And heres how far the pistons stick out....

Now this was a running motor, I didnt see it in person, but the guy took video of it running before he pulled it out of his 64 Barracuda. I got the whole setup for the rediculous price of $275. My plan was to just clean it up and drop it in my 72 Duster to replace the 318 in it now. It was ment as a temporary motor till I can save up to build a 408/416 stroker. Of cource I wasnt expecting all this crazy race stuff. Anyway now I have to debate on slapping it back together and running it or putting it aside to build something out of it, or just unload it in favore of a more steetable cheap engine.

Do you think its a time bomb with that one broken piston, and would it be able to be run with just octane booster? I plan on cc'ing the heads to get an idea of the true compression, and maybe running a thicker gasket.

What do you guys think.


Butch

Want to double your money?

Sell it (you'll make money) and run, that's a rebuild job or a bomb with a very short fuse.

Looks like they had done a ton of work on those heads. I'm guessing the valves are longer than stock so they could run some taller valve springs, for a really high lift cam, which ment they needed to raise the rocker arms and use longer pushrods.
It does look like they made the valve pockets too deep for those pistons.

Back in the day they used to run looser piston clearance in high performance motors. Also a piston is smaller at the top than the skirt area because the top gets hotter and expands more. I have seen quite a few motors where you could see the top ring a little much.

I would definately NOT run it with that burned piston in there. What bore size is it? I know where a few are sitting around . Since it is not really a quench engine any how you could run a thick gasket to reduce compression a little and get the needed valve clearance.

Quote:

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Ok, first is there a way to tell if the retainers are aluminum or titanium

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I have a set of these retainers that came with some T/A offset rockers and shafts that I just purchased.

I would also like to know how to tell the difference between aluminum and titanium. Mine don't seem to have any markings

So, I talked to the guy I got the engine from and he said he thinks it was running a 650 but not sure, and he was using either 89 or 92 octain fuel. He was unaware of the internals, but that probably explains the piston.

So my question is, what zize carb yould be good for this motor and what fuel would I have to run. Could I get away with a thicker head gasket and just running 93-94 plus octain booster, or am I gonna need a blend of regular and race fuel, if so what kind of ratio?

Butch

Thats a great old school build. Even better price!

Lots of work and money in those heads. (If done professionally)

Lot of valve spring for a hyd cam also.

Throw a piston, some rings and bearings in it and run it!!

Yeah the heads look like they were done right, with the exeption of breaking through to the valve cover bolt, but who knows it may have been done on purpose to open up as big as posible, doubt it would cause any issues.

I'm gonna try and locat a replacement piston and see what its got. I'm also gonna try to determine the lift and duration of the cam and see if something else might work better, seems like its screaming for a solid lift cam!!!!!

I'd be content if I could get away with just running a gallon or 2 of race fuel mixed in a tank, but if its too much more than that, I may have to rethink things as that could get pricy for a mainly street car.

I bet it would be fine with some new pistons just like those and some thick head gaskets, those pistons don't give any where near the compression they are advertised to give plus looks like a couple CCs are removed from the chamber also.

With an old school ong duration cam it can be made to run fine on pump gas.

Hmmmm, good to know. I still have to determine what cam it has, any sugestions of what would be a good cam for this setup, apparently lift is no problem....

What would I look for in a cam to bleed off preasure? Just long duration? I wouldnt mind a good solid cam.

Weird to think I've stood in the garage.


Hey Butch. Remember that young kid that pulled up in your driveway many moons ago in a white dakota with sidepipes?

Glad to see you're still around moparts and still plugging away at going fast

I would be worried that if 1 piston is broke, then the others may go too. If it were mine, and the walls look good, I would look at replacing all the pistons and maybe hit it wil a ball hone and get some new (or newer) pistons and run it. Pistons are fairly cheap nowdays and you can pick the compression you want. Then from there pick a cam and carb and your done......at least with the engine part.

Well I just pulled the other head and theres another pistons just like the one on the other side and 2 other pistons that look like they melted a little on the thin areas on the ousides of the deep vavle pockets, looks like a new set of pistons is a definate. Good news is that those cylinder walls look just as good, crosshatch and no ridge!!!!!

Strange thing is, I measured the lobe lift and got .295 on the intake and exhaust, so if there 1.5 rockers that comes out to .4425. Seems awfully low for all that crazy valve train mods and super deep cut valve reliefs. Wonder if someone poped in a new cam at some point hoping to make it more streetable.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, I placed a magnetic base in the valley and put the dial indicator on the cam lobe when theres no lift and zeroed it out. Then I turned over the engine till the lift stoped and it was at its peak. So that is a correct way to determine lobe lift is it not? Just checking.

Now I have to get my 360 off the engine stand so I can get this on it and see what the bottom end looks like. So it looks for now, that I'm looking at new pistons or used, I found a set of the same pistons that the seller is willing to mill down to my desired height so I may go that rought so the ballance is close. Then hopefully I can get away with just a hone, rings, and bearings barring the crank looks good, and a new cam.

Also noticed that the head chambers have been polished smooth so I'll cc the heads to see where I'm at. Hopefully I can still get this built with minimal funds and end up with a motor I can live with a loooong time.


Butch

Can you scratch the lifters with a screwdriver, Titanium is pretty hard. AL will scratch. Those rings will get preeety hot with no skirt around them, 2 replacements would be in order or just get some stock 10.5's. Heads look OK as long as the cover bolt break is epoxied or brazed. Nice score for under 600...

Cant scratch the retainers with a screwdrivers, there hard as nails, must be titainium, thats good news.

Well I beasured the pistons and the dome portion sits about .120 out of the hole while the top area above the valve reliefs sits at about .030 out. I saw a pictures of these pistons in stock form and they've definatelly been choped quite a bit.

Ok heres some new info, I cleaned up # 3 head chamber to cc the head and discovered that the chamber is fully smoothed and polished, real nice looking. Also I pulled an intake and exhaust valve, and they are definatelly longer then stock. They are Manley stailess valves with a 3/8 stem that tapers down by the valve head. The exhaust are 1.60 but I measured the intakes at a whopping 2.058!!!!!!!! My other J heads have stainless Miloden valves and they measure 2.023. So these 340 heads must be either 2.05 or 2.06, I've never seen such big valves in a small block. Also looks like under the valve in the bowl was ported as well. The valve guides feel tight and they had the positive seals. So it looks like the heads are in great shape.

So anyone know if these TRW 13:1(as stock) pistons can be cut down enough to get it down to 10.5:1 with a 62cc head? I found a set of replacements of the same piston, that the guy is willing to mill down for me, just dont know if they can be cut enough to get me where I need to be. Heres the head...

Heres another

bowl looks near stock, the guides haven't been touched. nothing to wild there.