Thread: Chevy 350 Knowledge

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Triker, if you have the model and serial number, as well as the manufacturer, you may be able to contact them and get a complete build sheet rather than taking the time to chase down everything individually.

For those of you who need to know the origins of this type of beast....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU3Pj58dJuY

If you still want to investigate it yourself, let's begin by identifying what you have.
BLOCK CASTING NUMBER:
At the rear of the block on the driver's side, just before the rear end of the block, where the bellhousing bolts on.....
http://www.coloradocorvetteclub.org/...s/image001.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...%20Motor/Y.jpg
http://www.classicheartbeat.com/foru...1&d=1064020961
BLOCK SUFFIX NUMBER:
On the passenger's side block deck, at the very front, in front of the end of the cylinder head, just behind the passenger side water pump inlet, stamped into the block....If the block has ever been decked in a machine shop, this suffix i.d. may have been machined off....
http://c564296.r96.cf2.rackcdn.com/A...a02-0212ae.jpg
http://www.nastyz28.com/~madmike/80z28/350ctg.JPG
CYLINDER HEAD CASTING NUMBER AND CASTING DATE:
http://chevellestuff.net/qd/images/heads/3890462_03.jpg
http://www.mre-books.com/chevy/engin...ad_casting.gif
Sometimes you can identify the casting number without pulling a valve cover by the symbols on the front of the heads....(not all symbols are shown here)
http://www.onedirt.com/photos/data/5...Marks_copy.jpg
DIFFERENTIAL IDENTIFICATION:
http://www.g-body.org/tnt/diffs/axle-codes.gif
http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/he...by_pan_jpg.jpg
http://repairguide.autozone.com/znet...3f802056e2.jpg
http://repairguide.autozone.com/znet...52800b105c.gif
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ydmVov_kla..._Chart_von.jpg
http://www.pontiacpower.org/images/axlecode.gif

Make certain of the transmission type....
http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps6f45f08f.gif
http://www.maliburacing.com/tranny_i...guidelines.jpg

You asked about maintenance. The number one most important thing to protect is the cam and lifters if the motor is a flat tappet cam design. Please read through this tutorial....
http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...ips_and_tricks

Sometimes it is necessary to use a wire brush on these casting numbers, to remove grunge or casting flash in order to properly read them. I like the wire brushes that are the size and shape of a toothbrush. You can get them with steel bristles for use on cast iron and hard metals or brass bristles for use on aluminum and softer metals.
http://www.matcotools.com/catalog/pr...rce=igodigital

I'll stop here and let some of the other fellows wade in.....

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