Identifying Chevrolet engines require close examination the engine block, vehicle identification numbers and the trim tag on the vehicle. The VIN and trim tag can provide basic engine information. By comparing engine block casting numbers, VIN and trim tag, owners can pinpoint manufacturing date, horsepower ratings, engine displacement and if the engine originally came with the car. Chevrolet dealers and online sources can provide decoding data.
VIN and Trim Tag
The VIN located on the driver's side doorjamb or the driver's side portion of the dashboard, provides the most accurate information. The trim tag on the firewall under the hood is Fisher Body's original vehicle information, including the engine. VIN numbers contain 13 digits on 1981 and earlier models, and 17 digits after 1981. The VIN and trim tag can determine whether the engine is original to the vehicle. The third digit on 1967 to 1971 Chevy VINs denotes the engine type. For example, "6" identifies a 1967 to 1969 Chevy equipped with a V-8 engine and custom interior. The engine code is the fifth digit on 1972 to 1980 Chevrolets, with "G," for example, identifying a 305-cubic-inch V-8 with a two-barrel carburetor. On post-1981 models, the eighth digit identifies the engine. The trim tag has a series of numbers or letters or both under the "Body by Fisher" title. The first two numbers identify the model year of the vehicle. The second set of five numbers give the model description, such as "12487" for a Chevrolet Camaro two-door coupe with a V-8 engine.
Code Stamps
Chevrolet stamped its engine identification codes on a pad at the front of the passenger side cylinder head on V-8s and behind the distributor on the passenger side of six-cylinder engines. The numbers provide a manufacturing date, factory location and type of engine. For example, reading from left to right, "T0830CTY" identifies the engine with a "T" for the Tonawanda plant, "0830" for August 30 and "CTY" for a 1970 Camaro with a 375-horsepower 396 V-8, 11-to-1 compression ratio and TH400 automatic transmission.
Casting Clock and Date
The casting clock on some engine intake and exhaust manifolds from the Saginaw, Michigan, plant feature a clock. It features 10 dots for a 10-hour shift. One arrow points to the beginning of the 10-hour shift and a second arrow points to the hour the workers cast the engine. A casting date is on a pad in front of the bell housing on the driver's side of small-block engines and on the right side of the engine above the oil pan on big-blocks. It contains a single letter followed by three digits. For example, an "A" denotes the month of January followed by "05" for the day and "6" for 1976.
Casting Numbers
Each engine also features a six-digit casting number stamped on the cylinder head. For example, a small block 350 V-8 for a 1980 to 1985 Chevy will have "140029" stamped on the head. Big block 396 or 45 V-8s with an oval port for 1970 to 1981 Chevrolets will have "330864." A 1970 to 1976 Chevy truck with a high-performance 427 big block V-8 with an oval port has "330865" stamped.
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