Help: Need to ID this engine

[gregbr]

We were told its a 68 350. You know how that goes. This is what I can find so far:

On rear near ditributor 3970010 and 588 (I think its a 5).
On both sides of block 010.
On front pad VO712CHC & 18N683036 (I think, they are stamped together).

If I need to supply more info, tell me where to look. THANKS. Greg

[72 CustomCamper]

CHC comes back as either
1973 CHC 307 tur hydro, Calif NB2 115 2 F B X
1975 CHC 350 m/t, h/p T L82 205 4 Vette
1976 CHC 350 m/t, h/p X L82 210 4 Vette
1980 CHC 350 auto trans. L - - full size

18N683036 would probably be a partial VIN...


Chuck

[72 CustomCamper]

010 is a high nickel block. Good for a race motor...


Chuck

[justascatch]

3970010 = 1969 thru 1980
No such thing as 1968 350
Front pad ID is specific to the application i.e. (was in a car, truck so on)
e-mail tmgrawlookalike@hotmail.com and he will reference the front pad #'s.
To read the date code...stand at the back of the eng, with the 3970010 on your left, the date is just to the right of the distributor on one of those little ledges. Should be a letter and 2 or 3 #'s ( A 5 2 is Jan 05, 1972) ( B 10 3 is Feb 10 1973) and etc. The letter corresponds to a month, the 1st #(or 2 #'s) is the day, and last is year.
Go to mortec.com for casting # info.
Hope this helps.
Scratch

[justascatch]

Forgot to say 3970010 is 350, can't be 307 or 283 or 327

[Randy70C-10]

Those came in two and four bolt mains, strong casting either way!

[gregbr]

The engine is in a truck, so some parts are hard to see. But, while looking at it from the back, with 3970010 on my left, the date code is on the right....can't make out the letter, ?88. Anything else to look at? Greg

[masterbeavis]

are you trying to identify what it came out of, or displacement? Was it one of those deals where you bought it cuz it was a camereo motor, thus having 500HP factory, after you add chrome valve covers??

[gregbr]

Just trying to figure out the HP and what it came from. The nastyz28.com page, it shows the 3970010 as a 68 327 & 69-80 350 and also lists the CHC as a 350 in a 78 Camaro. On Mor-tek it list 69-80 350, 69 302, 69 327. So it looks like a 78 350, Right? Greg

[masterbeavis]

as previously stated, that casting number was used for along time. My guess is that the previous owner got confused and said '78 instead of '68. Thats the one thing I dont like about buying used motors. The seller tells ya one thing, you get it home and find out another. I bought a 350 that supposedly was running. Its only issue was it had compression higher in one cylinder than the others. No big deal I was assured by seller. I happened to know the guy he got it from, he said it had a WATER LEAK, and thats why it had higher compression. So much for a turn key motor.

[wink05]

Very confusing...various resource materials.....different answers

My $.02 from research:
The 8 in the 18N683036 indicates year 1968 or 1978
However no engines were made in 1968 or 1978 as CHC (taken from the V 07 12 CHC number)
A couple of things: 1) double check the numbers you've given, 2) try to determine the engine date with mirror and light,
3) if dipstick is located on drivers side it's pre 1978, passenger side it's post 1978
FYI there was a 3970010 in 1968 as a 327, (still doesn't explain the CHC though).

[mrein3]

I've owned two 350's with 3970010 cast in the back.
One was a 2 bolt main 350 that came out of a 1971 Monte Carlo. Now it is a 383.
The other was in my truck when I got it. When I took the pan off the bottom it had 4 bolt main caps.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is probably a 350. It could have either 2 or 4 bolt main caps.

Most car suffixes are Cxx stamped in the front (yours is CHC) the Monte (2 bolt) was Csomethingsomething. The engine that was in my truck (4 bolt) has a TXD suffix which decodes to something like a 1976 or 78 truck.

[justascatch]

so you don't have the month, but you do have the day (8) and the year (78). No front pad # corresponds to '68. I would bet $ it is a 1978 350 2 bolt main eng. '78 (date code), car (front pad). Let us know how it turns out.

[dons454s]

With all the info you have combined my books say its a
78 camaro 350 cid 170 hp auto tranny lm-1 rpo 1-4 brl carb

[gregbr]

I have pics....should have done this first, they show more detail. I found a CHC listed in the 78 Camaros on nastyz28.com, it was not listed under the casting numbers as a 78 anything. Oh, the oil dipstick is on the drivers side.

[Blazer1970]

G88 casting date code is July 8, 1978. V0712 says the engine was assembled on July 12th in Flint. That makes sense.

[acloco]

ALL 010 blocks are 4 inch bores.

There were several 1968 350's - in fact, the only small block you could get in a 1968 Camaro SS.

[justascatch]

With all due respect to ACLOCO, no 350 in 1968 was 3970010 casting. I am done, I think we have beaten this horse enough...

[gregbr]

Thanks to all!! Greg

[acloco]

Originally Posted by justascatch

With all due respect to ACLOCO, no 350 in 1968 was 3970010 casting. I am done, I think we have beaten this horse enough...

Actually...there is....and there is some casting #'s not on the normal casting number websites. Of note, I have (currently being used as well), a 1968 4 bolt, 3980010 block - it IS out of a Massey Ferguson combine - yes...an industrial 327! 4 bolt block, LT1/Z28 rods, forged/large journal crank.

Also...just because the casting number sites say 1969 & up.....if you have an early production 1969 vehicle...you have a 1968 block. Here is your info from mortec's website........

3970010....302.....69....4...Z-28 Camaro
3970010....327.....69....2...Trucks and industrial
3970010....350...69-80...2 or 4