Thread: Where did my engine come from?

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I recently bought a 1970 Chevy LWB truck. I was told the motor is now a sb 400, but I want to know what car it came from, year, etc. I found C9F421240 stamped on the block behind alt. above the bracket. Both sides have a plate with 010 under the heads, & there is an S on the side also. If any of this is usefull, please let me know what you can.
Thanks,
Blake

as I remember, a 400 small block has 3 freeze plugs on each side and a 350 has two. However, it isnt clear if there were 400 blocks with two also.....IF it has 3 on each side, it is absolutely a 400.

Originally posted by robot
as I remember, a 400 small block has 3 freeze plugs on each side and a 350 has two. However, it isnt clear if there were 400 blocks with two also.....IF it has 3 on each side, it is absolutely a 400.

It only has 2 freeze plugs on each side(1 behind the motor mounts, & the other on the opposite end of the block) So, can anyone help me out with decoding the engine #'s?

mor-tec is a good reference but that's the common place to look.

http://www.mortec.com/location.htm

You need casting numbers, those look like vin numbers. You can tell with them if it is the original block for that truck by looking at the end of the vin. Could be suffixes.

The link that robot gave you will show location of casting numbers. This link shows the casting numbers http://www.mortec.com/castnum.htm

Originally posted by jramshu
You need casting numbers, those look like vin numbers. You can tell with them if it is the original block for that truck by looking at the end of the vin.

With the link given, I located the code on the back of the block(3970010). It says it's 307, 327, or 350. I'm mad now cuz I was lied to, & it's not a 400 . I would still like to find out what year & vehicle it came out of. Thanks for the help so far!

I would think that the engine code is C9F

Cant find it but the Cxx codes were generally used in the late
seventies .......some camaro Cxx were in 1980. There is not a
good all encompasing web site with every letter code. Used to be, the Chevy parts manual had a letter code reference but paper parts books went long ago

By the way, you should pull a valve cover and find if they snuck in some of those "high performance 305" heads in on you.......folks are raving about the performance of those!!!!

If I find the code, I'll post a reply

Originally posted by robot
I would think that the engine code is C9F

Cant find it but the Cxx codes were generally used in the late
seventies .......some camaro Cxx were in 1980. There is not a
good all encompasing web site with every letter code. Used to be, the Chevy parts manual had a letter code reference but paper parts books went long ago

By the way, you should pull a valve cover and find if they snuck in some of those "high performance 305" heads in on you.......folks are raving about the performance of those!!!!

If I find the code, I'll post a reply

Looks like an engine code don't it. Here is what I found
http://www.nastyz28.com/spmenu.html

The nastyz28 site only gives Camaro codes......and yes,
they are in the right range.......I'll bet that a truck site could
help, even a forum relating to your year of Chevy.

By the way, you cant make a 010 block into a 400, it wont take the bore.......no matter what the shop will tell.

Originally posted by robot
I would think that the engine code is C9F

Cant find it but the Cxx codes were generally used in the late
seventies .......some camaro Cxx were in 1980. There is not a
good all encompasing web site with every letter code. Used to be, the Chevy parts manual had a letter code reference but paper parts books went long ago

By the way, you should pull a valve cover and find if they snuck in some of those "high performance 305" heads in on you.......folks are raving about the performance of those!!!!

If I find the code, I'll post a reply

Thanks for the help! I don't know what all has been done to the motor, but I know it's fast! It has an Edelbrock intake, Edelbrock/Weber carb, & it sounds like it has a cam. The old man I got it from only knows what the previous owner told him. I'll take off the valve cover & see what #'s are on the heads. Thanks again for all the help!

The early 400's only had TWO freeze plugs, check your bore 4.125 or larger, it's a 400, smaller it's a 350.

400's could be had with two or three freeze plugs...

All 400 blocks had bosses for 3 freeze plugs ...so look close

some BUT NOT all were like this....2 out of three plugs = 2bolt mains....

all three = 4bolt mains....this is not always true I have had them both ways....but they all have had bosses for all three plugs...

Also for engine ID codes...get the complete code from the water pump pad ( top left facing the water pump) and the call a Chevy dealership....

Tell them you have this engine and it has a busted head and need a replacement and want to order the RIGHT head but need to know exactly what engine you have..... walla...punch....enter...

You'll have the right answer... and not the best educated guess...I have done this for 20+ years and they have been spot on every time...by now I think they know it's me before they pick up the phone....Doc

Originally posted by viking
The early 400's only had TWO freeze plugs, check your bore 4.125 or larger, it's a 400, smaller it's a 350.

viking would you know the years on that?

TL

Originally posted by treekiller
viking would you know the years on that?

TL

I believe it was 70 & 71, MOST of these were 4 bolt, no 4 bolts I ever saw past 73, we really prized the early ones, most people thought (still do) that with out 3 freeze plugs it was a 350, soooooo there was the displacement advantage.

The other bad rap was overheating because of the steam holes, WRONG they cooled great, the problem was putting the wrong head gasket on and COVERING the steam holes, then they would overheat.

Hope this helps.