Hot Rods 327 engine identification please

I need some help on identifying a Chevy 327 engine. Im looking to buy a car that the seller claims has a 327 engine in it. The numbers stamped on the pad on the passenger side of the engine have two (2) sets of numbers, neither of which are on the engine i.d. charts.

the first set on the left of the pad is T 238685
the second set is on the right side of the pad and is F 03278B
can any help me identify if this is indeed a 327?
Many thanks to all in advance.
Tony

 

The F0327 8B is on the right track...except it can't be 8B. It might be RB? Look at the numbers carefully or add a picture of it. Also the casting numbers and casting date at the back of the block on the bellhousing flange will nail down the id down.

 

Where are these numbers at? on the pad in front of the Pass side head on the block, or at the rear near trans flange. Are they stamped in or cast in?

 

F= Flint
03= March
27= 27th day of March
Last two should be letters
If it is RB, then it is most likely 1962 327.
It needs to verified with block casting numbers

 

There should have been a 2 or 3 letter code stamped together on the pad. That would have told you for sure if it was a 327. I looked for FB if you had a typo and that came to a 69 327, if it was RB like above thats a 62 327. Did the block have a draft tube/breather out the back of the block and a fill tube in the intake or did it have a PCV/Breather in the valve covers with a oil fill as well in the valve covers?

 

Thanks for the reply, definitely a 8 B tried to attach photo hasn't worked yet.

 

Thanks for your reply. Engine has a filler tube up front on intake manifold no PCV or breater in the valve covers but the second set of numbers is definitely 8 B If I can figure how to add photos I will thanks again

 

SB is an early 60s 327 suffix. S looks like 8.....

adding photos is easy...as long as the photo size isn't too large (if you take the photo with a phone, you crop it down to size). Do the "upload a file" thing to upload the photo.

 

Thanks to everyone who replied. I’ve listed the last part of the numbers that are a “B”
Car is upstate New York in a tent with poor lighting I’m in New Jersey receiving the photos. sorry for the quality of the photos.

Any thoughts on the second set of numbers on the pad?

Thanks again

 

Hard to see but it (may be) a 62 if the valve covers are like these, and yes, I know, it all bolts together easy enough.

 

Well...it is 8B...maybe big truck or intended for a Canadian built vehicle given its in upstate NY and it's proximity to Canada?

 

Great job posting the pics, now we can see what you're talking about.

pretty strange....the second set of numbers is even stranger.

I would not pay the "matching numbers" surcharge...and I'd want to give the car a careful going over before plunking down money. But hey, it's just another small block Chevy engine, with who knows what inside

 

If all you are looking to do is prove the engine is a 327 you can do that with the casting number and the date code as well as long as you're not trying to be matching numbers to a body or ID a high perf version.

Your code may also be industrial application....well pumps, generator sets, Farm equipment.
I've seen a similar numbers code on a 327 pulled from a 1960's Combine, International Harvester if I remember correct.
Had a factory double row timing chain and something like a 90 lb flywheel deal on the back.

 

It's also possible someone stamped the numbers on it for some reason...the code 03278 sounds like a fun number to put on an engine you want to pass off as a 327.

 

Road draft tube??

 

62’s in California had a teapot device attached where the road draft tube was with a push on hose fitting. The PCV valve was screwed in to the carb base at the rear in a 90* fitting. The oil fill tube had a push on filter.

 

Didn't the Canadian stuff have an O for the plant in Ottawa. I think there was another plant up there to. Of course anything could be in there by now. Let's maybe see some casting numbers.

Edit; Looks like its using the older style front mounts. Does it have the side mount bosses?

 

1962 327 engine blocks will not have vertical bolt holes drilled and tapped up into the block. The starter bolts into the bell housing (horizontally) only.

 

huh, I thought 62 327s were the first to use the aluminum Powerglide, which requires the starter to bolt to the block....????

The 283 through 62 used the cast iron Powerglide, for which the starter bolts to the bellhousing adapter. But they started drilling starter holes in the blocks on the 283 about the time the Turboglide came out in 57, it also had an aluminum bellhousing with no provision for starter mounting.

 

Does it have a block mounted oil filter? or remote? Could it be a 265 from a '58 Trade Master 31-3200 series truck with later heads? I found some info on a "B" suffix. Everything in bold is copied from another site.

Engine Serial Numbers
Example: 0201234 F 255 B
0201234 = Unit Number starting with 0001001 at each source; 6 & 8 cylinder engines are numbered separately.
F = Flint; T = Tonawanda (on 8 cyl engines, 55); (on 6 cyl engines, 255)
255 = Year (2nd Series 1955)
B = Type and Series designation.


"B 31-3200 Trademaster 265 with Hydramatic Transmission"

There was also a Task Master where the engines are thought to be painted yellow from the factory.

Looks like maybe evidence of yellow paint in the picture above. But.... the Trade Master engines were supposedly painted grey.

 

You know, on the first read-through of the OP's post, I had the same thought. Had someone try to pass off a 307 as a 327 on me once.
Stamping looks too uniform though, like factory?

 

Yes, it does look very well aligned. Which is hard to do, as you can see by the second set of numbers.

 

Head

 

looks like probably 68. I looked at used heads on ebay, no holes on the 67 heads, holes on the 68 heads.

 

"If" those were the heads that came with it originally, casting date on heads would confirm the water temp curiosity.

 

I have only seen Task Masters and Trade Masters in grey in my humble experience in the junk yard I worked.