore size isn’t overly different between the 3 engines there potential is about the same, sure the 3.91 is gonna give up some flow over a 340 especially a max overbore one but how much at what level ? Is there gonna be a massive difference with a set of eddy heads or even trick flow ?
Haven’t seen anyone do flow bench comparison, but seen some 305 vs 350 bore comparisons and it was like 5 cfm on the heads they used. 318 bore is much bigger, and displacement there’s only about a 15 cid difference between a 318 bore and 360 if you got the same amount of overbore and using same stroke it’s only when you limit yourself to stock strokes cid is a bigger difference . But even with stock stroke a 360 is only 13% larger and a 318 would only need to move the powerband up 13% to make about the same maybe a little higher to makeup for bore difference but a .060” overbore 318 vs a .030” overbore 360 I would ain’t all that big of deal for most builds.
 
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So our budget is 3000? I'd find a good running 5.2 magnum and stick a blower on it.
 
diymirage said:
dollar for dollar, im going option 4...build a 360 instead, magnum style so i got roller rockers and can run "off the shelf oil"
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FABO is so great for following the OP :) Post 4, we bring in the 360 which is NOT part of the discussion.
 
If someone is buying a 340 for $1500....... they don’t want a free 318.

I’d go for the nuthin special 360 myself.

Of course....... the real question is........can you build a 10 second 318 powered package for $5k?
 
Save money - put a 250 shot on the free junkyard 318s and just keep filling the bottle and kicking rods out.

That'll whoop a 340.... or a 360.
 
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RustyRatRod said:
So our budget is 3000? I'd find a good running 5.2 magnum and stick a blower on it.
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Don't know if it's 3k, 2500 or 3500... but it's kind of what I was thinking when I stated "to a point". Reason? Half the budget is ate up in the purchase of the 340, and providing you "got a good one" (he he), that would be your minimum. A good running 318 can be had "free or next to free" as stated here on FABO. Before a guy even loads up the 340 parts, I could already have purchased the 1100 dollar promaxx heads and .030 pistons. Or 730 dollar speedmaster heads ?? Just say'n, the 340 guy would be in a world of hurt before he left the driveway to spend a day on the road while I've placed orders from my couch.
 
As for me personally "at this moment", I have 750 bucks into my "free" 318 with dual quads, summit cam, and home ported heads. I'm up to racing any bone-stock 340 with 3.23 gears and stock tranny/converter. You can't even buy a good 340 block for 750 ??

Again, this is not stating 318's are better than 340, because they are not. It's stating at the lower end of the spectrum, you go faster with the 318 than the 340.
 
Is a 318 better than a 340? Dam right it is if it's what you already HAVE!
 
PRH said:
If someone is buying a 340 for $1500....... they don’t want a free 318.

I’d go for the nuthin special 360 myself.

Of course....... the real question is........can you build a 10 second 318 powered package for $5k?
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no, the real question is if you had 3k, could you buy a 340 core for 1500, basic rebuild it and use the left over money for performance and go faster than the 318 with 3k.

360 isn't part of the discussion.
 
justinp61 said:
Why not throw a 360 in the mix?
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Because a 5.9 magnum can be bought in good working order for about 300 bucks if one looks. I think this would give it a clear advantage. That's why it's 340 vs 318, is the 318 faster to a point.... that point being a modest budget and you have to buy a 340 or take the free 318.
 
318willrun said:
no, the real question is if you had 3k, could you buy a 340 core for 1500, basic rebuild it and use the left over money for performance and go faster than the 318 with 3k.


i know guys that have spent well over 3K on 318's and they perform admirably.
but eventually they sell and take a big loss.If you buy and build/refresh a 340
for 3k and sell you'll make money
Click to expand...
 
diymirage said:
It is now
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some will, I'm not :) Now you can see why threads can't get past the first page on topic..... What could be a fun, and maybe help somebody even make an educated build for their future project usually gets wiped clean by post 21 :D
 
yes, resale is a whole new perspective. But, usually on FABO the 318 guy asks simple upgrade questions and when the 340 gets brought into the conversation, I think "is it really a better option" on the lower half of the spectrum ????? I thought it would be a nice thread to wager the plus/minus's and if there is really an advantage for a 340 vs 318 in a lower - say under 3500 dollar build if you don't already have the 340.
 
318willrun said:
FABO is so great for following the OP :) Post 4, we bring in the 360 which is NOT part of the discussion.
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Your premise is "Dollar for Dollar", so why not consider the 360. Regardless! It also sounds like you really like 318s, and are trying to convince the rest of us. OK! IF we are strictly talking about a FIXED budget of $3000 total, I would probably have no choice but to find and build a 318. Don't get me wrong, I like 318s, but I like 340s much better. Depending on what you pay for the 318, you will be hard pressed to have normal machine work done (hot tank, bore, hone, new cam bearings and grind crank) AND buy the rest of your parts. You would for sure have to be able to do all your own work. I can't imagine buying a motor, having decent machine work done and buying new pistons, rings, bearings, cam/lifters/springs, timing set, gaskets, performance intake and performance carb for $3,000. And if you say that you were not planning on doing a rebuild, and were just planning on stuffing performance parts on an old, worn out engine, that is kind of ridiculous. I will ALWAYS go with a 340.
 
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