AMC 304 Street Engine

[jcisworthy]

I recently built a 304 for a customer to go in his wife's Hornet wagon. It was built for to provide a friendly engine with good power in his wife's car.

Ported factory iron heads with 1.84/1.5 valves, RPM Air Gap intake, Molnar rods, Race Tec pistons, 9.72 compression, 1 7/8 Doug's headers which are for my Javelin and bigger than I would use on this application.

[Carnut1]

Nice little mill!

[jcisworthy]

Thanks Charlie, this is the first 304 I built. Everyone usually wants 360,390, 401's.

The AMC heads are all basically the same, the main difference being valve size. With the 3.8" bore of this engine the 1.84" intake valve was the largest I could safely run.

I was very happy with the power the engine made and Hornet wagon it is going in will make a nice little street car.

[rebelrouser]

just wondering did you change the intake valves and seats to a 45 degree, from the stock 30 degree angle? I can usually gain some flow by changing them to a 45 degree seat, I used big block mopar valves, on the last set I did.

[jcisworthy]

I used a 45 on these heads with 11/32 stem 1.84/1.5 SBC stock length valves

[PackardV8]

You done good with that one.

Just for the sake of discussion, if a customer came in with a 290" or 304" AMC build, I'd ask, "Any reason we shouldn't consider a 360"/390"/401"? It would be free horsepower/torque."

jack vines

[jcisworthy]

Hi Jack,
The customer built a "tribute car" to give to his wife. His mom had a wagon with a 304 years ago and he has fond memories of the car in the family so he stuck with the 304. When it is done he wants to take his elderly mom for a ride in the car.

I did not mind, because I wanted to see how the 304 would perform and I was happy with it. Personally, I would have gone with a 360 or larger.

He is going to run a 700R4 with a 354 gear, shorty headers, dual exhaust and 26" tires so it should be a quick little wagon

[RevTheory]

That stroked 304 you did seemed to turn out pretty well, too. That seems like a good option for a little engine that always gets kicked to the curb.

[jcisworthy]

Stroked 304?

This engine has a factory stroke of 3.44" and .050" overbore for 3.8" final bore making 312 CID

[RevTheory]

Perhaps I was thinking of someone else. Oops.

[jcisworthy]

No problem

I am thinking of building an AMC 428 CID this summer with a K1 4" stroke crank in a 4.125 bore 360 block but no definite plans on that yet.

[AMXstocker1]

Thats a really healthy 304 i've seen a couple of your builds on the amc forum all of them seem to make good power for what they are. i might have to get with bullet on our next build to see if they can extract any more power out of it.

[F-BIRD'88]

The 300+/- cid V8's like the AMC 304/343 that tend to get overlooked in favour of larger cid version are a great base for supercharging with the Edelbrock/Magnuson/Eaton. MP122hh blower.
A supercharged 304 AMC V8 can rule the street in a lil Hornet Wagon. Super sleeper in a Ambassodor Wagon.

Chrysler 273/318/340. Chevy 283/302/305/327
Ford 289/302w AMC 304,343 AMC 327 v8

[jcisworthy]

Don't forget the AMC 290 which shares the 343 crank.

AMC 290/343 had the same crank, 3.75 bore 3.28 stroke for the 290 and a 4.08 bore with the 343

304/360 same uses the same crank same bore as 290/343 and 3.44 stroke. 290-360 all use the same rods.

I built a 343 for a customer with ported iron heads, Air Gap intake, 10.25 CR, 220/230 @ .050, 112 LSA in at 109, around .550 lift wit a 1.7 rocker and it made 455 HP at 6K and 446 TQ somewhere around low to mid 4K range.

That engine is in a Jeep CJ and he says it is a hand full

[F-BIRD'88]

Yup, forgot the mighty lil 290 Kelvinator V8.