Yes, I know this has been asked a million times, I did do a search, they all say to look at the backside of the drivers side head to see the 5.0 or 5.7 stamp, well, for the life of me I cannot see a damn thing back there so where else can I find some number on the motor(while in the car and assembled) that will tell me for sure what it is?

 

Don't look on the driver side head, look on the block on the flange that the transmission bolts to. It will be staring up at you.

 

That's where I meant. Its covered up because one of the tubes for the stupid AIR system is run right across that area on my car.

 

Quickly please someone, I need to find out for sure by tomorrow.

 

Apparently no one knows any other way???

 

Thats really the easiest way. I think there might be a 3 digit code stamped in the center of the block on the driver side on the bottom about half way between the oil pan and the head. I have a later model 350 block and it says "880" or something like that....I think that will might be enough to tell what block you have. Again I'm not sure about all this. See if you have a number there. You will have to get under the car to see it.

But seriously, get a flashlight (even if it's bright out, you'll need it) a long screwdriver or pry bar to move stuff out of the way, and crawl up on top of your engine and get a real good look back there. It's not easy, but unless somebody swapped in an older 350 block you will see a 5.0 or 5.7 stamping.

 

I had a drop light today and still could'nt see it. Its a steel hard line for the stupid AIR system thats in the way, I dont think its going to move. Granted I only tried with my hand, not a pry bar but I dont think steel is going to move, unless I unbolt the whole AIR system on the driver's side, which Im not going to do(yet anyway, someday its coming off).

Here's the issue, I was told by the previous owner that the owner before him said a 350 was swapped into my car at some point. The previous owner was'nt sure he believed him, so I sure dont have any faith that its true. The car was originally equipped with a 305 and that's what my gut tells me is still in there. I have a chance to buy a 350 for a decent price but obviously I dont want to do that if I already have one!

 

Hate to say it, but thats really the only way you are going to find out. You may find on the other side it stamped 5.0 or 5.7

 

Great. Well, I'll see what I can do about that tube tomorrow.

 

I didn't know AIR system was hard line for TPI. It's rubber like heater hose on my TBI set up.

 

Yeah, quite a bit of mine is stainless hardline. There is some rubber pieces here and there but most of it is hardline. I dont have a garage and it rained here all day so I did'nt get a chance to look at it today. Im just going to bend the **** out of it (if I can being stainless) to try and see it. I gotta let this guy with the motor know soon, I hate to keep him hanging. Stupid AIR system

 

I dont have any pics of my own motor so I stole this one off ebay but see the hardlines coming up off the manifold on the drivers side? Well the large one(that you can clearly see 3 small ones going into in the pic) wraps around the backside of my motor. Im not even sure where it goes. Either over to the other side or to the cat I suppose.

 

Those aren't in the way. Those go into the exhaust manifold, about even with the top of the head.

Either you want to know what you've got, in which case you'll figure out a way to look; or you don't. Making excuses and posting open-hood pics on the Internet won't get you any closer to what you want (if that's what you REALLY want...).

You need to look right here. Top of the bell housing flange, behind the pass side head. About a foot away from the AIR tubes. Those aren't an issue, AT ALL.

 

Dont be such a *****, Im not making excuses,it rained all day and I did'nt get a chance to look today, you're seriously holding the weather against me as an excuse? I only asked the question yesterday. And YES some type of hardline is definately in the way(it sure looks like part of the AIR to me, if its not raining tomorrow and thats what it is, I'll even take a pic, just for you ) and YES I know where to look. Posting pics of where to look over the Internet is'nt going to help me when I already know where to look for that number so if your going to be a ****, get out of my topic. I like how the pic you show is of a motor out of the car, lets see that clear of a pic with it in the car. If you read my posts I was asking if there was any other place to look so obviously I do want to know what I got(I even said I was going to bend whatever the hell that is out of the way but apparently you did'nt read that).

And btw, no **** they go into the exhaust manifold(actually they come OUT of the exhaust manifold) I even said that in my post so dont talk to me like Im an idiot, better yet, dont talk to me at all.

 

no, they actually go INTO the manifold, as hard as that is to believe.

 

on the front of the motor passenger side right below the head there pad the there will be a series of numbers there if you can see them post them here and ill tell you what it is. this will require you to take the a/c compressor off though


heres a pic of the pad
[IMG][/IMG]

 

Thank you camaronut79, and I really do mean that, finally an answer. I knew there had to be somewhere else on the block that had some info on it. I know if I pull a valve cover there should be a number on the head but who's to say the heads havent been swapped? I will look and see what ends up being easier, prying that tube out of the way or pulling the compressor off because I REALLY DO WANT TO KNOW WHAT MOTOR THIS IS.(all caps were'nt for you, just someone else who might be reading). Unfortunately its been raining all day and is forcasted to continue to through the day , I guess thats my excuse for the day today too.

Actually come to think of it, my Alt. is on that side, my A/C is on the driver's side, so it should be relatively easy to get to that number.


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O.k...Im willing to learn here. How is it they go INTO the manifold?

 

The AIR pipes do go into the manifold, AIR stands for Air Injection Reaction. The smog pump pumps additional air into the exhaust stream to help the catalytic converter do its job.

Not to be a *****, but what year is your car? I've never seen one with any kind of hardline at all blocking visibility in the area where the casting number should be.

Dave

 

I know what AIR stands for but I thought exhaust gas went into the air pump and then into the cat. I guess I had it backwards, good thing all that crap is coming off my car at some point anyway.

Asking a question's not being a *****, read his second paragraph, that's being a *****. Its an '87 and like I said, several times now, I THINK its part of the AIR system, that's what it looked like at first glance but I did not trace it back YET. If it ever stops raining here, and it does'nt seem to want to, I will go determine what exactly it its but there is definately some type of tube running right there on my car, as there was also almost every wire harness running right there as well(I dont think they're suppose to be there either because they are all being pulled really tight), some of these things that are'nt right do seem to add credibility that atleast the motor has been out of the car, whether or not it was to swap in a 350 or just to do something to the 305 remains to be seen.

 

I must have missed where you said what year it was. Mine's a 92, but its set up similar enough. There really shouldn't be anything in the way there that can't be moved. Yeah, a wiring harness, a rubber (heater type) hose for the AIR system, vaccum to the brake booster and thats about it. Mine doesn't have any hard lines there at all. Nothing.
But everything else everyone said is true. Look to the driver's side rear of the block, just behind the head (like in the picture Sofa posted). Depending on the year it will have a 7 or 8 digit number, and may or may not say 5.0/5.7.
Try to get a picture of this hard tube you speak of... ya got me (and all of us probably) curious.

And thanks for all the rain, we're getting all that in Cincinnati now

Dave

 

Dude, it still has'nt left here. Its raining as we speak!...well type, I guess. I had about a five minute gap where I ran out and tried to look once again and still could'nt see anything but the tube Im talking about. I dont know how well my cheapo camera will take a pic from that close but I will take one, if it ever quits raining. As for the number underneath it, Im giving up on it and pulling the alternator and getting the number camaronut mentioned. That was afterall the original intent of this post was to find a different number, one that I could actually see.

 

Great way to make friends with one of the most knowledgeable and helpful members on the Board. . .

Anyway, if you're having trouble seeing the block casting # behind the driver's side head, get underneath the car and look for three digits cast into the side of the block. They'll be large enough to see without a whole lot of looking. They represent the last 3 digits of the casting number, with are the most important (definitive) part of the casting #. I can't say that every block will have those numbers cast there, but I've seen enough blocks with them to be worth the effort of looking.

 

The crossover AIR tube on a TPI (hard line, stainless steel, at least all the ones I've ever seen) runs across the back of the block, right over the numbers in question. The bracket on the driver side for that AIR hard line mounts to the bolt hole just below the valve cover in the picture above and sits towards the block from there. You can read the numbers back there, but its difficult. There's also the last 3 digits of the block number on the side of the block. Get a mirror and look at the ones on the driver side. Thats the easiest way.

 

I stand corrected then. Never seen that before, all the ones I've seen had a soft crossover tube (my AIR line to the cat is stainless, but on the passenger side), but I've only worked on a few TPI cars. My own mainly, and since its a convert from TBI I'm pretty familiar with all its intimate details.
Still would be interested in seeing it though. Always like to learn.

Supposed to rain all frickin day here too. It's been raining non-stop for about 30 hours hours. Supposed to finally quit about dusk tonight.

Dave

 

I was hesitant to suggest a mirror because of possible exhaust interference, but it's worth a try. I was just under my car a couple of weeks ago and those numbers practically shouted at me (with proper light, of course).

 

I hope you mean the way he talked to me. Yeah, he's real helpful, just the kinda guy I wanna be friends with. If he'd like to apologize, then we can talk, if not, he can take a hike. I appreciate the tip(from you) about these other numbers to look for, if the ones I just found dont pan out, I will look for them.



THANK YOU madmax, I was getting tired of everyone talking to me like I was crazy, so thank you, thank you, thank you.



I was busy all day today (the first day it has'nt rained in like forever, we have flooding all over the area) but I went out in the dark with a shop light, pulled the alternator and this is the number on the pad camaronut79 mentioned. Im going to start looking around on the net to see if I can get anything out of it, if anybody knows anything before me (I'll post if I find out anything) feel free to post. V1128ATF

 

Well, aint that a bitch....after ALL that it turns out it was replaced...with a different 305! Atleast thats what I get out of it. ATF being the "suffix code" which makes it an '89 305 LB9. That sucks.

Anyway, Im sorry but Im not going to even try to get a picture of that tube. I know its there and I feel justified in that madmax verified it for me. Its funny so many people who thought they knew it was'nt there were wrong. Maybe its not on all cars, that's why when you're talking about cars you can never state things as definately are or definately are not, some just need to learn that I guess, make themselves more knowledgeable instead of assuming they know all. Its obvioulsly not on TBI's since owners of those cars say its rubber and Ive never owned a TBI so Im sure not going to argue. Those of you who want to see it, start scouring junkyards, lol. I might be there looking for a 350.