I've been looking at various options for replacing or rebuilding the 350 currently in my '62. I was leaning toward a crate engine for a while, but the rest of the car is relatively "old school" (although not original). I've also followed with interest the various discussions here on stroker engines, etc.

Anyway, the block pictured below was in an ebay store listing...so I called the seller to get some more details. As it happens, he owns a machine shop in MN, so after a couple of conversations we worked out a package deal and he'll build up a short block for me (forged rotating assembly, 355 cid, flattops). I'll then use a pair of 461 heads I acquired a while ago and have in the garage (should put me right around 10:1 CR), and an LT1 cam.

The block is a 3959512 casting, which was used for production 327 engines from 62-67. However, this one was cast in 1970, so it was apparently a service replacement block. The interesing thing is that it has large (350) journals and 4-bolt caps--and also takes a spin-on oil filter. So, although the casting will be "wrong" for my car, I can make it look visually correct, by virtue of the rear vent, but have a 350 bottom end with no significant compromises (e.g., journal overlap). It should also be an interesting conversation piece.

I did consider the 383 option--but I decided to retain at least some of the vintage operating character (read: solid cam).

The seller reported that he took this engine out of a '67 Camaro about 10 years ago. It's been decked, but he said there was no "CE" on the pad prior to decking. Maybe the engine was ordered for the Camaro, which might explain the large journals (if it was a 350 Camaro).

Anyway, just thought I'd share. Comments or other observations welcome.

 

Cool find.

Rich

 

"512" cast blocks have been reported for both BBC and SBC. I have a 327 SJ "512" block, however it is stamped CE on the deck.

 

Hello
I thought all 327 were two bolt mains

 

that number sounded familiar,
I know of 2 365/327 shortblocks purchased from gm around 1978
the cast # is 3959512 date h-5-7 (aug 5/67)?
and under timing gear 010 g2
along with 3866954 pistons
these numbers are off the one in my car
the other engine is in a 65 roadster

I wonder how long these were available? was cheap at the time.
rod

 

I deed to do some research

 

AFAIK All factory 327's are 2 bolt. All 62-69 cast blocks should be 2 bolt.

 

That block would solve all my engine problems too. Now, where can I find one of those at?????????????????????????????????????? ??????

 

I also have one of these exact blocks, but with either a 67 or 77 casting date.
This type of 350 block was a VERY unique and one year only engine used in the 67 SS350 Camaros. That is, it was a combination of 67-earlier and 68-later blocks with provision for the oil vapor/liquid seperator canister in the lifter valley and a hole in the rear of the block for crankcase ventilation and it is machined for a large journal crank! It has been bored .040 and the decks have been surfaced, thus, all the numbers up front are gone. It has an A127 casting date, which could either be Jan 12, 67 or 77. The casting number is for the 62-67 327 block. My block is a 2-bolt version. My plan is to use it to build a 383 and use it in a 67-earlier car and make it APPEAR as a factory 283 or 327. For example, this would make a perfect engine for an early 60s car, but with lots more power!

 

Hey Tom:

Actually, some of your earlier posts on this topic led me to keep an eye out. Just out of curiousity, is your block a "512" casting? As I understood it, the original (production) SS350 Camaro blocks had a casting number of 3892657. There was a guy selling one of those locally here in St. Petersburg a couple of months ago and I went to see it. It was 0.30 over (needed to go at least 0.40), but it had all the numbers intact on the pad (MU suffix code, I believe). He sold it to a Camaro guy for over $1,200--someone who was valuing the numbers, apparently.

Given that the date code on my block ends in "0", I think that's strong evidence that it was a replacement block, not a production one. So, the numbers would never "match" (i.e., be factory correct) for any application. JohnZ has posted a lot of good info on replacement blocks, which I went back and read. Based on that, my theory (purely speculation) is that someone ordered this over the counter, for a heavy duty application c. 1970, and the order was filled and built using a 512 casting. Maybe it was a replacement for a '67 Camaro engine (supposedly, that's the car it previously resided in). Since it had no "CE", it apparently was not part of the 5/50 program.

Anyway, I'm guessing my block is nothing that couldn't be created in a machine shop from a small journal block (for a price). Nonetheless, I think it's interesting historical trivia.

Thanks for your prior inputs, by the way (JohnZ too). They've been very useful in the planning and decision process.

-David

 

Yes, my block is a 3959512 casting. By no means am I claiming to be an expert!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT, because of the combination of 67-earlier and 68-later features of my block and my knowledge of the uniqueness of the 67 ONLY Camare 350 block, I felt that this was probably what I had. EXCEPT----------------THE 512 CASTING NUMBER DIDN'T FIT!!!!!! So, I've always been puzzled as to what I had. I REALLY wish I had run across this block BEFORE I built the SB400 for my 56 Vette. Specifically, so that I could have the rear vent hole and be able to use valve covers without holes!!!!!!!!!!!! When I built the SB400 for my 56, I had to drill a hole in the back of the block and fabricate a road draft tube, based on an article that I saw several years ago in HOTROD magazine. It has worked out just fine, but I would have been just as happy with a 383 built from one of these 512 blocks.
Also, since then, I have built a couple of 383 engines from small journal 327 blocks for customers. This is fairly straight forward to do simply by having the 327 block line bored to the size of a 350 block then turning down the main journals of a 400 crank just as would be done to make a 383 from any other 350 block-----------------just a lot more expensive! But it works.