Technical Identify a Mopar engine?

Got a Ride w a Mopar engine. Haveing trouble identifying from engine block #’s. Here they R 24681308 oil pan probably not original to motor but identified with machine welded #’s 402 Pretty sure From research either 440 or 383 but can’t say exactly. Couldn’t see any marking on engine deck in front or side of distributor. ??

 

383.

look on the other side of the block, might be a casting date on it, like 5-24-67

 

I did see that but didn’t think date could identify. Looks like 6 14 69

 

Fat fingers 6 14 69

 

MoPar used some strange marking codes like Maltese crosses and stuff along those lines, probably to keep cats like us confused. Allpar has all the information you could ask for. I had a '63 383 that was probably one of the strongest stock engines I'd ever seen at the time. It had to be, I suppose, to haul around a 4000 lb Chrysler with any speed

 

also you can tell the 383 from the 440 quickly by the deck height, the top of the block at the front is different shaped, the intake is different width, etc. Pictures are a big help.

 

The major difference between these two Mopar legends is the deck height of the block:

• 9.98" - 383; and
• 10.725" - 440.

This disparity is what gives each engine its name, with the 383 (and its 350-, 361-, and 400-inch siblings) known as the low-deck B-series wedge and the 440 (and its 413- and 426-cube relatives) referred to as the raised-deck RB-series. And so it has been—ever since the 1966 arrival of the 440—383 owners have been stuck in a shadow some 57 cubes shy of the big 440.
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/new-life-for-mopar-383-big-block/
https://www.allpar.com/mopar/383.html

 

440's have this in front of intake

Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Getting ‘spanked’ for my error(s) on another thread ‘re TH400 transmissions apparently wasn’t humiliation enough for me.......so, here goes another chance at it.....IIRC, 383 Mopars came in both B and RB versions. Without further research, I don’t recall the reason for that, only that I think it did occur and followed the introduction of RB engines. Not that it matters much one way or another, just think it is the case.

Ray

 

383s were made in both low deck and high deck versions, very briefly. Like for three years. I think the reason was that Chryslers all had high deck 383 and 413 engines while Plymouth Dodge and DeSoto all had low deck 350 361 and 383. The Chrysler 383 and 413 had the same crankshaft but different bore cylinders. They came to their senses pretty quickly and just made the one 383 after that.
Yes they did make a 350 big block, for Plymouth DeSoto and Dodge, in 1958.

 

Is the threaded hole on the machined surface where 440 is stamped for the distributor clamp? Trying to get a reference point.

 

That hole is one of 3 used to hold down the sealing plate for the front of the intake manifold -valley pan gasket. 383 does not have that cast square area.

 

the distributor hold down is down lower, to the left of that cast square area.

 

There should be ID numbers stamped on the front of the block near the intake. I think that the low blocks are stamped on the passenger side, RBs on the drivers.

 

What you have there is a 383 low deck “B” engine. The casting number is 2468130-8 with the 8 as a revision to the casting mold. 2468130 was the casting number from 1964 to 1971. The blocks casting date is June 14th 1969. The 402 oil pan came on high performance 383 and 440 engines from 1966-1971 in B-bodies and 1970-1971 E-body cars. There should be stamping below the distributor on front of the block, and a partial VIN number on the RH side of block near the oil pan since that is a 1969 engine.

 

By the distributor, just below cylinder head on passenger side.
This picture shows a D 383. The ‘D’ is the model year, in this case 1968. 383 is the engine size. The lower 1 4 2 numbers show the assembly date of the engine, which is January 4th of 1968, and the ‘2’ refers to second shift assembly. A performance style engine will have an HP stamped here also.

 

All RB (raised block) 413’s, 426 wedge, 426 Hemi, and 440’s have that pad. There were no raised block 383’s, all low deck.

 

There were (are) a lot of RB383s. Used in cheaper Chyslers in early / mid 60s and RV/Industrial. Smaller bore version of 413, same crank.

 

Yes there was an RB 383, in 1959-1960 cars. Block casting 2120329

 

Wow, great info guys. Feel confident based on the casting # on block I know it’s a 383 & will feel confident when / if parts r needed!
Thx all

 

Bullit68 nailed it. I'm assuming by your name that you have a 68 Charger. One of my favorites!

 

I don't know if i'd go so far as to say there were "a lot" of RB 383s. They were offered as an option....for two years only, 59 and 60... in Chrysler Windsors and Saratogas only. Not available in Dodge, Plymouth or Desoto lines. I've laid hands on countless Chrysler motors through the years. I personally have never come across a 383 RB.

 

Also, the RB 383 was a stopgap solution for Chrysler...and a head scratcher at that. Few of these motors survived, as they were considered to be red-headed step children by mechanics and rebuilders; they shared few internal reciprocating components with the rest of the RB and B family engines. Most of them wound up being swapped out in favor of the more common B engine as they got tired.

It's too bad that the RB 383 had 413-426-440 sized mains. There would likely have been a rush to snap up old RB 383 crankshafts, back in the day. It would have been a no brainer to swap an RB 383 crank into a B engine to create a stroker on the cheap... if you didn't have to cut the mains!

 

According to Weertman, the reason for high deck 383s was simply to keep the high deck production line busy in those years, as there was not enough demand for 413s at the time. Kinda the same thought process that brought us HEAVY pin 273s so that the same crank as 318s could be used in them. Or the faux V8 casting used for 239 V6s, with the front falsy sawed off after going through the Greenlee line. Or the A833 OD trans with 3rd gear re-purposed as OD.

 

You speak the truth, MGT, but many of us old guys understand that the vast majority of big block cars built by Ma Mopar were issued with the 383, not the 440 and that the mighty little B engine that could is responsible for a great deal of the mystique and awe that Mopars earned for themselves on the streets. It's also understood (again...by the old guys...say this on some of the A, B & E body forums and you'll get flamed for it by 440 zealots) that Ma Mopar tweaked the horsepower numbers for these two engines. The 383 4bbl was advertised at 335hp. The 440 4bbl at 365. The two engines, in stock form, were really much closer in HP numbers. After all, the only real difference between them was the stroke; they used the same cam/induction system. What buyer in 1970 would pay for the premium upgrade to the 440, if it only advertised a 10-15 hp advantage for the price tag? The major difference between the two motors was that the 440 walked into it's powerband at a lower RPM than the 383. That right there, is the real net difference when you swap the same heads, intake, carb and camshaft onto a motor with a longer stroke. That...and you get a bit more torque.

Thanks to companies like 440 source, 383 owners can also enjoy the benefits of building up their 383/400 engines into powerful strokers, with reliable reciprocating assembies. I am in the process of building a 400 (stroked out to 470) to replace the 440 bottom end in one of my cars.

 

a tip of the hat to you rusty and others that helped clear up the confusion on why???? my 1968....383 block could have a mid 70's 440 intake manifold on it. does anyone know what carb and intakes were used on these engines original??...block # 24681 30 -7 ….markings on pad..d383....H.P....the maltese cross and the numbers 262

 

My old motors manual only listed tall deck 383 in 59,60,and 61 in Chryslers but another site had then until 64 But the motors also had low deck 383s in Dodges starting in 59 I can't see them making both motors at the same time. Of all of the big blocks Chrysler the low deck 400 had the biggest bore.

 

can you take pictures and post them here? The top of the block, at the front of the intake manifold, will show us what you have, mostly.

Also, where you found the block casting number, look for the casting date. It might be below the casting number, or on the other side of the block. month-day-year format, will tell you when it's from for sure