Engine/Head I.D./ Engine Build

Hammerlane · February 19, 2011, 03:12:25 PM

Same ? different person.. need to I.D. some parts..
Block
3970010 - know it's 350,4 blt, 69 -79 truck,vette etc.. I'm good w/that..
need bore size.. and can I measure the bore size with a caliper at the top and know if it's been punched out yet??
need to clean it up, take it .030 over.. just want to know before I take it in..

Heads -
have these numbers from between the rocker studs
462624
GM 10
what other numbers, and where to find them please..
also, triangle shape on front of head, was always told this is an easy way to I.D. heads

Swampthing · February 19, 2011, 03:36:01 PM

bore is 4.000 well.. plus .002-.003 for wear. heads sound like a 305 number. not sure as for having a triangle onit.. that covers alot of heads..

Jjay78 · February 19, 2011, 06:29:51 PM

the block casting number was used from 69-79 and in 1969 was both the 350 and the 302 for the z-28 camaro's, can be either a 2 or a 4 bolt main, with the 4 bolt being more common with that casting num ber, was put in almost everything including the 370hp vettes, the head casting number was used from 1971 to 1985, the earlier being put in some vetts and the later being used mostly for trucks, was put on bothe the 350 and the 400 sbc.

old school truck dude · February 19, 2011, 10:08:25 PM

624 is a small-valve head. Small chamber, but not much flow. Nothin special. The mark on the front of the head doesnt mean much, Ive seen plenty of differences in heads with the same casting mark on the front. Thats a fuelie head down below, note that it has no bolt holes. You'll find the same humps on later models, and who knows what for chambers and valves. The casting mark REALLY dont mean much. 041 is the # you want for heads, 461 is also good. Regular production-type 350 block, most likely 2-bolt, could be 4-bolt, low nickel content. The one that ends in 020 is the good one, high nickel content. Calipers will tell you what you need to know.

old school truck dude · February 19, 2011, 10:31:16 PM

Knuckle port head *drool* Something alot of folks dont think about is the fact that it's very possible that the heads you got off that old truck out in the field may have already been through somebody's machine shop and been modified, milled, etc in some kind of way, and its not obvious to the naked eye..You can take a regular casting and do alot to it to include putting bigger valves in it using only a good drill press and a tricky little homemade tool, lol.

Hammerlane · February 19, 2011, 10:57:56 PM

Awesome info all, thanks, did some more research on the date code.. came up with

V0119TJB Flint, January 19, LS9 (could be truck too, but only before 78')
yes it's 4 bolt...

Heads not so much..
462264 - inferior casting head, prone to cracking..

old school truck dude · February 20, 2011, 03:34:53 PM

Its very important to magnaflux these years of heads as most all of them are cracked, it just depends on where the crack is for whether its usable and/or repairable or not. Many are cracked through the valve seat and thats a no-go. Others can be drilled and pinned to stop the crack, but anything in the combustion chamber or crossing the gasket surface is junk. Good ones are gettin real hard to find. On a different note, you can actually do alot with a regular 882 head if youre handy with a dremel.

Hammerlane · February 20, 2011, 08:07:20 PM

Quote from: old school truck dude on February 20, 2011, 03:34:53 PM
Its very important to magnaflux these years of heads as most all of them are cracked, it just depends on where the crack is for whether its usable and/or repairable or not. Many are cracked through the valve seat and thats a no-go. Others can be drilled and pinned to stop the crack, but anything in the combustion chamber or crossing the gasket surface is junk. Good ones are gettin real hard to find. On a different note, you can actually do alot with a regular 882 head if youre handy with a dremel.

appreciate it, I've already tossed them to the side.. my dad always used to tell me.. do it right.. or do it again, it's your choice..
have another set # 458624 early / mid 70's 194's stock (option)
also have a club member that has a set of TBI heads.. think I'm gonna go that way.
just doin a 355 setup for the Cheep..

old school truck dude · February 21, 2011, 06:52:37 PM

The high performance guys at Chevy say Vortec heads are the way to go

Hammerlane · February 21, 2011, 08:33:44 PM

Quote from: old school truck dude on February 21, 2011, 06:52:37 PM
The high performance guys at Chevy say Vortec heads are the way to go

I've read that a couple of times searching this out.. the old heads are just obsolete when it comes to building HP..
I'm building a torque motor (I think) have done a few 355's over the years.. I can put them together but need some help w/ the technical..

Can't seem to find the last casting # except in one place 458642.. shows as an early 70's 350/400
but can't find any comments on them, these would need to be redone and the other 462624's have no valves or hardware.. so..

just dropped the block (.030 over already) and crank off, new cam bearings, turn the crank yada..yada.. $200 to balance and needs the rods/pistons/ n' 1 set of rings.. (hmm. not sure yet, probably not a bad investment)
have a set of pistons and rods.. don't remember what tyhpe.. they'e next to dig out..
not sure on cam yet.. performer setup maybe w/ roller lifters n' rockers, have a dual plane edlebrock w/ carb ready to drop on, but am open to other possibilities.. I prefer the set it n' forget it type of motors.. don't really wanna be screwin around with settings etc.. to gain that other 1/4 horse, or 50 RPM... wanna wheel it, not wrench it... obviously I'm looking to build all the "Scream" I can but don't need to turn 11,000 RPM either..

old school truck dude · February 21, 2011, 08:45:02 PM

For torque stay with a dual plenum intake.. Balancing is always good if you can afford it, if youre not gonna wind it out to 11000 rpm maybe could spend $ better on somethin else.. jmo

Hammerlane · February 21, 2011, 10:15:46 PM

Quote from: old school truck dude on February 21, 2011, 08:45:02 PM
For torque stay with a dual plenum intake.. Balancing is always good if you can afford it, if youre not gonna wind it out to 11000 rpm maybe could spend $ better on somethin else.. jmo

Yea, kinda my ?? too.. my other motor was never balanced, spun 5 grand pretty good and moved my 3/4 ton pickup good.. can't wait to see what this type of setup is gonna do in a CJ..

Jjay78 · February 22, 2011, 06:26:05 AM

i ran into that problem with a set of heads too, there is a 468642 made from 71-85... probly not much difference between the two..... the 468642's aren't anything special and the 458642's i had were't nothing special either

Hammerlane · February 22, 2011, 02:40:03 PM

Quote from: Jjay78 on February 22, 2011, 06:26:05 AM
i ran into that problem with a set of heads too, there is a 468642 made from 71-85... probly not much difference between the two..... the 468642's aren't anything special and the 458642's i had were't nothing special either

kinda my thought, just want to be sure.. would hate to toss a nice set.

Jjay78 · February 23, 2011, 05:50:09 PM

if i remember right though, they had 202/160's in em...they were the low compression smog heads, but were fairly heavy castings

old school truck dude · February 23, 2011, 07:56:03 PM

Probably not goin to find any 2.02 valves in anything other than the fuelie heads...

Hammerlane · March 05, 2011, 02:03:39 PM

All righty then.. turned this into a budget build thread.. step by step kinda thing

Took the block and crank into a shop in Howell and had it degreased, honed and cleaned up..
crank turned and polished, so here's where it stands:

mid 70's 350 block .030 over 4 bolt center caps, 2 bolt ends
350 cast crank .010 over
cylinder and lifter holes honed, new cam bearings installed, got it home and oiled all of the bare surfaces and "set" the crank in and lightly tightend the caps kept the whole thing inside the plastic bag to prevent excess moisture (garage is block and everything sweats)
so.. $250
Question: I noticed the oil holes in the cam bearings are lined up at about 4 oclock except the gear end bearing its at like 10 oclock, there appears to be a groove under the bearing for oil... all ok

also, bearings that were taken out had an oil groove in the middle of them, new ones are smooth surfaced.. grooved better

the block was dirty, had been machined and stored but there was alot of dirt and I was concerned about blockage in the oil passages so I paid the extra couple of bucks and had them replaced.

Champhering the oil holes in the crank: Dremmel tool work ok

pack the oil holes w/grease to prevent material from ending up inside the crank

old school truck dude · March 05, 2011, 03:46:55 PM

That last bearing gets turned away from the the oil galley to increase oil pressure, so whoever did that did it right. Take your rear main cap off and shine a light down in the oil galley. Theres a plug that goes way up in there, make real sure its in there (since you said somethin about extra cleanin on the oil galleys) or youll have no oil pressure and itll drive ya crazy tryin to figure it out. No big deal about the new bearings bein smooth instead of grooved, it dont really matter.. You can chamfer the holes on the crank, just go easy and dont remove too much, blow it out real good. Dont use grease, it makes the shavings stick to everything. Youll have grease with shavings in it stuck down in your oil galleys = not a good thing to have! DRY! Blow it out with compressed air. Blockage is not usually much of a problem unless the motor was on Quaker state or hadnt had regular oil changes..

Hammerlane · March 06, 2011, 03:26:08 PM

will check it out today.. next up..
Pistons, rods, rings and bearings...

Hammerlane · March 08, 2011, 08:49:52 PM

Well..flat top pistons that came with are 3.75" and one of the rods is bent.. tooooooo baaad! so sad..

so, now lookin for pistons/rods..
flat tops are like 12/1 comp ratio

now have to run $$$$$$$ gas ?
dish tops are 9 -10/1

can run pump gas?
and have been told stock rods can spin up to 9K..