Streetable 340
 

I am building a 69 340 for a 23 bucket that will weigh about 1800 lbs. The 340 will be hooked to a 404 with a 69 swinger rear end. I want a dependable package for cruising and highway driving. what would be the best cam, intake, carb combo. was thinking about a 2500 stall convertor and 3:23 gears. I have a 3:91.
Any help will be appreciated.

You can't go wrong with the stock setup. 275 horses in 1800 lbs is a very nice ratio. (much like 550 hp in a 3600 lb B-body):D :cool: ;)

275 horses is good for the weight but 602hp would be.........Um how do you put this HEAPS Better! Check the latest Moparmuscle mag there is an article on a 602hp 340!! Maybe 3:55:1 gears? Best of both worlds. Good luck with your car I'm sure there alot of options it's just up to you and the money tree. :)

600hp would never keep the tires on the ground. You would need to start in second gear at the light. Besides by the time they got done with that thing it had an external oiling system, an electric water pump, and a bunchof other free goodies that just would not make the motor streetable.

For street cruising and highway accessible i would not go much higher than 3.55 gears and 2800 stall. For cam I would tow the line and listen to others suggestions about calling racer brown. He gets a lot of business from this forum, but it's in a good way. For intake I would stick with either an old ED LD340 or go with the ED RPM Air gap and a 650 vac sec Demon.

What is the tire size your running? I know most of the Bucket T's i see have rather large rear tires, I think that will determine your gear selection?

at 1800 pounds, I wouldn't worry too much about streetablilty. Like has been suggested, 2500-2800 stall converter, 3.55 gears with tall tires, RB hydraulic cam, pocket port the heads (maybe eddies?). For the intake, on a mild setup like this, a dual plane would normally be the way to go, but I don't see you losing any performance with a single plane in something this light. In fact you may want to kill some bottom end torque in this thing (open hole carb spacers is one way to achieve this). This would be a fun one to try a pair of 500 carters on a tunnel ram on! You could always switch back to a single four when you got tired of figuring out the jetting. 6-71 jimmy blowers look great on t buckets too! Run 8:1 compression, 10% underdrive and a blower cam and you could light the tires any time you wanted to, and probably when you don't as well!

After all of my dreaming here, a stock 340 would be more than a handful in a bucket, so it's hard to go wrong.

Seems like stock would be plenty.

When I was in high school one of my best friends dad had a 23 t bucket. It had a 327 with 2x4 cross ram from a 68 vette or something and fat 'ole slicks out back. I'd have to say it was an impressive motor.

Anyway, you couldn't really get into it...unless you wanted to get OUT of it! Too much motor, not enough chassis I suppose.

Last thing I remember about it was that the connection point at the frame rail to ladder bar busted off w/o him even digging into it too hard. Then it was up for sale!

A little less grunt in the motor probably would have been a good thing and safer too.

i was just a kid when this story took place, but i'll never forget it. my uncle wrecked our 70 340 duster beyond repair, and my dad sold the wreck to a freind who was building a t bucket. we went to see it, the guy had just the chassis with a seat, engine etc. he took it for a test run, on the road in front of his farm. when he got back, the frame was so twisted, the one front tire was completely off the ground! the 340 had a lumpy 70's cam, j heads thermoquad etc. nothing too crazy. 3;23 gears. he fixd the frame and still has the car, i just saw it this summer when i was back home in manitoba on my holidays.

Re: Streetable 340
 

Bore the block to the next size to clean up the cyc. TRW forged flat top pistons(4 valve relef) mopar 280dir. .474lift cam, edelbrock performer intake with a 600cfm holley vacumn 2nd-arys, 2500 stall, 3.55`s with 28" (or taller) tire, 3.23`s with shorter tire...
That should give you good driveablity for the highway aswell as good power for that lite of a car.
Hope this helps.
Joe

hey just my $.02 I have a 31 ply coupe w/chopped top very cool ride and i have torn it down to make it my way. 340/904 i can't fit a 727 in it:( anyway,i am having the same problems i have settled on a cam in the .218-.222@.50 range fast lift type.fwiw i called racer b. and he told me i should stick w/ stock or close to stock specs. and he could grind one for me but what the hey(everyone knows that a hotrod has a little bit of rough idle). also running a body 8 3/4 W/3.55 and 29" tires, rpm@60mph was approx. 2700 cruz. not too bad,but i might go down an inch or two in size. I think with the 29's it seems like 3.23's:cool:

Sounds like a nice combo "B.Tallent" :) 2,700rpm @ 60mph is pretty decent. I have 3:55 gears and I do around 3,000rpm @ 60mph. 3.23's...........Wonder what your top speed will be.........:D :confused: :)