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CCAS can't do anything in this case because this is the Oshawa plant. They can really only help with Corvettes (I spoke to them before posting here), because it's based on comparisons to stamps with nearby VINs.
Had they been building Corvettes in Canada in 1969, I'd be OK.
I can at least tell this isn't a belt sander... if it was an original Ohio machine, someone went all out to dupe me over a Pontiac! :-) But that'd be serious if we were talking about a big dollar car here, I can see why it's a pain to document a valuable car.
I think you can machine a 2 bolt into a 4 bolt and drill/tap the hole near the oil filter if I'm not mistaken.
Also, I think the location of the cast date changed sometime on the 512 blocks. The early ones had it under the exhaust then I think it went to the location in front of the bell housing on top at some point.
All of this can be uncovered by having the block checked out by CCAS.
can you tell me more about this 2 or 4 bolt telltale sign?
is a 4 bolt drilled and tapped for a sending unit right above
the filter?
and would have a pipe plug on vettes since the sender is by the distributor?
thanks.
The fonts for the VIN numbers do not match what with was used at St. Louis for all the engines of 68 thru 70. Compare your number 3 and 7 to Alan's VIN stamp (which looks correct and original) Alan's stamp picture has fonts that also coincides with engine stamps I have seen that are verified by CCAS. The 3 in your Vin looks like it has straight lines for the top portion instead of the correct rounded top and bottom. The correct 7 has the bottom lining up with the middle of the top serif (top crossbar of the 7). Your 7 has the bottom of the 7 lining up over to the extreme left. And I know the 4 is wrong but I don't have a pic to compare to at the moment.
CCAS can't do anything in this case because this is the Oshawa plant. They can really only help with Corvettes (I spoke to them before posting here), because it's based on comparisons to stamps with nearby VINs.
Had they been building Corvettes in Canada in 1969, I'd be OK.
I can at least tell this isn't a belt sander... if it was an original Ohio machine, someone went all out to dupe me over a Pontiac! :-) But that'd be serious if we were talking about a big dollar car here, I can see why it's a pain to document a valuable car.
I see. I misunderstood. I thought this was a St. Louis car. Disregard my last post above this one.
512 blocks were made in 2 bolt and 4 bolt. They were also used in 1970 for the 454 as the only change needed was the crankshaft for the extra stroke. The casting date was moved from the side of the block to the rear of the block above the bellhousing in April of 69. I believe most 427/390's were 2 bolt.
Last edited by CanadaGrant; 01-10-2018 at 11:26 PM.
The casting date was moved from the side of the block to the rear of the block above the bellhousing in April of 69
FWIW, my 1970 "CE077237", 512 block has the casting date on the bell housing as CG describes, ("L5 9" 5 Dec 1969). There's also a date stamp on the starter mount pad; "T129". It's a four bolt that has "HI PER" "PASS" in the casting on the back.
i should correct my former post but still cannot find the symbol on a computer indicating surface finish the post was suppose to read 60 with a checkmark under the 60 to indicate the roughness of machine grade this is why they used a belt sander it made the exact finish with the fine lines going parallel to the cylinders (front to back of block) the date code under exhaust manifold refers to the big money cars 1966 and 1967 with block casting last three numbers of 812 and the million dollar 351 ----427" big block. the era. the early eighties a c-3 was not even considered a money car a perfect 69 with 427" 435 hp was $3000.00. incidentally, the early 66,67 blocks did not have alignment pins for timing chain cover .
Last edited by Captain bob; 01-11-2018 at 10:59 AM.
The casting date was moved from the side of the block to the rear of the block above the bellhousing in April of 69. I believe most 427/390's
were 2 bolt.
My car is an April 69 build, so I presume it's in the former (side of block?) location. But I can't find it.
Any tips for locating the date code before they moved it in Apr 69?
390hp -----427" positively 2 bolt main as well as 400hp tri-power i have both (1967 )
Yup, I assume 2-bolt. That's why I keep telling people "HIGH PERF PASS" doesn't mean 4 bolt. The same casting (and that's CAST into the block) is used for 2 and 4, depending on the machine steps.
I'm surprised GM didn't use a 4-bolt block for the tri-power 400hp 427. That's pretty cheap of them.
As for the magical "60" the guy is trying to place, maybe it was 60 grit and 60 on the Rockwell hardness scale? Either way, I'd hope one could spot belt-sander vs broach but you never know. I found a LOT of shops offering to restamp blocks while researching what an original should look like...
My car is an April 69 build, so I presume it's in the former (side of block?) location. But I can't find it.
Any tips for locating the date code before they moved it in Apr 69?
Yup, I assume 2-bolt. That's why I keep telling people "HIGH PERF PASS" doesn't mean 4 bolt. The same casting (and that's CAST into the block) is used for 2 and 4, depending on the machine steps.
I'm surprised GM didn't use a 4-bolt block for the tri-power 400hp 427. That's pretty cheap of them.
As for the magical "60" the guy is trying to place, maybe it was 60 grit and 60 on the Rockwell hardness scale? Either way, I'd hope one could spot belt-sander vs broach but you never know. I found a LOT of shops offering to restamp blocks while researching what an original should look like...
If it's on the side of the block it will be on the passenger side and is below the middle freeze plug between the plug and the lower edge of the block. If it's on the back of the block look down from the right side and it will be on the ridge just above the bell housing and to the right a little directly below the center line of the distributor.
Below is the casting date on the rear of my 427/390. It is J 8 9 or October 8th, 69. It's an LM code block. I just took this with my phone in the garage so it isn't great. That is the chrome back side of the ignition shielding covering the distributor on the right and the 2 bolts and plug on the lower left are part of the wiper safety switch.
The engine was cast on the 8th, assembled on the 20th (front stamp pad on block) and in the car on the 24th.
Last edited by CanadaGrant; 01-11-2018 at 01:51 PM.
There's sure a much longer delay in Oshawa for 427/390s than there was in the Corvette plant! My motor was cast in last September and wasn't installed up in Canada until April. Then the car didn't sell until August...
01-10-2018, 07:18 PM
