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Old 12-14-2017, 11:17 PM   #5
crazyjeenyus
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 147
Re: One for the small block decoders

Quote:
Originally Posted by crazyjeenyus View Post
Disclaimer: I can neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of the information below:

The resource I use (nastyz28.com) gives 3 options based on the "TBC" suffix code:

'70 350, C-10 to 3500, automatic transmission 255HP 4 Barrell Intake

'70 350, K-10 & 20, 3-spd manual transmission 255HP 4 Barrell Intake

'79 350, C-10 to 2500, manual transmission L LS9 165 HP 4 Barrell Intake

Info based on the 3970010 casting number gives 2 options:

'68 327 2-bolt main A body

'69-'79 350 185 to 370 HP 2/4 - bolt mains car, truck, vette

And I interpret the date stampings on the back of the block as follows:

9 - last digit of year block was cast

L10 - L is the month the block was cast, since L is the 12th letter in the alphabet this block was cast in December and 10 is the day of the month.

So, from here you kind of have to combine all the data and come up with something that satisfies all the different stampings.

I would I.D. this as:

'79 350 low compression truck engine with just under 200HP. Probably came with a SM465 - 4 speed manual transmission.

Since it has been rebuilt, it is very likely that the heads are not the original ones that came with the engine, which could greatly increase the HP value. All in all its probably a typical work duty truck engine.

On closer look, the 9 looks like it could be an 8 or a 3. That confuses things a little more.
The suffix code search only gives us two different years as a possibility:

'70 or '79

The casting number search however provides data that is more plausible:

'68 - 327
'69-'79 - 350

So, if we ignore the suffix code (TBC) the possibilities are:

If the number is an 8:

1968 327 block

1978 350 block

If the number is a 3:

1973 350 block

This frustrates things a little but I know from firsthand experience that it is possible to have a block that has conflicting information stamped/cast into it. The original 283 block that came with my '67 custom has a suffix code that only matches up with a 307. In C-10's 307's first came in 1968 and they had breathers in the valve covers. So when all else fails, open it up, measure the bore and stroke and do the math.

In your case large journal 327's and 350's are the same block so with the exception of the crankshaft (which could have easily been replaced) its not really possible to know for sure.
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