What did this 340 come out of????

['Cuda Hunter]

  I just got a 340 that I can't find any info on to tell what it came out of.  I was hoping someone here could help more. 

  The front boss pad on the drivers side just below the head has this,   34   very light stamp, about an inch away    410080

   The passengers side oil rail boss has this,                                              3B      88825

   Passengers side castings are                                                      D        4         and            9 * 27 * 72

    The driver side casting numbers are                                                             2789930*340*4
   
     Original color of engine is orange,       No weights on damper, no groves on front, back of damper has eighth inch deep groves.
   
  I know what a few of the numbers and letters mean but I did not find anything to specifically ID which car this came in originally.   

   
  Thanks for your help

[matt63]

I don't think the block numbering will tell you this.

['Cuda Hunter]

  I kind of figured that this info would not provide the origin of the 340.  I guess I am kind of hoping that the other numbers are maybe traceable or at least get the plant that it came from.  I do believe that the harmonic balancer, damper, is from a forged crank and I thought that 72 was the last year for the forged crank in the 340?  I am not really sure if I read this or if it is just local hear say crap.  thanks

[Super Blue 72]

  This is a fun mystery.  I would like to see also!

Mostly I would think that the partial VIN# on the passenger side oil rail boss would tell most of the story.

If I ASSUME correctly that it's a '72 engine, there's only a handful of cars it could be, right?    Like Challenger, Barracuda, Charger, Road Runner, Dart, Duster?

They didn't put 340s in everything, or did they? 

Awww...nevermind, I give up....   

Check the drivers side front boss stamp again for more #s as that will reveal the plant it came from. 

[Alaskan_TA]

3 - 1973 model year
B - Hamtramck assembly plant

  88825 - is missing a digit, likely in front of the first "8"

For 1973 Hamtramck cars with 340s, Barracuda, Cuda, Challenger, Challenger Rallye, or Duster.

Barry

['Cuda Hunter]

  Could the color of orange in 1973 only be used in plymouth cars?   It seems I have only seen green turquoise in 1973 dodge's.  Not certain on this but is this true? 

[vinb]

I would think '73 engines are Blue... Torquoise would be early 68/69 340's , 2 bbl 383's & most if not all 360's....

[moparnut]

Orange almost always dictates an HP motor.Even a 70 383-4 330 horse(like the numbers engine in my GC(turquois)was not technically an HP motor like the 335 horse 383hp.The HP would have a bigger cam,maybe,not always higher compression and always a windage tray.Even thought the 73 340 had a windage tray,it was no longer considered an "HP" motor due to the lower compression for smog and the 240 horse power versus the earlier 275.

['Cuda Hunter]

  So it seems to have a forged crank by what I can see.  I thought that the forged cranks disappeared after72.  Did they put any left over parts in 73's?  The original color is for sure orange. 

[tactransman]

My books and experience shows that '71 was the last year for a steel (forged)crank 340 from the factory. Gotta pic of the balancer and converter?

[Challenger6pak]

  So it seems to have a forged crank by what I can see.  I thought that the forged cranks disappeared after72.  Did they put any left over parts in 73's?  The original color is for sure orange. 

Sounds like you have a 73 block that was tanked and repainted orange.  It also may have had a forged crank added at the time of tanking and rebuilding.

[tactransman]

It also may have had a forged crank added at the time of tanking and rebuilding.

......or it could have had the wrong balancer put on it.

[HP2]

Sounds like you have a 73 block that was tanked and repainted orange.  It also may have had a forged crank added at the time of tanking and rebuilding.

I was kinda thinking that as well. Unless cudahunter has a means to verify the engine has never been apart, it sounds to me that it has been changed out at some time.

[Super Blue 72]

I was kinda thinking that as well. Unless cudahunter has a means to verify the engine has never been apart, it sounds to me that it has been changed out at some time.

  In 33 years who knows what's happened to it.  As far as I know, some '72 340s had a forged crank.  Color, again, who knows what's happened to it.  The only thing for sure are the #s on the block. 

Here's a link about the forged vs cast crank.

http://www.carcraft.com/tipstricks/3027/index5.html

['Cuda Hunter]

  For all I know the block has been changed from original.  It would have had to be tanked because there is bare metal under the orange paint.  Matter of a fact the last history I have of it is  that it had fuel injection which is now replaced with a junk yard intake.  The oil pan is a truck pan now.  Very possible that there could have been a switched crank.  Seems to have been a pretty loapy running engine.  I will take pics when it gets to my garage.  Supposed to be around a week or two.  thanks for all the info.  Looks like I have to do a tear down to know more.