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Whats my engine..

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Old 09-12-2012, 06:33 PM
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Car: 1988 Camaro, Holley 600 series.
Engine: 350 w/350 TPI heads
Transmission: 90+ 700R4
Axle/Gears: not sure
Whats my engine..

Okay this is what I got.. I thought it was a 305 I just took all the pistons out to re ring them... I cant find ANY rings that match up to the size..

I found out its a 350.. here is the numbers please help me identify this so I can get this done.

5.7 LG SG1
14093638

(some random number) E090..

If someone can please tell me what engine this is that would be awesome. Im POSITIVE... this is not the original engine unless it was specially made like this.
Old 09-12-2012, 07:33 PM
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Car: 89 IROC Z/88 IROC Vert
Engine: 350c.i./305c.i.
Transmission: 700R4/T-56
Axle/Gears: 3.42/4.10
Re: Whats my engine..

Been discussed before.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...-identify.html

Unless the engine has been bored you just need stock rings for a 4.00 bore.
Old 09-12-2012, 08:05 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

Originally Posted by jas2730
Been discussed before.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...-identify.html

Unless the engine has been bored you just need stock rings for a 4.00 bore.
Um okay.... I guess I didn't explain this right.............

I work at advanced auto.. all the stock 350 oil spacer rings are HUGE.. compared to the one I have. Ive had many people look at them and some mechanics said they looked over sized and some said it looked like a 383 piston..

I took a piston to gear heads.. they said the spacer is a metric spacer and there was only 2 engines in the late 80's early 90's with metric rings... although he didnt tell me what they were.

The link you gave me did NOT help me at all.. I looked it up and narrowed it down to three possibilities..

I found one that matches the numbers and it said it was a vintage motor, something about a crate motor, and another was about a truck engine.. The closest thing I found so far was the vintage motor and I have no idea what that means...

I need to buy these rings asap..

The compression ring in MM is 4.4 for the height and 2.2 for the width... If someone can provide me with some actual information on this id be really grateful. The actual piston is 3.967
Old 09-12-2012, 08:10 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

Why dont you mic up the bore so we can actually help you instead of throwing out random numbers on the block that are arbitrary if the block has been previously bored.

Its really very simple.

Casting number indicates a generic late 80's to mid 90's 350, 2 or 4 bolt main 1 piece rear seal.

Last edited by blackbmagic; 09-12-2012 at 08:27 PM.
Old 09-12-2012, 08:11 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

Starting some time around 90, they changed to metric rings.

Sounds like you probably have a "crate" replacement motor, or perhaps just a pull, from that era.

Look up rings for something like a 94 Chevy truck and see if those fit better.
Old 09-12-2012, 08:13 PM
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Car: 1988 Camaro, Holley 600 series.
Engine: 350 w/350 TPI heads
Transmission: 90+ 700R4
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Re: Whats my engine..

Originally Posted by blackbmagic
Why dont you mic up the bore so we can actually help you instead of throwing out random numbers on the block that are arbitrary if the block has been previously bored.

Its really very simple.
wouldn't you just assume that the 3.967 inches of the piston.. would mean the bore would be a 4.000?

Does anyone understand what im saying the oil ring spacer for a stock chevy 350 is HUGE.. it does not fit, at all not even close... Its almost half the size.. I gave you the cast number not some random fu**Ing number that I just read off the engine.. Wheres tuned performance when I need him..
Old 09-12-2012, 08:14 PM
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Engine: 350 w/350 TPI heads
Transmission: 90+ 700R4
Axle/Gears: not sure
Re: Whats my engine..

Originally Posted by sofakingdom
Starting some time around 90, they changed to metric rings.

Sounds like you probably have a "crate" replacement motor, or perhaps just a pull, from that era.

Look up rings for something like a 94 Chevy truck and see if those fit better.
Thank you for some actual insight... this will at least get me started in the right direction rather than sitting here wandering.
Old 09-12-2012, 08:14 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

The casting # of the block doesn't tell what size rings the pistons are cut for.
Old 09-12-2012, 08:18 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

Originally Posted by sofakingdom
The casting # of the block doesn't tell what size rings the pistons are cut for.
Still not some random number.. So where is the rest of this vin because looking it up and there is some vin that has letter and numbers? like th3849lw or something..
Old 09-12-2012, 08:49 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

Mic the bore, and get the right size hardware. I really dont see the issue. Your asking about your motor, but in all seriousness you dont know if it has been bored.

Looks like you have to go somewhere else for rings. If your piston is the size you say it is and you mic'd it up then just order the right size.

Last edited by blackbmagic; 09-12-2012 at 08:52 PM.
Old 09-12-2012, 08:49 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

.
Old 09-12-2012, 09:08 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

I think he may also be having issues with the thickness of the rings, not just the bore. The ring thickness needs to match the size of the ring groove in the pistons.

Another thing is the rings themselves. OEM replacement rings are probably already sized up but any overbore will probably have file to fit rings. They'll all be oversized and you need to file the ends to get the proper end clearance.
Old 09-12-2012, 09:53 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

Alky is right; the OE ring grooves in the pistons in some of those motors are not as "deep" as most others.

At one time, no one offered replacement rings for them; not even GM themselves.

If whatever you can get at Advanced doesn't fit, the GM store may be your only hope. Might end up having to buy pistons AND rings.

AFAIK none of those "numbers" on that block are of any help. Although, if you just really want to know, "E090" is the casting date of the block... the Eth month (5th, May), day 09, in a year ending in 0 (probably 1990). Not that any of that is of any value, beyond mere curiosity.
Old 09-13-2012, 07:21 AM
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Car: 1988 Camaro, Holley 600 series.
Engine: 350 w/350 TPI heads
Transmission: 90+ 700R4
Axle/Gears: not sure
Re: Whats my engine..

Originally Posted by AlkyIROC
I think he may also be having issues with the thickness of the rings, not just the bore. The ring thickness needs to match the size of the ring groove in the pistons.

Another thing is the rings themselves. OEM replacement rings are probably already sized up but any overbore will probably have file to fit rings. They'll all be oversized and you need to file the ends to get the proper end clearance.
So your saying if it was an oversized piston meaning the bore is a 4.030 (because when I bought it they said it was 30 over) Im not sure if they meant the cam or if they mean the actual bore size. They didn't seem to know to much and the micrometer I used is at work. But if it was oversized Id have to file the oil spacer rings to fit? The 2mm deep oil ring seemed to be the best fit even know they had the 1.5 on there.. The 1.5 has way to much play the 2 just barely has any.


The oil spacer ring is the only thing not fitting.. all the other rings seemed to fit okay.
Old 09-13-2012, 08:29 AM
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Re: Whats my engine..

You're a parts man and you can't figure this out? I'm not suprised.
Old 09-13-2012, 08:41 AM
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Re: Whats my engine..

I never said I was a mechanic, this is my first car, I know about my car.. and Im just learning and learning and learning.. No need to insult me cause of where I work. I did the measurements and came out to this.. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SLP-R9968/?rtype=10 Looks like ill have to buy these because its the only part that fits..

And not only could I not find it.. no one could.. I took it to gearheads they all said it was strange. Took it to a mechanic he said he never seen anything like it and I may need to get a whole new piston set. I took it to multiple places and everyone was baffled. So unless you have something to actually contribute (which you dont) stfu.
Old 09-13-2012, 10:34 AM
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Re: Whats my engine..

Measure the bore with a dial indicater, check for taper while your at it, measure the ring thickness with dial calipers and go to a real parts store and have them find a ring set on the sealed power catalog.
Old 09-13-2012, 11:09 AM
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Re: Whats my engine..

Originally Posted by hpete
Measure the bore with a dial indicater, check for taper while your at it, measure the ring thickness with dial calipers and go to a real parts store and have them find a ring set on the sealed power catalog.
Wasn't aware that there was a such thing as a fake parts store.. Our store carries those catalogs? I already ordered them, ill let you know if they are the right size, hard to tell from the pic but they look smaller than the ones I was getting.. Theyll be here tomorrow.
Old 09-13-2012, 09:19 PM
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Re: Whats my engine..

You can't Mic pistons above the top ring land, they'll always check way small. The heat of running causes a surprising bit of growth. Correct measuring point is the largest measurement you get anywhere below the oil ring.
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