Yes a 304/360 3.44 stroke crank can be put in a 290 block.
Original 290 crank is 3.28 stroke, same crank as 343.
Yes, 290 & 304 have the same 3.75 stock bore
so a 360 crank in a 290 would make it a 304.
Depending on Transmission you're gonna use, as you may know,
there are 2 different 304/360 crank flanges,
'67-'71(? pretty sure ) are for BW & '72 & up are for TorqueFlite.
I think this combo works out pretty good,
but I've done it with a 360 crank in a 343 to make it a 360.
Stock 290 deck clearance is .060 piston down in the hole.
Stock Piston Comp Ht is 1.60 for both 290 & 304 (& 343 & 360).
All available cast aftermarket Dished Top 304 pistons,
at least any that I have been able to find,
have a 1.58 nominal Comp Ht which is .020 shorter than stock.
This works out really nice because the stroke difference
between the 290/343 & 304/360 cranks is .160
so the throw difference is .080
which ends up putting the 1.58 Comp Ht pistons
at exactly 0.000 deck clearance nominal
which yields "good quench" and good CR with the cast dish top pistons.
The "good quench" is questionable because with dished top pistons
it is only the outer "rim" or "lip that is .045 away from the head
since the std head gaskets are .045 thick.
uh oh, wait a second, Stock 290/304 i[/i] head gaskets were only .022/.028 thick ... hmmmm
So it would depend if you could get .045 thick head gaskets.
Minimum recommended Piston to Head clearance is .045-.040.
And with this combo, gotta also whatch Piston to Valve clearance
and using a cam with too much overlap.
Oh, for ref. ..... 290/343/390 deck ht is 9.175
..................... 304/360/401 deck ht is 9.208
....... exception - '70-'72 390 deck ht is 9.208
290-304-343-360 all use 5.875 rods stock
( so does the AMC 6 Cylinders too I think )
