i bought this car awhile ago and I have been working on it ever since but i have run into some problems (you guys have been really helpful so far) and i need to know if my engine is a 305 or 350tpi. The car is a 1989 trans am gta but im not sure if the engine is stock. I would really appreciate if someone could help me identify my engine

 

Check the casting number on the block.

 

ya drivers side back of the block rite behind the head if it is a 1987up block itll have 5.0 or 5.7 stamped rite there if its an older block the same place will have a casting number that if you have that we can tell you all youll need to know about the block....beyond that questions like this man you can use the bar at the top of the screen there is a plethora of information on this website and you wont have to wait for a reply and youll fish up alot more good info at the same time

 

i did look there and it has a casting number (i think) but it cant be older than 1987 cause the car is an 1989 gta

 

You said you aren't sure if it's the original motor, right? If it is, look up the vin.. that will tell you the motor. If not, it can be a _lot_ older than an 89.. blocks are blocks, and most rebuilts are on older blocks.

 

If is an 87 - 89 block, it will have stamped on the deck right behind the drv side head
"5.7" or "5.0". If it has a series of numbers it's an older block and not an oringinal engine.
You may have to move some wire loom out of the way to see the numbers.

 

thats what im trying to do. i want to find out what engine this is. the vin of the car checks out but i have no clue how to id the engine

 

the series of numbers is 3970010

 

go read this:

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/sbc-...ock-46624.html

 

That's an older 1 piece RMS 350 block, driver side dipstick, probably the most common one there is.

 

wait so i'm confused. (sorry guys im new at this) so this isnt the original engine out of the car? I mean it looks identical to an L98. it even has GM right above the number I just posted.

 

Small block chevy blocks are essentially interchangeable. The block has been changed, everything on top of it could be original.

 

so this is an l98 engine? is this the same engine that is in a 89 gta? are the specs the same? im really confused. im sorry for so many questions

 

"L98" was the RPO code for the entire engine, which included heads, pistons, cam, exhaust, intake, etc. When you change any of those, it's not really an L98 anymore. If the replacement parts have the same specs as the original ones, it'll at least be similar.

 

so is this good or bad that the engine was replaced? im really worried that I have wasted my time and money on this car now (im still an amateur with all this)

 

It depends what it was replaced with.

 

well im not sure about that. I mean it looks exactly like an L98 and it runs good but it has some problems that ive been trying to fix and thats how i came to wanting to know what engine it was. now you've got me all worried that I wasted my money.

 

Don't worry about it too much, with TPI on it, it'll be enough like an L98 that you can treat it like one. The heads might be original, you'd have to check the numbers on those to see. The cam will almost certainly be different, but hopefully similar. The pistons may be different as well.

 

well that answers my question on the engine now i just need to figure out why i cant find where to hook up the line from the egr(code 32) and also why my temp gauge doesnt work (code 15)

 

Not sure on the EGR, but get a multimeter and start chasing out the temp gauge. Could just be a bad sensor, or a short in the wiring somewhere.

 

The temperature sensor from the ECM is completely different from the gauge circuitry.

 

well the the coolant temp sensor is hooked up but the sensor under the driver side head between plug 1 and 3 (engine temp sensor i think) has nothing hooked up to it. im not sure of the connector that needs to hook up to it. (there is a blue wire with a butchered connection that i think might be the wire but idk the connector i need to buy to replace it.

 

Between 1 and 3 is the stock location for the gauge sender, the sensor for the ECM is on the intake.

 

i know that im trying to find the right colored wire that hooks up to the gauge sender. i also need to know what kind of connector to buy and where i can get it. I think i have found the wire but the connector on it is butchered

 

also I would like to know what type of engine this is as I have researched it and there are several types of 3970100 engines

 

You'd have to tear it down and inspect. The original application doesn't make any difference to what it is now, anyway.

 

why i was wondering this is because i wanted to know if it was in a camaro, truck or corvette. supposedly these engine all had different performance ratings. i dont think it was the camaro cause that was a 302 and you guys said this is a 350. im just wondering cause I found the VIN

 

It doesn't matter, because all those performance ratings were for the complete engine package in those vehicles. As far as we know right now, you've only got the block.

 

ok well that answers my questions. im glad its a 350 i did some research on this block and a lot of people say its very good quality so that makes me happy. I just hope it has equal performance to an l98.

 

I have a similar situation, where I purchased an 87 Formula it WAS an LB9/M5 from the factory...

I am not sure how well the 305/m5 from the factory ran, but the car pulls really well... better than my other cars with an automatic... A previous owner put Formula 350 decals on the doors, and the valve covers are center-bolt type from a Corvette and the Distributor cover is Aluminum. However the heads are apparently Cast Iron so if it was from a Vette, its not all Vette. Since it is an 87 I cannot get to the back of the Drivers side head as there is a metal tube that covers that part of the block.

I know that behind the alternator (RH front of the block) has a partial VIN. Unfortunately what I remember is it has the last 8 digits of the VIN, and some other numbers stamped in it, which does not include the Engine VIN code.

john