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help identify this engine (quick!)


Guest Nic-Rebel450CA

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Guest Nic-Rebel450CA

Casting number is 3970010

According to Mortec this could be a 302-327-350

How can I find out which? This would be a diamond in the rough if it is a 302, would save me lots of money from having to build a 302.

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Guest Nic-Rebel450CA

That page says it could be a 327 or 350. I would really like to know if this is a 302 as that would save me a bunch of money to buy this from someone who doesnt know what it is. The guy thinks it is a 350 because of the heads, but heads are heads and could have been swapped at any time. I guess the only way to tell without taking the engine apart might be to take the oil pan off and measure something on the crank? Would that be possible? What should be measured?

 

Sorry, kid-in-a-candy-factory syndrome :D

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You need to look up the engine stamping code not the casting numbers. The stamping code are the numbers on the front of the engine and will tell you year and engine size. However, 010 at the end of the casting number normally means 4 bolt main block 350.

 

IMHO, build a 350 not a 302. Why do you what to build a engine for more money that makes less power? If you think a 302 revs better then I will disagree. I have been spinning my 350 up to 7200 rpm in my Z for the last 10 years without any problems. A 350 is a good reving engine as long as enough cam and valve spring used. Plus it supplies a much more useable power band (torque) for the street.

 

In this case, becareful what you ask for because you just might get it. Meaning, I think you will be much happier with a standard 350. I know it sounds boring but a 350 just makes more power than a 302 or 327.

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I have two blocks with that casting number. One from a 76 Chevy truck and the other I pulled from a 73 Corvette. I do not know that the Vette engine was original to the car though. Anyway I do know both of the ones I have are 350's with four bolt mains. I believe the 010 block is supposed to be made of better metal. Anyway you look at it it will be a large journal block though so a 283 crank will not bolt right in. To find out what this is for sure you need to measure the stroke. With the pan off you could measure how far the piston moves when you rotate the crank or get the casting number from the crank and look it up online.

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Guest Nic-Rebel450CA

Cool, I will ask him to check for me. I doubt it's the 302, if it is not then I am not going to get it because it wont be worth the shipping. But if it is! :twisted:

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Guest brianglawson

I beleive he is talking of the 302 chevy motors used in 1967 camaros, also in the yenko camaros(I think)...very rare, same block as a 350 as well just smaller bore

 

You need to look up the engine stamping code not the casting numbers. The stamping code are the numbers on the front of the engine and will tell you year and engine size. However' date=' 010 at the end of the casting number normally means 4 bolt main block 350.

 

IMHO, build a 350 not a 302. Why do you what to build a engine for more money that makes less power? If you think a 302 revs better then I will disagree. I have been spinning my 350 up to 7200 rpm in my Z for the last 10 years without any problems. A 350 is a good reving engine as long as enough cam and valve spring used. Plus it supplies a much more useable power band (torque) for the street.

 

In this case, becareful what you ask for because you just might get it. Meaning, I think you will be much happier with a standard 350. I know it sounds boring but a 350 just makes more power than a 302 or 327.[/quote']

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The 3970010 block is usually a 350. A very few were 302 toward the end of the 69 model year. None of the 67-68 used that number. Some are 2 bolt and some are 4 bolt, I have had both. Regardless, all are 4 inch bore. 302-327-350 are all the same except for stroke and piston pin height. The Yenko Camaros were big blocks, but a lot if not all of the Yenko Deuces (Chevy II ie Nova) were LT-1 powered. Motion also built some LT-1 powered Vegas. Most of the LT-1 will have the 3970010 block. I was used from 1969 until probably 1977. My 72 Jimmy had a 4 bolt 3970010 motor and my brother's 76 Camaro motor is a 2 bolt 3970010.

 

The other time you see the 010 or 020 is underneath the timing cover and in the recess behind the flywheel. THis refers to the amount of tin and nickel found in the block. This is not the same as the casting number.

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I believe No Yenko's were 302's only big blocks. The 302's were the answer to the ford trans am boss 302's. The 302 was the Max displacment they were allowed to race. I believe Chevy produced just enough to be allowed to run superstock.

Speedvision had a great show about them. They had dual quads :twisted: . A guy mentioned they came stock around 300 plus HP. If you tweaked them a bit he said would put out 450 PLUS!!!!

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No Yenko Camaros ever came with 302s. But they did have small block Yenko Novas. The only 302 powered cars were the 67-69 Z/28's. They were homologated for SCCA Trans Am racing which specified a 5 liter displacement. This was achieved with the 283 3.0" stroke crank in the 327 4.0" bore block. Small journal 302 are easy to build, and cheap if you go with cast pistons. Large journal 302 is expensive to buy a crank and forged pistons for. They were supposed to have built 1000 for homologation, but 1967 production was only 612 cars. In 1968 they built about 8,000 and in 1969 about 18,000. In 1968 Mark won 13 of 15 races, arguably the most dominant performance in any racing series. Ford's response was the Boss 302 in 1969. In 1970, Penske and Donahue went to AMC from Chevy and Ford won the title.

 

They were factory rated at 290 hp SAE gross, but it was more realistically SAE net factor. Mark Donahue's Sunoco 302 built by Traco dynoed (an engine dyno) at 457 hp. The dual quads were an over the counter dealer part that were worth about 40 hp in the 7500 rpm range. Typically the cars ran low to mid 14's stock with 3.73. 4.56 and headers put the cars in the mid to low 13's.

 

Other high perf parts available over the counter were fast ratio steering arms, shot peened positractions, axles, and steering knuckles. Front and rear sway bars, and 4 wheel disc brakes. I have built a duplicate of the HD rear axle with discs for my 68 Convertible. In 69 201 cars were assembled with factory 4 wheel discs known as the JL-8 option.

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Guest Cam70Dude

If it is a true 302 Z-28 motor that would be a rather rare thing to find. One way to know if it's a real 302 is too look for the RPO enigine code "DZ" which would be stamped on the pad immediately forward of right hand cylinder head. Most 302's will have this stamping with the exception of the 67 302's. A few of the first run 68 302's never got the "DZ" stamping. The "DZ" stamping is whats gonna make the 302 worth something because there's no other way to differentiate the 67/68 302's from 327's 0r 350's. That is unless the engine is still in the car and it's a documented orginal Z-28. All 69 302's had "DZ" designation. Unless the dealer had to do warranty engine replacement and then the replacement motor didnt have the "DZ" stamp.

 

Hope this helps you out.

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Guest Phil1934

Check to see if the 3" crank and 5.94" rods in the '94-'96 Caprice 4.3L baby LT1 have hit the crank rebuilders yet. If so, just get a late model one piece crank seal block and some 350 pistons and pay the core charge.

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Guest Nic-Rebel450CA

Thanks for all of the help everyone, I have decided to pass on this engine since it is probably not what I am looking for. I'll just stick to building one up from the ground :D

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