Difference between 318, 340, 383 and 440?

[runninhorn]

By the "seat of the pants" meter, in say a 2nd or 3rd gen charger with 3.55's, auto tranny, how much more power difference is there going from a 318 to a 340? 340 to 383? 383 to 440? From the factory that is. Any input appreciated. Both chargers ive owned were 318 cars, just wondering if members that have driven chargers with the above powerplants could chime in. Big difference (0mph to 100mph) or not much, just incremental?

[The70RT]

By the "seat of the pants" meter, in say a 2nd or 3rd gen charger with 3.55's, auto tranny, how much more power difference is there going from a 318 to a 340? 340 to 383? 383 to 440? From the factory that is. Any input appreciated. Both chargers ive owned were 318 cars, just wondering if members that have driven chargers with the above powerplants could chime in. Big difference (0mph to 100mph) or not much, just incremental?

340 didn't come out till 71 and it had 275 HP. Most 318's had 230HP with 2bbl. Some police packages probably were more mostly because of the 4bbl? 383's had various ratings from 275-330HP. 440's varied even more. A 73 440 only had 220. a 70 six pack had 390. I have had only Chargers all big block. 383-440 to me is a big change. As you know more money more HP on any motor but BB is the way to go for power. Most go with 440 unless they have a hemi

[triple_green]

There is a big difference between the 318 and the 340./ The 340 can be made to really scream. The 383 has good torque and the big block sound. Having owned both a 383 HP Stock and a 440 with a 670 street avenger in a 2nd gen charger, I would go for the 440 if you have the chance, You can feel the difference./

3X

[Goldfinger71]

Hey 70'
You mean that 340's were not avaliable in Chargers until 71,right?340's had been out a number of years before 71.We want to make sure we give full info to our new Mopar friends just coming into the hobby!

[Brock Samson]

    Beyond the rare slant sixes and garden variety 318s, i've read a few places the 340 which begain in 1971 was underrated to dodge... ahem, sorry,.. higher insurance rates,.. i can't remember where but I belive I read the 340 was actually closer to making one H.P per Cubic Inch,.. then there was the more powerful 340 Sixpack motors installed in the AAR and T/A E-bodies. And of course small blocks wind up quicker then the big block motors.
Anyhow, there were also both 383 two and four barrell versions, and the 1966 - 1971 375 horse 440 magnum also had a step up in 1970 to an optional 390 H.P. six-pack version. then of course there was the 426 HEMI which i have read several places was underrated at 425 H.P. But I've also read they need to be carefully tuned to perform up to their full potential.
another factor was the drop in compresion in 1972 and the fact that Horsepower ratings were changed that year to rear wheel measurements which lowered the numbers across the board.
I think rear wheel torque figures are probably more important then gross H.P figures at the flywheel. weight is a factor too and so power to weight ratio is as good a indicator as any. IMO> 

[The70RT]

Hey 70'
You mean that 340's were not avaliable in Chargers until 71,right?340's had been out a number of years before 71.We want to make sure we give full info to our new Mopar friends just coming into the hobby!

As far as I know it came out in 71. At least that's what this old Chiltons showed. As far as I know it came out in 71. .....but I just looked in my interchange manual and it shows it came out in 68 in others. My bad.

[hemihead]

 71 was the first year the 340 was available in the Charger. In stock form , the more Cubic Inch , the more you can feel it . I would take a STOCK 440 over a Hemi any day. In STOCK form , the Hemi doesn't start really coming on until the end of the 1/4 . Most STOCK 440's could take a Hemi .

[Chargerguy74]

By the "seat of the pants" meter, in say a 2nd or 3rd gen charger with 3.55's, auto tranny, how much more power difference is there going from a 318 to a 340? 340 to 383? 383 to 440? From the factory that is. Any input appreciated. Both chargers ive owned were 318 cars, just wondering if members that have driven chargers with the above powerplants could chime in. Big difference (0mph to 100mph) or not much, just incremental?

340 didn't come out till 71 and it had 275 HP. Most 318's had 230HP with 2bbl. Some police packages probably were more mostly because of the 4bbl? 383's had various ratings from 275-330HP. 440's varied even more. A 73 440 only had 220. a 70 six pack had 390. I have had only Chargers all big block. 383-440 to me is a big change. As you know more money more HP on any motor but BB is the way to go for power. Most go with 440 unless they have a hemi

What rating are you referring to for the 73 440? The factory rated the 73 440 at 280hp net.

[JoeyGowdy]

[71gtx]

1968  for a 340 in a body cuda dart gts  you get a 383 4bbl in a body 67-69  440 in 69

1967 - 71 440 375 hp


1966 440 350 hp c-body no -b-bodys

1958 383 rb 345 hp

[Brock Samson]

              i think he's asking about Chargers.     

[Anders]

Is the net rating really measured at the rear wheels.? I always thought, that the net rating was measured with all the engine accessories intact including transmission. 

[Mike DC]

As a whole, I think the difference from a 318 to 340 might be the biggest one out of your list in the question. 

The main reason isn't the motor itself though as much as the fact that 318s weren't performance motors, whereas a 340 always was.  If you were comparing a pair of equally-built 318 & 340 motors that both had headers & cams & 4bbl carbs, the difference would not be nearly so big.

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I'll say this --  A stock 383 Magnum feels like a whole lot of motor for what it is. 

It's not so much the track time, but the seat-of-the-pants.  That motor's displacement (and gas mileage) isn't much over the smallblock 360 territory, but the factory 425-pound torque number is way over what that number of cubic inches has any right to be producing.  Headers and exhaust make it all the better. 
   

[Rocky]

As a whole, I think the difference from a 318 to 340 might be the biggest one out of your list in the question. 

The main reason isn't the motor itself though as much as the fact that 318s weren't performance motors, whereas a 340 always was.  If you were comparing a pair of equally-built 318 & 340 motors that both had headers & cams & 4bbl carbs, the difference would not be nearly so big.

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I'll say this --  A stock 383 Magnum feels like a whole lot of motor for what it is. 

It's not so much the track time, but the seat-of-the-pants.  That motor's displacement (and gas mileage) isn't much over the smallblock 360 territory, but the factory 425-pound torque number is way over what that number of cubic inches has any right to be producing.  Headers and exhaust make it all the better. 
   

Yup, kinda like comparing the 2bbl carb 383 cars to the 4bbl carb.