Engine Specifications for an AMC 343

• The AMC 343 is an engine made in America. Michelle McCarron/Digital Vision/Getty Images

  American Motors Company (AMC) was formed in 1954 with the merger of Hudson Motors and Nash-Kelvinator. The company was active through the late 1980s. AMC produced a variety of automobiles, including muscle cars like the Rambler, Javelin and Matador. The AMC 343 engine was in production from 1967 to 1969, and it was the successor to the 290 small block engine. Two AMC engines from the late 1960s--the 343 and 390--have similar specifications and performance.

Power

• The AMC 343 is a V8 engine. V engines are shaped like the letter "v" with cylinders rising out and away from a central crankshaft. The cylinders pump and turn the crankshaft, producing the energy that runs the car. V engines house from four to 12 cylinders; the more cylinders present, the more energy an engine can smoothly generate. A V8 engine has eight cylinders. The 343 V8 engine is capable of producing 150 boiler horsepower (bhp) at 4,200 revolutions per minute (rpm) or 210 bhp at 4,400 rpm. These are horsepower measurements. The 343 produces 150 bhp when the crankshaft is moving at 4,200 rpm.

Torque

• The AMC 343 engine has three foot-lbs. measurements for different rotational speeds. The engine produces 245 foot-lbs. of torque at 2,500 rpm, 300 foot-lbs. at 2,600 rpm and 205 foot-lbs. at 2,800 rpm. Torque is a measurement of a car's ability to accelerate. Whereas horsepower measures an engine's ability to maintain speed, torque measures the ability to create speed from a dead stop. In 2010, the world's top performance cars, such as the Bugatti Veyron Supersport and the Hennessey Venom 1000, have a torque of over 1,000 foot-lbs. In comparison, the 343 is a relatively weak engine.

Lifters

• The AMC 343 comes equipped with hydraulic valve lifters. A valve lifter connects the camshaft of an engine to the valve. A camshaft is a rotating engine part responsible for opening valves to control the air/fuel ratio of an engine. The air/fuel ratio of an engine helps maintain engine temperature and performance. Valve lifters connect to the camshaft and to the actual opening of the valves in question. Hydraulic lifters are two-piece parts with a plunger and shaft. The plunger automatically adjusts to changes in the positioning of the camshaft to insure that the valve is opened at the appropriate juncture with each rotation.