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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Engine numbers
I'm going to be putting in a new350 this Fall....and I'm looking to find out if my engine #s match the last 5 of the VIN. With the availablity of these small blocks, there's no point in rebuilding the OEM one and taking a chance on tossing a rod or whatever and never again having a matching # block.
So, I looked at the engine to see and can't find the casting numbers. The two places I know of them being put, are either on a machined pad in front of the right side head, and on the block behind the driver's side head. Can't see a thing here! :eek:
Paul, if your machined pad, passenger side of car, protruding from the passenger side front of the head, is blank, the engine may have been rebuilt before and a machine shop "decked" or "shaved" the block resulting in a "blank" pad. Even GM replacement engines will have some kind of number on them like CE1000082 for example showing where, when and what engine line it was built on. There is also a protruding embossed casting block # on the left side of the peak of the bellhousing flange. Numbers are looking like down through the wipermotor/brake booster area on that flange I referred to earlier. Many 350's are 3970010 casting # for example.
In addition to what Paul said, sometimes the pads get painted by owners trying to spruce up their engine compartment. The pad was never painted and any attempt to do so will probably cover up the numbers. If this is indeed your original engine and the numbers are either buried under paint or dirt I would be real reluctant to use a wire brush. Try some lacquer thinner and a nylon scuff pad. Never use sand paper or wire wheels. They tend to wipe out what you are looking for.
Gary