CORRECT MID YEAR ENGINE SIZE

[Neil L.]

I NEED HELP TRYING TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT ENGINE SIZE FOR MY MID YEAR. THE MORE RESEARCH I DO, THE MORE CONFUSED I BECOME. I HAVE A '64, VIN #40867S118324.
THE TACH RED LINES AT 6500. THE DIFFERENTIAL CODE IS CB. THE TRANSMISSION IS ORIGINAL, VERIFIED BY THE VIN STAMPING. THE TAG #3839601 AND THE CASTING # 3851325. P0505 IS STAMPED ON THE L/H SIDE.

[Joe C.]

Re: CORRECT MID YEAR ENGINE SIZE

Neil:

ASSUMING that the tach has not been changed over the years, then the 2 engine possibilities are L84(fuel injected), or L76(365HP). Please let us know what identifiers are on your engine. Do you know for sure whether it is original or not? What is the max reading on your oil pressure gauge?

Joe

[Neil L.]

Re: CORRECT MID YEAR ENGINE SIZE

JOE,
THE MAX PRESS ON MY OIL PRESS GAUGE IS 80#. THE ENGINE PRESENTLY INSTALLED IN MY CAR IS NOT THE ORIGINAL. THE BLOCK CASTING # 3858180, DATE E126. THE # STAMPED ON THE PAD IS T0517HCR WITH NO VIN #.

[Bob R.]

Re: CORRECT MID YEAR ENGINE SIZE

If the car was a fuelie the original radiator support would have a hole in it for the fresh air. The 365 hp had an air cleaner. Of course the fuelie also had the fuel injection emblem on the side.

[Joe C.]

Re: CORRECT MID YEAR ENGINE SIZE

Neil:

Without some type of documentation, it will be difficult to know for sure what the car originally was. The verification or elimination of fuel injection however, should be the easiest. As Bob R. spoke of, if there are no "fuel injection" emblems on the front fenders, you are certain that the nose is original, and there is no evidence of filled in emblem holes, then it is PROBABLY not a fuel car (unless someone grafted an old, non fuel nose onto a fuel car).

IF the rad support is original (check for the presence of "u" shaped saddles over the lower "x" brace, where it meets the bottom of the support), and it has a round 5"diameter (approx.) hole in the upper right side for the intake air plenum, then it is PROBABLY a fuel car.

Heavy duty suspension was available on fuellies, but not L76's. If you have a seven leaf rear spring, and/or a rear stabilizer bar, and/or holes in the trailing arms to accept the rear bar links, and/or a heavier (not sure of the dimension for 1964) front stabilizer bar, then you PROBABLY have a fuel car.

Then again, if both the tach, and the oil pressure gauge were changed at some point, then all bets are off--meaning that it might have originally been a 250 of 300 horsepower car. There are quite a few ways to look at it. Probably the best way would be to join a local chapter (if you have not already done so), seek out someone you can trust, and ask him?her for an evaluation.

Best of luck,
Joe

[Jerry G.]

Re: U shaped supports on lower X

Tell me about the U shaped supports on the lower X support. I have a very late (July) 65 FI car and I don't think I see this U. Jerry

[Mike M.]

Re: CORRECT MID YEAR ENGINE SIZE

Joe. GM serviced core supports in the 70's and 80's with the FI style core support( ie , if you ordered a core support for your non-FI mid year during those years, what arrived at the local chevy dealer was a FI core support.) What one needs to look at are the four drilled holes at 90 degrees that are located just outside the 5" hole in the core support. If these 4 holes show no evidence of having had a fastner inserted in them(evidence of threads) then the core support probably never had a FI S tube attached to the core support in question . another telltale sign of an orig. 64 or 65 FI car is the presence of theFI fuel soleniod bypass lead(not present on the early 64's with 375R units of course).

[Mike Yager]

Re: CORRECT MID YEAR ENGINE SIZE

Neil and Joe:

I don't think the oil pressure gauge will necessarily help you in determining the original engine. I have a '64 300 HP car with an 80 pound oil pressure gauge. As far as I can tell it is the original gauge.

I do not recall all the details on this as there was a discussion either here or on CF about the oil pressure gauge in '64s some time ago. The result of the discussion was that it seems many non-SHP engine cars came with the 80 pound gauge in '64. I don't recall if this was throughout the entire production run or a change made during the year. I think it went back to two different gauges in '65. I think there is enough uncertainty on the topic that you would not lose judging points if you have an 80 pound gauge in a non-SHP engine car.

As I recall, Duke had specifics on this topic in the discussion.

[Joe C.]

Re: U shaped supports on lower X

Jerry:

At each of the points that the 2 lower legs of the "x" brace meet the lower box section of the radiator support, there should be a "U" shaped strap (actually looks like an "omega"). This strap is welded in place, and reinforces the joint between the bottom of the rad support and the round stock of the x brace. These straps do not appear on replacement rad supports.
I hope my description is clear. If not, this is mentioned in your TIM&JG. If you have an original support, you should readily see these straps.

Joe

[Dino L.]

Re: CORRECT MID YEAR ENGINE SIZE

I would not assume the tach has not been replaced, you need to become a detective and look specifically at part numbers, dates, and characteristics of the car to deduce the HP rating as originally equipped, check exhasut pipe diameters, exh manifold, heads, intake and carb, power steering NA on L84/76, oil pan, alternator pulley diameter,lots more to list, get a 63-64 judging guide from the NCRS store.

[Floyd Dossey]

Re: CORRECT MID YEAR ENGINE SIZE

Guys,
I have an early 65 Fuelie that I have had since december 1965 it has the F40 suspension package but it does not have the a rear stabilizer bar. I thought the rear stabilizer bar was used only on the vettes with the 396 option in 1965.

Regards,
Floyd
1965 Fuelie