I was just donated a motor by a guy I work with. He didnt know what it was. His father-in-law left it at his house and decided he no longer wanted it. I decided to help the guy (and maybe myself) out and remove it from his garage.

My problem is finding out what engine it is. I looked up the casting number on MorTec and the number was used twice. Once on a '75 262cid and also on '76-79 305cid motors. The head number is the same for both. so the only option left is the date code, correct?

Where on the block can I find the date code and where can I get a list to see what the code is?

 

There should be a number on the crank somewere.. If you can find out what the crank is, and know what the block is, you will know what you have for sure.

 

Go to www.chevymania.com and click on "how to identify" or something like that.

 

the date code should be behind the pass side head similiar to where the casting # is but on the opposite side, for diff years they sorta move, some are more in back of the intake some are more in back on the pass side head.. also might wanna take a look at the suffix code in front of the pass side head on the small ledge next to the water pump.. should also help identify what you have..

 

Well if that's what the block is, then it's a 3.736" block, and that's all you're going to learn from looking at block numbers. Date codes, install stampings, all that is useless.

What are you really trying to find out? There's no way you're going to be able to tell what its displacement is now, since it could have been rebuilt as anything that uses that bore. You'll have to look at the crank too, to find out what the displacement is.

This is alot like the people who think that they're going to find out what gears they have by posting the "codes" off their tag. More than one person here has been bit, to the point of buying parts that don't fit, by hallucinating that those old "codes" still mean anything.