ok so this always happens to me.. notings were it's spouse to be... i look were the block number spouse to be and all it says is 197 and i looks to be screwed on with a screw at each end on the number. were would my block number be then

 

The block casting number is behind the driver's side head.

 

it's not thier. it's scurbed down and everything. but thier are some numbers on the pass side. could it be thier

 

It's cast into the bell housing casting.

I've heard of replacement blocks, such as the Goodwrench or Targetmaster lines, not having a "proper" casting #.

Did you check the s/n pad located in front of the passenger side head?

 

it was just on the ledge on the pass side. which is kinda wired. at leasy i think so

 

#'s location

 

yeah i already look at the mortec site. and i'm almost pos. that that is the block number cause it's 7-8 charters long. no letters. and it fits the first 3 or alot fo the codes

 

You only gave us "197". What are the "7-8" characters?

 

no i found a differnt' number form the other side. 140xxxxx i cna't read the rest it was getting late and dark outside.

 

The "140xxxxx" is your block casting number.

You need to get the rest of it. It could be a 305, 350, or 267. Most likely it's a 305, though.

 

It should look like this

 

no it's a 5.7 it says that on the drivers side ledge. 5.7l g on one angle of the ledge then the one above it it says 197. and the other side it says a bigg code

 

It probably one of these 14010201...305...80-85...2. This is what i have in my car. You can also find the last 3 digits of the casting # cast into the side of the block, 4-6" above the pan. When i had my car jacked up i saw 201 cast into the side, just another aproach, if you can't see the whole number back there.

 

it's a 5.7 it's not the stock motor i'm just trying to find the block number so i can figure out what kinda 350 it is. ididn't put ti in the previus owner did. now i get to miss match parts. heads are next

 

So on the passenger side there is a long number, 6,7 or 8 long?

 

yes thats what i'm syaing. i dunno y it would be thier

 

It doesn't matter what 350, it is. There negible differance between 350 blocks, that is if it really is a 350. There is no way to tell what 350 it is by the casting #, if the motor has been screwed with. I mean i could have been rebuilt to competely different specs. So you really won't know anything, you will just know what block you have.

 

yeah well it was rebuilt but it only cost him 1200 bucks to do. so i'm not thinking anything was done to it. beside a diffren't intae and carb. i'm checking the block number then the head number seeing if they match. if they do i know what stock hp i am makeing

 

You do, how? The casting number doesn't tell you what vehicle it came from. You need the suffix code on the front passenger pad of the block to do that. If its been rebuilt and decked, to bad you will never know. You will just know what HP range that block was used for. The 3970010 block was used in everything from Camaro's to trucks, from 150hp-350hp. It doesn't mean anything tangible, but it may give you a warm fuzzy feeling, i don't know.

 

yes the warm fuzzy feeling.... yup...... no jk. this is just for figureing out whats under the hood kinda thing

 

There is no way to tell what engine you have, you can only tell what block you have. There is a difference and it is a big difference.

 

The block casting # may give you the desired warm fuzzy. And confirm it is acutally a 350 and not a 305.

The head casting #'s will tell you if there's any potential there. If they end in "882", then you know he got less than the $1200 he paid.

That still doesn't tell you the critical cam specs. With the casting #'s, you'll have a better handle on potential, but w/o the cam information, you'll be clueless as to the power you should be able to expect.