Chrysler smallblock engine ID *by the numbers* 

Glad you posted this. Fortunately I was in the 'know' when I bought my 1st 79 Chrysler 300 in 93. The owner swore it had a 440.. but by distributor location, I knew enough to know it was a sb 360. When i showed him the date codes on the side of the block, he finally was convinced. It was the original engine, #s matching, but was not a BB engine like the seller was saying it was. Thx again for posting. And yes, many OE Mopar parts have the star or sprite shaped logo with the date cast into them, on nearly every accessory part. That comes in handy when trying to match up a starter or alternator. Especially when a dumb parts counter person asks what amperage alt you have...

Dist has casting info inside similar to the nos. on the alternator. The "dash" number after the 318 (drivers side) is critical. -1 is a car block, a -3 is a hi nickel truck block. Aluminum casting: looks kind of like a clock w/ the year in the center and the number of blocks (around the edge) indicates month. Ex: 65 in center = 1965, 4 blocks w dots in it = April. Also, all 360 engines will have a counter weighted harmonic balancer (external balance) that is considerably thicker than the 318. 360 2bbl intakes use a larger 2bbl than the 318. These last 2 are quick ways to spot a 360.

This is exactly what I needed. Just got a 78 Dodge F30 with a replaced motor. They were not to clear on what motor was put in it but now I can look and see for myself to get parts.

I truly appreciate you helping us out. I had my Dodge for a few months and havent got around to actually seeing what I have. To my delight I now know that I have a 1989 360.... Thanks again...

Great Tip Brother.. I use to work for a Famous Restoration parts store, and have Told Customers over the Phone, that were new to Chrylser ownership, how to ID these Mopars.. Mostly with good news... thanks always..

Thank you kindly sir, this 74 W100 is my first v8 mopar.

thanks man just found out I have a 340 in my truck !

Heya Tyler. Thanks for this post.I just picked up a 23 T-bucket. The owner was claiming it was a 360 (that he was told by the previous owner).It was painted some metallic blue to match the body color;not Mopar blue. I scraped below the drivers' side head and with no luck finding the numbers,(my eyes aren't what they used to be) But the casting numbers were 2780930-340-8 yay! with a date code on the passenger side of 8-70. Though a 360 could be built to compare(even a 318 could), I am satisfied that it was a 340! Always wanted one. Now to figure what heads are on it...

This is the exact set of woes I have been dealing with. I have the manual and been ordering parts for the year it's supposed to be. Seems like a couple sensors are missing and the computer is from a previous year. It's an odd ball 83 new Yorker 5th Avenue edition. Never occurred to me to check the numbers first. Thanks so much for the video.

THANK YOU ,,THANK YOU...I just bought a Lil' Red and wasn't sure if it had the correct engine. It dose,,

I have several Mopar engines that I have aquired the only one I know for sure is the 360 magnum in the 1995 Ram I got. Now I will be looking at numbers on the others in the afternoon. Very informative. Thank you liked.

You helped us identify the motor and year in our old firsty that we've had for almost a year! Thank you so much for this video

Thank you so much my uncle died he was building a moter before he died I knew it was a mopar because he and I were always mopar fans put I had know idea what one it was so thank you so much he was always help me with stuff like that

very clear and informative, thanks again.

Couldnt tell if the motor in a Dakota Im about to buy was a 318 or 360.Now I know how to tell....thank you very much.

thanks for the video- great info- I just bought a 76 dodge van- 318.

dude. thank you very much. I bought a 69 coronet and don't know the displacement. I will be looking today.

Thanks for the info. Excellent

Tricky stuff there. Good to know. Lots of ways to know so that is good too when something was pieced together perhaps.

Chrysler is nuts about proving what the engine is. The 318 has a letter at the end. A 360 will have a 2 or a 4 that means carb 2 or 4 barrel. Big blocks are the same way. Numbers even match the vin so you know if numbers matching. They do the same with vehicles and putting the vin all over the place. The alternators have dates on both cases.

Hi there I have a mystery dodge engine too thinking its a 361 ci. Thanks for your useful info.

Muchas gracias por la información 💪👏👏👏👏

Thank You SO MUCH for Sharing this Info & Knowledge! I have a 1977 Dodge Van B200 Tradesman. The Van Hasn't Been Driven on the Street for 20 Years. I had some Friends Help me with an Engine Swap 10 Years ago, & I Can't Remember if the New Engine we Swapped into it was a 318 or 360. This Should help with ordering Parts, Etc. I'm 98% Sure the Engine & Trans came from a 1974-1979 Dodge Pick-up. The Only thing that Stopped us from Finishing it was I Believe the Tailshafts are Different on a Truck Transmission VS. a Van Transmission. So we weren't able to Bolt the Tranny into the Crossmember, or use the Stock Driveshaft. Do you know if the Tailshafts are interchangeable? Both were 727 Transmissions I Believe & the Van Tranny was Totally Worn out/Shot.

Long live mopar, I have a 1977 360 and a 1968 440. both run great

i hope i remember this story right. in the late 60s i was buying Mopar parts at a dealer. the old parts man told me the part number for a block or head changed after the first time they machined it. but the casting number is important.

This helped me out tremendously

thank you thank you ,super helpful

awesome, a lot of help!!! thank you

Good information Thank you

318 has "engine block core casting plugs" (not "freeze plugs": freeze your motor at -50'F and see what happens) that line up with the block pillars and are offset somewhat; 340 & 360 have equidistant block plugs more toward the middle area of the block.

Regarding your reference to the first 5 characters of the serial number stamped in the front drivers side of engine block... You said the 1st character is the year code... Where can one find the cross-walk or reference for what that year code translates to... OR what are they? do you know? IF for example engine is in vehicle and cannot see casting numbers on passenger side of block because they are covered by exhaust manifolds, headers etc... thanks in advance.

poor 318s get no respect! but 600hp with streetable cam, compression ratio and N/A isn't to shabby?

Thank you.

thank you so much

If the front side of my block says what looks to be a 4W 360(then a number I cant read) ending with 4729, what do I have?

does carburetor give you more power than fuel injection i have a 93 dodge Dakota with the 318 fule injection trying to find ways to get more horsepower

I just found out I have a 360. Thank you

What about the heads. Im having a hard time finding videos helping with checking head numbers. Several videos show the block number locations. And the trans number locations. Everyone seems to skip over the heads. Do you know where the head numbers are and how to decipher them Tyler ? Help

Thank you loads for this

great video. do you have one to i.d. the heads on a so-called 340 a guy has for sale that says they are not X heads? Thanks Matt

you sir, are a god!

Hello my friend, I hope you can help me with this. I own a 64 dodge 330 2 door hardtop , mexican car, in US it was called 440. My mexican title says motor number V318etc. In the door area, left hand, down, near kickplates, it has two plates stamped, one is the VIN, the other plate is black and says serial number and -numero de motor- which means engine number and has the same number as the title V318 etc... the engine is stamped with V318 etc, same number... this is on the rear of the power steering pump, just as your video shows. Now... I wonder if in 1964 Chrysler made 318LA engines, because I read somewhere that this LA engines started in 1967 and in 1964 there were only Poly-A engines, is it possible that export cars had that type of engine on that date? My car has a VIN with the number 8 which I understand means EXPORT, that is in the Plant number place of the VIN. THANKS !!!!

Thanks!!

Great info ,I just bought an 86 w250 long bed with a 4 speed and he said it was a 318, I dont care I just want to know what I have

Nice info ;)

Well...I never understand why so many put down stock 318's...or stock motors of other kinds. To me they're all interesting though I admit those 318 small blocks are my favorite. I'd love to rebuild a rare four-valve 318 one day!!!

Thanks, already asked the ebay seller to send me the full engine number

I lucked out on my 360! My engine was made last week of the last month of the last year they made them in Canada... well at least the heads are...

Bro! I have a 1973 Charger, the engine was replaced with a 360 magnum, I want to do the transmission conversion from auto to manual, I need to find out I my block is the small or the big block, How do I find out? and what do you recommend looking for before committing to pay $5000 for a manual transmission?

If you go a little further back on the block it will have a D or N for day or night build.

Hello guys,,!Where can i find the stamps or numbers in the 426hemi ?

what the set of numbers next to the 5M318

The -3 on the end of the casting number IS important

Hey how do I find engine numbers on a 1979 Pontiac lemans coupe with 231-2v v6 Buick engine

where are the casting numbers for the heads? i got a 239 V6 for a 1990 dakota yes its an LA block

I need some help decoding my engine. I know it’s a 360. Just trying to figure out what year it is

what would a 7k-360 mean? head cast numbers say the heads are 318

Okay so now I know the engine in the motor home is a 1971 360 with a 727 hanging off the ass end, 37000 miles and it still starts and runs needed a water pump and sat for 45 years but still started and ran yearly before I got it 37000 miles it ain't even broke in. Need a "A" body..

Mine says WH360R 3783 , what’s would that mean ?

Was a 383 Dodge engine considered a big block or a small block? Does anyone know?

I got a mopar small block "818", built on a Friday in September of 1967 😂💩

I've got what I thought was a 68 camper special turns out it's a 69 everything I looked at said 69 except the alternator it's 68

While helpful, these no's don't tell the entire story. I have a Mopar remanufactured 360 on which the front stamped no's have been obliterated While the block casting may ID the BLOCK this does not tell you if someone has stuck a 318 cast crank, or a 273 crank into a 340 I'm also told that some industrial engines used differen crank flange bolt patterns, so you can really get screwed, there. Also, you did not cover the dreaded diamond stamp which indicates the horried oversize lifter bore(s). I have an 030 340 block, and no not where to get OS lifter for the thing This info also does nothing to ID heads. I once swapped early 273!! heads and intake!! onto a 260. No late intake would fit this combo Last, this does not tell you a thing about heads being milled, what pistons, compression ratio, or camshaft which can make a break an engine "claims" The point is, that as old as any LA engine is getting to be, a lot could have happened between then and now.

I had a man tell me that he had a 340 and a440 for sale .I told him sold if that is what it was or he was going to pay me for my time and gas.It ended up a 273 4Bll. and a 413 . he did not want to pay , called the cops ,he payed big time.It is called fraud .

this is what was stamped on mine and I am completely lost..(new mopar guy here sorry) 3418496-4-360... any idea what that means?

Dummy a 318 has power if you know how to make it.

Thank you.

Thank you.