Ok, i know that if you know the casting number you can identify the block....BUT

can you identify the block casting by the vehicle? Are there any castings that are vehicle specific? or and vehicles that are casting specific?

I know the truck is a 78 3/4 ton pick-up, it has smallblock 400 and a th400. Is there anyway to tell the casting number by just having the model and make? What are the chances its a 509 2-bolt?

OR do i have to dig thru the crud and look for a casting number.

 

only way to know for sure is clean the crud off and get the casting number.. knowing what its in can give you an educated guess as to what you have but theres really no way of knowing what it is for sure without actually checking the block.. think about it, after all these years it may not even be the origional engine..

 

The only thing that links a specific vehicle with a specific block is the numbers stamped onto the waterpump mount on the front pass side of the block. Those numbers will tell you what the block came out of (ie. '78 pickup) and its original configuration (ie. 180hp 400ci).

You know how you always hear about the old 302s for the Z/28s being "DZ motors"? Thats what they are refering to... "DZ" was one of the numbers stamped into the waterpump mount, and that made that block specific to a Z/28 Camaro, and not a truck or Corvette, or an SS Camaro, or whatever. Only a Z/28 and only in 1969.

 

looks like im going to be scraping crud..its ok i can get the whole truck for a couple hundred

 

im just curious to know if my engine is original, where can i find the engine # i would think it would be on the block but i looked and from what i could see... well i really cant see any #s or anything

 

www.mortec.com

 

Look on the machined pad infront of the pass side head. Should eb right under your alternator.

 

i know when i was routing through the boneyard for a rebuildable small block some of them had the last three numbers ie 509 right near the engine mount on the block.Sometimes it easyer to read then like you say scrapin all that crud off the back hehe i hate that too