I just got this engine.The casting Number is 3970010.I looked it up at mortec.This is what I found. 3970010....302.....69....4...Z-28 Camaro 3970010....327.....69....2...Trucks and industrial 3970010....350...69-80...2 or 4 How will I be able to identify which engine it really is?This is the first time that I have had a casting number with this many CID's. I would really like know.I am sure that you guys can help me on this. Thanks in advance.
Check the front right pad for stamping leters it will ID the model car it came from that will be a good start
Front right pad?I see a #17 stamped on the deck just in front of the right bank cylinder head.Give me a little more info.
there is usually a pad on the passenger side right above the water pump that has casting numbers on it.
tthere is a small pad just infront of the passenger side head there will be numbers and 3 letters there youll need the 3 letters,if its cmj,it might be a mid 70's police motor
In front of #2 cylinder is an area that has some stampings. A series of letters/# is the model ID. Also you will find a partial Vin #. Sometimes these are lost when the block gets ground but most are still visiable.
If I remember correctly that was the heavy duty 4 bolt main block. I have one in my 69 El Camino but it was from a 72 pick up(350) with a turbo 400 trans. You will have to check bore & stroke for cubic inch displacement if the numbers don't tell.
ok//is it a large journal crank? what year did you say it was? ahh skip that..if its after 69 than it is large...mmm might just have to do bore and stroke calc. to really know
This is what I got when I put the info in.I dont build them for a living so that is going to be a task. 3970010....302.....69....4...Z-28 Camaro 3970010....327.....69....2...Trucks and industrial 3970010....350...69-80...2 or 4
This is what to look for, you may have to scrape paint/grease off to see the stampings. Look for the suffix, last 3 letters I would guess it will start with C.., (C) is for car, (T) is for truck, probably won't be a truck if it is a two bolt main. I have a guide that will identify the model if you find the suffix code. Good luck!
if it is a 2 bolt main then it is a69-79 truck or a69-79 chevelle ,camero, nova or monte carlo the corvette was all 4 bolt as the z 28
i have the same block im building for my 54 chevy. Mine has 350 stamped on the back on the on the opposite side of the casting. I looked up online and it said the 350's had a low power of 185 HP and high power of 370 HP. im assuming the trucks had 185 HP and the Vettes had 370 HP or is it the same for all blocks of this casting? Mine is a 2 bolt main also.
Big journal 302 and 327's and 350's all use the same block. They all have a 4" bore. The difference is in the stroke. 302 has a 3" stroke, 327 has a 3.25 stroke and the 350 has a 3.48" stroke.
Look on the engine ID number/VIN code pad (shown on the above photo ) Write down the last few LETTERS on that pad and then look here to see the original application of the engine http://www.nastyz28.com/chevy-engine-code-stampings.php .
Almost certainly a 350 two bolt. But you never know. Somewhere on the net you can find a diagram that shows the various SBC flywheel flanges on the crank. Each stroke has a unique/distinctive shape. From this, you can determine the displacement. But as for the number of main cap bolts, you have to pull the pan or run the numbers off the pad by #2 cylinder.
i would also have to agree it is probably a 350..most common at that time. in 69 the 327 was getting phased out..dont really know much about the 302 set up so I will not speculate. but if i was a betting man, my money would be on.. its a 350.
FWIW, I have one at the machine shop that is a high nickel late 327 two bolt main large journal piece. I've splattered one that was a 4 bolt 350. Pick the piston/crank/rod combo you want for the displacement you want.
From my experience with these, 3970010 seems to be the most common casting # on a SBC. Mortec's site got me perked too when I thought I just bought 4 302 Chevys, but alas, run of the mill 350s.
really what patrick 2965 is saying holds true..make it what ever you want.. same bore and block for any SBC combo you want. If the Block is good, you can make it what ever you want..different cranks, pistons, rods, even change the bore size..oh and there is one more thing different about the 327 than just the crank throw..the wrist pin on the piston is in a different location than a stock 350 piston, just so you know.
As most have said before....usually a 350. they come in 2 and 4 bolt mains. I have 2 of the 2 bolt mains and a 4 bolt main sitting under the bench now. I picked them up cheap as they are plentiful. You can use any stroke large journal SBC crank you'd like as also mentioned above. At the cost of Eagle cranks these days ( less than $200) it is hardly worth grinding a stock one (I'll go out on a limb and say you'll probably have a cast 442 crank in it) and at the same time you can get a tiny stroker 3.50 crank or step up to the 3.75 stroke still on the cheap. They make 'em even bigger but now you're talking more $$$. Most common combo is usually a 355 or 383 if you run the block @ .030 over. The 2 bolts are more desirable due to the thicker web and then have them converted over to splayed 4 bolt caps. Makes for a strong bottom end. As also mentioned earlier if you do find an 010 block with the letters DZ on the front pad save it for the Camaro guys....they'll give you enough cash for it to build that 383 combo!!!!!
Ok you have a 3970010 block, now look at the date code on the back of the block. If the date code is anything higher than 71 it is a 350. 68-70 it could be a 302, 327, or 350. The 302 block had additional stamping that read DZ, most likely it is not a DZ block. Next look at the heads and crank, check the casting numbers and dates on the heads. Assuming they are original to the block you can further narrow down the exact or close to motor CID and application.
Hey 35 mstr, can you post the number on your crankshaft. I'm in a similiar situation here with a 327. Maybe you can shine some light on this for me. Thanks, Aman
Wow - there is a lot of misinformation in this thread. A 010 block is just a 4" bore large journal smallblock with a drivers dipstick. They made these blocks by the millions from about 68-79. All the different displacements are from different strokes. If it has ever been apart, you will have to look at crank casting marks, or measure it to get the displacement. It is most likely a 350 from the 70's. The two bolt main means its from a light duty truck, or passenger car that is not a corvette. Early trucks had 4 bolt mains, and they kept the 4 bolt main with stick transmissions in the heavier pickups until the 80's. Its not a 302 DZ block with a 2 bolt main, but it could be from any post 74' camaro, including Z28's. As mentioned above, you need to get the original id code that is on the small pad just in front of the passenger side head. You will probably have to clean it off to see the stamping.
Ditto to what RacerRick said, only to add that they stopped casting them in 72 or 74, but you will find them in vehicles in the 80's, but most of them were phased to be in trucks,vans and heavy duty trucks by then. They are high nickel and when properly "seasoned" they are damn near bullet proof. The later casting of 39700014 has less nickel and were cast mid 70's to mid 80's. Basically gm used them till they were gone and made some more at a less cost using less nickel, consequently not as strong a casting.
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