What year is this engine?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 156
Likes: 4
From: Glendora CA
What year is this engine?
Looking for some advice from the corvette engine gurus.
I have a 72 vert and I am sure the numbers are not matching. The block is a 350 - casting numbers 20GM 3970010. I have other numbers on the passenger side head that say 118143224 followed by what I think is V0128000. Can anyone tell me what engine I have? also, I am thinking I am going to replace the carburetor and want to know the best carburetor for this engine.
Thanks to all the experts out there!
GlenJack
I have a 72 vert and I am sure the numbers are not matching. The block is a 350 - casting numbers 20GM 3970010. I have other numbers on the passenger side head that say 118143224 followed by what I think is V0128000. Can anyone tell me what engine I have? also, I am thinking I am going to replace the carburetor and want to know the best carburetor for this engine.
Thanks to all the experts out there!
GlenJack
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,253
Likes: 768
From: Waterford WI
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,883
Likes: 124
From: Lubbock TX
GlenJack, the number of bolts refers to the fasteners holding the main caps to the block. With a small block, 2-bolt main caps are much narrower than their 4-bolt counterparts and provide less clamping force...with the exception of the 400 block, it used wide caps in both 2 and 4 bolt applications. Smallblocks all use 2-bolt caps on front and back and either 2 or 4 bolts for the middle caps and saddles. Big blocks also have 2 or 4 bolt mains but all caps are wide including front and back. It's these wider caps that most of us believe provide a much larger clamping/contact area which helps keep the caps in place and prevent cap walk or chattering under high rpm/high load conditions.
Last edited by L88Plus; Nov 14, 2018 at 07:21 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,814
Likes: 469
From: Wichita Kansas
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 14,402
Likes: 8,204
From: Napa Valley California
Depending on your intended use of your car and your intended torque and horsepower output, you could be perfectly fine with a 2-bolt motor.
There are people out there running 700-800 horsepower big block motors with studded 2-bolt main motors with no problems.
There are people out there running 700-800 horsepower big block motors with studded 2-bolt main motors with no problems.
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 54
Likes: 6
From: Liberty, Mo
As other have posted, if you do not plan on running high RPM/ HP either block will work (2 or 4 bolt main) A 4 bolt will give you a stronger lower end and will help prevent cap walk. My Guide shows that block being only a 2 bolt main. Only way to know for sure is to drop the pan. If you are running stock to mild HP it does not matter. Build the motor and enjoy.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6,192
Likes: 750
From: near the thumb in the mitten
If there is a oil feed / tap in top front of block it should be a 4 bolt main. You are missing the 2nd set of stamped numbers. It's a Flint built service block; if there is only one set of numbers.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,624
Likes: 431
From: Dale City VA
The 2 number sequences on the block's pass pad tell you a lot but yours are incomplete/incorrect.. or someone re-stamped it with incorrect info.
VO128000 = Flint Michigan - (V) Jan 28 - (0128).... 000 is incorrect as there should be a 3 letter suffix not (3) zeros.
118143224 - This should be the is the unique vehicle serial number (to match against vehicle VIN) but again something is either mis-identified or re-staped incorrect. Chevrolet (1) the second (1) would mean year of mfgr = 1971. The next character should be a letter to identify the auto's plant of mfgr.... the rest would be the sequence number of the VIN.
Will
VO128000 = Flint Michigan - (V) Jan 28 - (0128).... 000 is incorrect as there should be a 3 letter suffix not (3) zeros.
118143224 - This should be the is the unique vehicle serial number (to match against vehicle VIN) but again something is either mis-identified or re-staped incorrect. Chevrolet (1) the second (1) would mean year of mfgr = 1971. The next character should be a letter to identify the auto's plant of mfgr.... the rest would be the sequence number of the VIN.
Will
Last edited by rklessdriver; Nov 14, 2018 at 01:40 PM.