how to tell the difference between a 318 and 340?
#74160
06/15/08 07:19 PM
06/15/08 07:19 PM
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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I know this is going to sound stupid but aside from the intake, carb, and HP exhaust manifolds, is there any other way to distinguish a 318 from a 340? Just trying to learn for when I judge at shows to see if someone is making something look like it is not. I know the blocks were basically the same. Is the heads a different look all together as well? I also know the 340 was orange paint vs. the blue or turquoise color that the 318 and 360s were.
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Re: how to tell the difference between a 318 and 340?
[Re: ScottSmith_Harms]
#74163
06/15/08 07:32 PM
06/15/08 07:32 PM
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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I am an AACA judge (Antique Automobile Club of America) and I am just trying to better inform myself for when we have shows at my local region. Basically if someone says their car is a 340 but it is really a 318, I would like to know. Now granted we do not have the time to be "crawling" under each car to check for casting numbers but we do go down on one knee to inspect the underside of the car. Basically what I am looking for is to see if there is a way to tell (aside from using a magnifying glass and crawling under the car to see casting numbers) if someone has a true 340 car and not a 318 car that they swapped out the intake with a chrysler stamped correct appearing intake and exhaust manifolds and such. I know that they would also have to change out the air cleaner as that was completely different as well.
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Re: how to tell the difference between a 318 and 340?
[Re: ]
#74164
06/15/08 07:42 PM
06/15/08 07:42 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,714
Spokane Washington
ScottSmith_Harms
Mr Wizzard
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Mr Wizzard
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,714
Spokane Washington
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The way to tell if the car is a real 340 car or not lies within the VIN# (the 5th digit indicates engine size, the letter indicating a 340 engine varied through the years). Checking to see if it's got a correct engine typically involves a more thorough investigation, as I said before, all similar vintage Mopar small blocks look basically the same on the outside, you need to dig into the casting numbers and stamped engine markings to know which one you are looking at. You should probably pick up a set of Galen Goviers "White Books" they will be a good pocket guide for you to have while judging. The basics are there, engine casting numbers, stamping codes, engine paint colors over the year, etc. www.gvgovier.comAlso check out www.mmcdetroit.com.Cheers, Scott Smith
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Re: how to tell the difference between a 318 and 340?
[Re: ScottSmith_Harms]
#74165
06/16/08 02:18 PM
06/16/08 02:18 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 6,167
Maryland
GO_Fish
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master
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Posts: 6,167
Maryland
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The inspection mirror and flashlight method could work from the top. The 340 or 318 or 360 casting number is cast on the driver side of the block partially hidden by the starter. Small block engine colors, my observations: (  ) 273's, '64.5 thru '69- red (maybe some early versions were gold in B bodies???  ) 318's, '67-'68 (69-'70? ) red 318's, '71 -80's Mopar blue 340's, '68 - red 340's, '69 - big block Turquoise 340's, '70 to late '71, Orange 340's, late '71- '73, Mopar blue 360's, '71 to 80's, Mopar blue 318's and 360's sometime in the (mid?) 80's went to black
Scott B.
"I'm a self-made man... I started with nothing, and I still have most of it!"
68 360 rusty B'cuda 'vert (GO Fish)13.59@ 98.72 mph
69 340 GTS stock 14.18@ 95.60 mph
01 5.9L Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x4
01 3.5L 300M 16.23@ 86.97 mph
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Re: how to tell the difference between a 318 and 340?
[Re: ]
#74167
06/16/08 04:53 PM
06/16/08 04:53 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,948
U.S.S.A.
JohnRR
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I Win
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Quote:
I am an AACA judge (Antique Automobile Club of America) and I am just trying to better inform myself for when we have shows at my local region. Basically if someone says their car is a 340 but it is really a 318, I would like to know. Now granted we do not have the time to be "crawling" under each car to check for casting numbers but we do go down on one knee to inspect the underside of the car. Basically what I am looking for is to see if there is a way to tell (aside from using a magnifying glass and crawling under the car to see casting numbers) if someone has a true 340 car and not a 318 car that they swapped out the intake with a chrysler stamped correct appearing intake and exhaust manifolds and such. I know that they would also have to change out the air cleaner as that was completely different as well.
are you judging a car against a fendertag for correctness or just off of what the owner SAYS it is ?
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Re: how to tell the difference between a 318 and 340?
[Re: JohnRR]
#74168
06/16/08 06:11 PM
06/16/08 06:11 PM
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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We try to go by correct appearance meaning, if you have a 318 with a 4 bbl carb and intake, that of course never was available in 1970. But the 340 was. Basically I am trying to educate myself without spending a ton of time going over a car. Usually, the judges have about 10 mins or so total to get the car judged and that is with 2-3 judges. 4 if we are really lucky that day.
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Re: how to tell the difference between a 318 and 340?
[Re: ]
#74169
06/17/08 08:42 AM
06/17/08 08:42 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,948
U.S.S.A.
JohnRR
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I Win
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Quote:
We try to go by correct appearance meaning, if you have a 318 with a 4 bbl carb and intake, that of course never was available in 1970. But the 340 was. Basically I am trying to educate myself without spending a ton of time going over a car. Usually, the judges have about 10 mins or so total to get the car judged and that is with 2-3 judges. 4 if we are really lucky that day.
but if the car is done up to APPEAR like a 340 car and the owner is calling it a CLONE does it matter what the block really is ?
take it from someone who has done it , you can't do even a remotely adequate job looking at a car in 10 minutes ...
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Re: how to tell the difference between a 318 and 340?
[Re: ]
#74170
06/17/08 12:52 PM
06/17/08 12:52 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,715
closer to Canadian beer!
torkrules
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I'm neurotic
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,715
closer to Canadian beer!
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Quote:
I know this is going to sound stupid but aside from the intake, carb, and HP exhaust manifolds, is there any other way to distinguish a 318 from a 340? Just trying to learn for when I judge at shows to see if someone is making something look like it is not. I know the blocks were basically the same. Is the heads a different look all together as well? I also know the 340 was orange paint vs. the blue or turquoise color that the 318 and 360s were.
The engine info is stamped in the block below the driver side cylinder head. Should read something like "IM340XXXXXXXX" The remaining digits distinguishes the year, serial, etc.
Sometimes you can see it clearly, other times there is either so much paint on the block, or the stampings are very light. Aside from this, the only other way that I can think of is the block casting number which will have "340" in the number (pretty tough to see unless you crawl under the car and hopefully the exhaust/headers aren't in the way), or possibly the cylinder heads will have an "X" or "J" stamped on it, but anybody can swap cylinder head around from one engine to this next, so that's not so sure fire.
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