MYSTERY Small Block Chevy Engine Identified (we got lucky!) 

And you are exactly right same thing with big block stuff…

Only problem is buying readily available parts if you're traveling. Most everything is special order. Could wait days or weeks for parts. One reason why drag and drive or power tour events everybody prefers the LS.

Same here

Every wants LS. My Silverado has the DI 5.3 and it's a beast. Ls is very good stuff but my heart is will old school. The after market is turning away from GEN 1 stuff rapidly.

Have yet to own an LS powered rig. Live in the southwest so older trucks can be kept indefinitely. Not a fan of all the sensors and plastic atop Chevy engines after ‘95.

That's a must and it's a cheap upgrade.

first thing i saw the 'O'!

SB Rods not cast. They were forged. Rods that were used for making pink rods could have been used for std rods too. Don’t make assumptions. Often pink rods color would be present on used rods. Sometime not. Another case of “don’t make assumptions.” In old days fakers would paint rods pink and sell as real.

Not sure on 0 rods but x rods are very tough.

@@sliderule1702 I’m not assuming anything sir, I was trying to remember information from 30+ years ago. Look it up I’ll bet you $100 cash money right now the “X” casting and the “O” castings we’re both used in the performance engines with the designation “Pink”. Are you ready to put your money up? 🤷‍♂️

The only difference between a pink rod or a none pink rod was the pink rod was mag fluxed 3 times that's the only difference ,GM says the powered metel rod is stronger dirt track guys push this rod to 7200 rpm and it survives

...but then you can't use the intakes that came with the engine, because the intake on a Vortec head bolts in differently, like a Ford. What makes the "good" factory heads, like the 461/462's and the 186's valuable is that they're a slightly thicker casting compared to some others. This means you can port them out more and you have more material to shave off the bottom of the head.

High lift cams will pull the studs out because the gap on the spring at full lift are under .030" this causes them to actually = 0 under full throttle due to the vibration. Turn engine over until full lift is achieved and check gap with feeler gauge if under .030 get some new springs that are for higher lift. If lift is over .450 stock springs will not work and will eventually destroy the head by breakin off the the stud boss.

They are Good with Flat Top Pistons ..I feel the Large Chambers Flow more Air at During Intake ..I did a Flat top 350 with Worked over Set of These Heads( Bowl Work Port Match Presion Seats) Stainless Valves ( Back Cut ) Mild Cam .Intake 650 holley ,Headers in a 65 C-10 Muncie 4 ..Surprised many People.

@@donaldalbershardt6854, I like the small block 350 , don't get me wrong here , I have multiple 350 engines in 2 bolt and 4 bolt mains . But the 283,302 ,307, and 327 will out perform a 350 , but you would say that the 350 has more cubic inches and that is correct . But these shorter stroke engines will scream to the moon , I got a small block 327 that can scream at 11,000rpm before the valves start to float and makes around 600hp . It can pull both front tires off the ground in 1st and 2nd gear and this engine is in a 66 Chevelle Super Sport with a M-21 Muncie 4 speed and 12 bolt posi , Talk about a Blast to drive !

@@jimthomas1989 I know all About 283/ 292.. The best with low Gears

PCV valve statement not true on the 307's, 327's and 302's. 1968 was the first year for a pcv valve in the valve covers of all small blocks.

Although 370 HP 350" was listed in early 1970 Corvette literature, none was installed, all got 360 HP engine like a Camaro...

Did a 1967, 350, have the 327,s SMALL JOURNAL crank mains? Also could a Small Journal 350, crank be used in a 327, making that a 350? Is there a clearance problem?

@@davidcoleman9304 - Just about anything can be put in anything if want to work at it hard enough... like a stroker crank to turn a 302, 327, or 350 into a 400"...

@@davidcoleman9304 No all 350's are medium journal, only used in the SS350 Camaro in '67. There were all 4 bolt mains too.

Yeah me too. And restorers want original bolts even on lawn tractors.....

That chart is not always accurate !!!!

It gets costly with the screw-ins my experience if you don't do it right you'll hit the water jacket.. edit--- (they will leak) however repairable

All a person needs is a book which is available at any auto parts store. How to Restore your Small Block Chevy. All of the numbers are listed in there

There are some old publications out there, that help tremendously.....but Google has made it a lot easier.

Plus hardened exhaust seats

Another thing if u gettin serious enough to need 4 bolt main its easier to machine a 2 bolt block for splayed 4 bolt mains

2 bolt blocks with good aftermarket studs will handle everything you can toss at them!! You'll break the block before you hurt the mains!

2 problems with the Vortec heads, they are way more prone to cracking and will need a different intake manifold, however they do flow better and are easier to find a replacement if you need one.

The 4 bolt main 350 blocks came out in 1970.

Ray, I bought a 350cu out of an 1969' Nova SS in 1969 that had on the Air Filter a sticker that read 350 - 300 HP. So that's what I thought I was buying. Came with a 4 bbl Rochester carb. Gave $350.00 for it. Put it in a 1963' Impala SS, 4-speed. Engine only had 2,400 miles on it when I bought it. But once I got it running it became very apparent very early on that something wasn't right. There wasn't a 396' Chevelle in my area that I couldn't outrun! So about a year later I'd decided to beef the engine up just a tad-bit more than it was, and that's when I found out that what I had was a 350 cu - 350hp engine! As soon as I saw the 4-Bolt Mains I knew that it wasn't just some regular 350cu - 300hp engine. And after running the codes on my block, heads, etc., it was then that I knew I had a 350cu-350hp engine that came out of that 1969' Nova SS. Date stamps all indicated that this was an 1968', early production 350 engine, first year that the 350 came out and was installed into the 1969' year model Chevy's. And the 1969' Nova was a very early release as well, so it all fit perfectly. That was one of the absolute BEST running 350 engines I ever had! By the time I got through building it, there was nothing in my area that could touch it. The ONLY vehicle that ever out ran me was a 1970 Highway Patrol car while on the Highway (Interstate 40 in NC), but this was before I beefed-up the engine. From 70 mph running side-by-side we hit it. He squalled his tires when it kicked into passing gear, and that was the end of that, lol. I had a 4-speed Muncie with a 373 rear-end gear. So I couldn't have down shifted into 3rd gear, because I would've probably blown the engine up. So I just stomped it to the floor. Not the best speed for me to start a race off at. And I didn't ever make that mistake again, lol. But those old Highway Patrol cars were fast as all get-out back then! And there weren't very many (if any) vehicles that could out run one of them on the highway. I later clocked my old 63' Impala SS at 145 mph, after adding some goodies to it. I never did find out just how fast it 'would' go, but I know it had more to give. As I was chicken to run it any faster than what I did that one time just to see how fast it would go. Sorry for the Book. :-)

Have a set of OEM screw in rocker studs installed. 1970 LT1 heads had screw in studs.

@@davidcoleman9304 Even the LT1 heads need lead fuel additive or have hardened valve seats put it

I was taught the same way, but I've been doing fine without them. I do add MMO to the fuel.

Pardon me, I’m looking at the comments for 2.02 intake valves or 1.96? Do you happen to know?

This engine has 2 bolt mains... 300 HP would make that Nova fly...

@@BuzzLOLOL most 1969 and newer 350 truck engines came with 4 bolt main blocks also .

My 69 Camaro SS had the L48 350 300hp. It had four bolt mains, known as the Camaro engine from 1967. I wonder if this is the 255hp 350 engine with two bolt mains. My friend had a 69 Camaro with this engine and compared to my Camaro was blown into the weeds on any race at any speed. The good ole days…. His car burned regular fuel and my car needed high test gas to run right.

Those L48 350s were great engines and could easily be modified to get 400 or more horsepower out of !

@@johnpena9165 I also had black jack long tube headers and open Morso air cleaner…. Estimated another 30 hp on top of base 300 horsepower. My car also had a 4spd and 3:36 rear axle single track…. It would burn rubber in all four gears. My friends Camaro had no headers or dual exhaust, but did have a turbo 350 automatic transmission. As I said before when it came to performance and racing side by side, I always easily pulled away from his car at any speed. Fun times…. the howl of a screaming 350 was music to my ears.

You are exactly correct!

Me too.......🤠

Do you happen to know if this casting has 2.02 intakes or 1.94?

@@brucearterbury1856 they came with both Those heads came on a 1969 z28 witch would have a 2.02 And a 1.60 The heads have had a 1.94 and 1.50 but not anymore

Back in the 60's did it right in the car, installed the pushrod guide plates also.

Now, out of all the engines I have had just like this one, all had 4 bolt mains. This one doesn't.

@@markbarnett1962 I must've seen 200-300 of these casting number blocks in the last 50 years and they don't mean a thing as far as main caps go.

@@merylpelosi8485 I never went by the casting numbers. I went by the stamped letters in front of the right bank head. All the ones I had were stamped CNR, 69 to 70 350's.

HEI didn't exist back then.

@marc mo I know the HEIs came out in the late 70s BC, I had a 79 Pontiac GP, which had the factory HEI an died in a intersection and had to have my car towed then found out they were a weak point so I always carried a spare modual.

@@monadking2761 Yes and this is a late 60's block so the HEI would not be original to it. I was assuming you were talking about the engine in the video.