Jordanlavi

Hey there, I'm trying to find out exactly what kind of engine is in my 82 Camaro that I recently picked up. All I was told is its a 350 with vortec heads on it. I'd like to know what kind of 350 and if it's capable of making any decent power. Any help would be greatly appreciated .

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

1st... Any 350 is "capable" of making power. It's the combo of parts inside of it that gets you there. Any of the 350 blocks can be built to 400+ HP

To decode what you have, you need to get the casting number and suffix codes off the block.

Suffix code is on front pass side of block, on a machined pad right in front of the head. Use wd-40, carb cleaner, brake parts cleaner, etc and an old tooth brush and rag to clean the pad as the numbers/letters are stamped into the metal and will fill up with dirt/grease over time.

The casting number is on the back driver side of block, behind the head on top of the flange that transmission bolts to.

Once you have those numbers you can post them back here and I'll decode them or you can just google SBC suffix codes and SBC block casting numbers and find your info

AlkyIROC

If it is actually a 350 then it's not original because a 350 was never offered in a third gen in 1982. If the VIN on the block matches the VIN on the car then it's a 305.

As for the vortec heads, you'll need to pull a valve cover and get a casting number to see exactly what they are.

Without receipts, build sheet etc, you could just as easily have a bone stock 305 under the hood and you were told what you wanted to hear just to get the car sold. Doing homework before making the purchase could have saved a lot of owners a lot of lost money.

TheExaminer

This answers some of my questions too. I found my build sheet in the car after I bought it. Was wondering where the casting numbers/codes were located.

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

The VIN code will also be on the machined pad in front of pass head.

Block casting date and clock is on the same flange as the casting number in rear, but more over towards center of block, behind intake.

Head casting number and date code will be on top of head, between rocker studs under the valve covers.

Transmission (700r4) ID numbers is on pass side of trans, at very rear of trans body above the pan.

Torque converter ID is on a sticker on the engine (flexplate) side of torque converter

TheExaminer

Good. Im thinking everything is original, but itd be nice to prove it with numbers. I think Ive posted like 20 times on here that my car is a 92 Formula 350/ttop--only one of 200 made that year. Having all original #'s will help me out a lot. Btw, is it a big deal for originality if the rear axle assy has been changed? I switched it out this spring because I was told the original was bent slightly, and thats why it kept chewing up bearings. Im still not convinced it is, and still have it in my garage. Its just as likely the guy that did the gear setup did it wrong. Ring and pinion setup was just beyond my expertise at that time. But I need a set of old carrier bearings so I can set everything up with the axles and do a decent straightness test. I still have most of the guts from the old assy.

Humph7ey

I have a 350 in my 82 Camaro The machined pad shows VO830SUJ IEN104324.
I would like it decoded if possible. The trans has 13 bolts to the pan and a vacuum modulator to the rear. I think they were both from the same donor.

RamIt

SUJ indicates a 1984 305 engine.

AlkyIROC

Oops. Sounds like another "I got a 350" and it's only a 305 disappointment.

A 13 bolt pan with a modulator on the rear is a TH350.

RamIt

well if its any consolation, It is a L69 HO 305.

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

V = Flint engine plant
08 = 8th mo (Aug)
30 = 30th day of mo.

SUJ = 1984, 305, 190 HP, 4bbl carb, High output, E4ME carb

13 bolt trans pan is th-350 and th-400
The th-350 has a square pan with 1 corner cut off and vac. mod valve at pass side rear

The th-400 has a pan shaped sort of like the state of texas and vac mod valve at pass side front

RyanFromSC

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys, picked up a cheap 90 Camaro recently and I'm 99% sure it's a 305 but I'm also 99% sure it's not original. I looked at the numbers on the passenger side front and the partial Vin doesn't match. I'm having trouble deciphering the code though, as the next to last digit is poorly stamped. Anyway, heres what I THINK it says: V1112D3L or V1112DBL. The number below that says 1NL121311. So can you guys help me? Where did they get this engine from?

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

That looks like DBL to me.

Flint engine plant, Nov, 11th
1992, 305, F-body, Auto

Humph7ey

It must be a th-350 Any ideas what it would have come from? It currently has an Edelbrock intake and Holley 1850-3 carb. I believe it has hi lift cams.

RyanFromSC

iTrader: (1)

Thank you, night rider

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

Ryan... Your welcome..


Humph7ey... The th-350 was chevys most used transmission. They put them in everything.

You can look for the code and vin on the trans and I might be able to decode it for you.

The numbers will be in 1 of 3 places on the th-350 trans.
Drivers side housing near the shifter arm.
On the right side of the housing above the pan.
On a boss behind the bellhousing flange on the pass. side of the trans.

Oh is it a short or long tailshaft trans? The short shaft will have a 6" tail, the longshaft will be a 9" tail.

The long shaft th-350 was used in trucks and full size cars like the impalas, where the short shaft was used in all other small/med size cars like camaro, nova, chevelle, etc

TheExaminer

I looked for those numbers and could not find any of them on my engine, the trans number I did see. I realize some of them you couldnt see unless you pulled the motor or at least dis-assembled part of it, but I saw nothing. You say theres a plate at the front of the pass head? Nothing on mine at all that I could see. But I think youd need an inspection camera for most of this.

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

No, no plate, and not on head. It's part of the block, in front of the head

Every SBC has a machined pad on front of engine, pass. side in front of head.. It sticks out past the head, but it will be behind the ALT.

No, no inspection camera needed.. Just a flashlight really, and of course like I said before some type of cleaner, brush and rag.

Look down between ALT and head, up towards the intake.

Here's a pic of my car with engine installed.. Look at the yellow arrow and circle I made on it. The suffix code is where the arrow points.

The casting number on block.. If installed in a third gen.. Go on driver's side fender, shine a flash light down behind the driver's valve cover, stretch up and over, with your head right on the power brake booster, look down under the wiper motor and behind the valve cover..

I don't have a clear pic of the casting number with head on block, but here's one with out the head, look at the yellow square and the arrow.. The arrow points to casting number

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

The pics didnt upload.. Lets try that again

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

Judging by what you just said... no, it wont affect the value. You driving it and it having more than 50k miles on it has a far greater impact on the value than changing the axle out as long as it's similarly equipped.

While your combination is desirable and "rare", it's just not special enough that those alone will have a huge impact on the value of the car. Therefore the car being COMPLETELY original down to engine casting numbers etc isnt that important. Im not even sure there's a way to track an axle to a particular car, so there's probably not even a way to tell if it's not stock unless the gears/posi dont match. So dont fret too much. The important thing is desirable options + good condition. The car needs to be very, very rare or a special limited edition model (Think Turbo Trans Am, or very very low mileage 1LE car) to have these really specific things be that big of a part in the value of the car.

It is special enough that youdont need to be throwing carbs and turbos and LS swaps in it, though. But that's my opinion...

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

Oh here you go.. Shows where the codes are and tells you a good bit about ID'ing parts
http://www.nastyz28.com/chevy-engine-code-stampings.php
http://www.mortec.com/location.htm
http://www.mortec.com/locatpg2.htm

TheExaminer

Ok, I was trying to see it from beneath while I was checking the trans number and some other things. Ill try looking from above next. Thx!

TheExaminer

Yeah, you about spelled it out I think. Rare, but not super valuable. Id estimate it at maybe $7,500 or so as it sits now if Im lucky. Body is almost perfect. When I get the money, other than chroming the plenum/runners, Id like to keep the engine looking the same on the outside, but beef it up internally to 300-350 hp. But, thats gonna take me a while....lol.

TheExaminer

No dice. Theres no plate, or machined area like that on my engine that I can see, at least not anything that looks like what you showed. The head is flush with the block, I dont see anything looking from above protruding from the block from that angle. Didnt see anything from below either. Like I said, inspection camera would be the only way. Just way too much stuff--smog pump, wires, brackets, etc.--in the way--you cant see jack squat. But my alternator is on the driver's side, could be because its a Firebird--but I didnt see anything on that side either. Same with those numbers on the backside. Too many hoses, wires, etc. No way I could see that with the engine still in the car.

TheExaminer

Heres what it looks like under my hood....

paulo57509

Unless the block was decked, you should see something like this in front of the passenger side cylinder head.

TheExaminer

I'll have to really dig in there and look again. I doubt it was ever decked, the car has 156k, and the motor looks every bit of it. Clean overall, but plenty of old drips and leaks here and there. Pretty sure its OE, and has never been rebuilt. Im a bit of an ingnoramus, thats why Im trying to learn on this site! LOL Theres just so much crap cluttering it up in there. I'll keep looking. Thx....

TheExaminer

Just went out and looked. Actually had better luck in the dark with a flashlight. You can see something is there, but reading any numbers off it is out of the question. That threaded hole in your pic is where the belt tensioner bracket bolts on, I think, and it totally hides any numbers. Plus, theres one of those flex hose wire covers about 3/4" wide that runs directly in front of it as you look from the pass fender. Like I said, inspection camera. LOL

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

Clean looking engine BTW..

Yeah it can be a real pain trying to see those numbers on a pretty much stock third gen EFI car.

I just went and looked at my '91 formula L98 and yeah your not gonna see it with out taking something off. The big alum. bracket that holds the AC and belt tensioner is bolted into the head acc. bolt hole and the leg of the alum. bracket sides right over top of where the suffix code machined pad is.

I didn't try but you might be able to pull the air intake filter off and look down from from the top side and see it, but not sure.

Atleast you know now where the numbers are

Also keep in mind the cleaning part I mentioned. Those numbers are lightly stamped in and fills up with dirt, grease, rust, paint, etc easily.. So most times you have to wire brush the pad, or spray a cleaner like brake parts cleaner, etc on pad and scrub with detail brush, toothbrush, etc and wipe with rag to get it where you can see the numbers clear..

Sometimes it's also hard to tell 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 apart and 1 and 7

TheExaminer

Thanks! PO's did a few dumb things, but by and large its been taken care of. I painted the plenum and dist cover this spring, and did some general cleanup on it. The most frustrating thing for me now is simply my lack of knowledge. Learning in leaps and bounds, but every time I encounter something, I have to google it, or come on here and ask about it. But thats the breaks. Part of the reason I bought this car was to learn about it as I go. Thirdgen 'Birds have been my favorite car since I was 12 watching Knight Rider. This is my third one, but this is the first one Ive rolled up my sleeves on as far as mechanically goes. Thx for all the tips.

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

Your welcome man.. You'll get it, it just takes time. We all started somewhere. I can't remember when I wasn't working on cars. My dad use to do body work, and buy and resell cars so I learnt a lot of the basics before I was even double digits. I remember helping to change a master cylinder and bleed brakes on an old toyota 3TC engine car when I was 6.. Always trumping through junkyards with my dad

I got into the engines as an early teen cause I wanted to drag race. I grew up and lived less than a mile from a 1/8th mile dragstrip.

Been wrenching on them ever since. Also learning new things every day. Don't feel bad that you need to go look up something or that you don't know X. Like I said I'm still learning 'car stuff' 20 years after building my 1st engine.

Just a word of caution.. You probably already know this but want to point out. Everything you read online is not true, so if your looking up something look in more places than 1, do your research and remember just cause it was printed in a magazine don't make it true either lol

BTW.. Loved Knight Rider growing up too. I now own most of them on DVD... and I guess you can see that by my screen name.

I lost track of the third gens I have owned. I think I'm at 9 with this '91 formula but she's got to go. Got to make room and time for other projects that needs to be finished

TheExaminer

Yeah, I have the dvd sets too, along with gobs of other classic tv. Spenser for Hire just came out finally! But yeah, I know about the online stuff. Ive seen the arguments between posters even on here. One of the more entertaining was an argument about whether or not you should change the filter/fluid in your transmission. LOL But most of the stuff I google is to see what the function or location of something is. I got a code 23, and had to look up what the IAT was, and where it was. But now I know, and Ive learned how to check continuity in the wiring harness and so forth, in case its not the sensor itself etc. i wish I had your background, but doing the best I can to catch up.