69---- is this a 350 or a 302?

[Mike Ernst (211)]

I helped a friend pull the NOM from his 71. It is purportedly a 69 Z28 302. It has 1971 heads on it. The block is a 3956618 casting, which was used for several different applications. The date is A139, so it could be a number of things. We pulled the pan off last night, and that's as far as we got--30 degrees out at 10:15PM--we called it quits.
How do I determine (easily/readily/for sure) what this short block is? It has a windage tray on it--that's where we ended.
Question 2--if it is a 302, what parts have value, and what are worthless? Sell it as a unit, part it out? Looking for guidance.
Thanks!

[Clem Zahrobsky (45134)]

Re: 69---- is this a 350 or a 302?

what is on the stamp pad??

[Mike Ernst (211)]

Re: 69---- is this a 350 or a 302?

Clem--
Forgot to mention--bare pad. I'd been able to tell by that if it were stamped, of course.

[William Clupper (618)]

Re: 69---- is this a 350 or a 302?

Mike, can you describe the shape of the crank flange? All 283 and 302 cranks had a round flange, the 350 flange is more oddly shaped. Also, most 350 cranks are cast (except SHP) and the 302 cranks are forged.

[Duke Williams (22045)]

Just measure the stroke with a tape measure *NM*

[Bill Stephenson]

Re: 69---- is this a 350 or a 302?

--------If its a Norwood built Camaro the engine came out of, the Serial #s may be down by the oil filter stamped in the rough casting.........Bill S

[Warren Friedrich (12139)]

Re: 69---- is this a 350 or a 302?

Mike,

I just went thru MacNeishs Definitive Camaro Fact Book, 1969 Z28s use an 8 inch balancer.

[Mike McKown]

Check the crank flange

302's were round with a triangle notch in it. '67 302 used small journal, '67-'68 used large journal. 283 journals are round.

[John Hinckley (29964)]

Re: 69---- is this a 350 or a 302?

Mike -

The 302 crank flange is unique - it's round, but has a shallow pie slice-shaped cutout, and will bear a forging number of either 1178 or 3279.

[mike cobine]

Unstamped block - and you ask what has value?:)

I love Duke's simplistic answer - measure it with a tape measure. The best is that all you have to do is pull the plugs, drop a dowel in one cylinder, and measure how much it moves when you turn the crank over.

If it is really stamped as a 302, then the whole engine has value. If not, and it is a 302, then it still have value to any Z28 restorer looking for "matching numbers".

If you can't find any, then you have a 350-350 hp for someone with a Corvette, "matching numbers" again.

The beauty is you can start with the whole engine, run eBay with a reserve, if you get it, then it is done. If not, part it and go that way. A real 302 crank will go for good dollars, an unstamped block with the right casting and dates will go big dollars, and then it is an eBay matter of stuff people will buy - rods, pistons, cam, etc.

[Duke Williams (22045)]

It ain't rocket science!

Read Mike's original post. He said the pan is off!

So it would't be too hard to just measure the difference between some reference point on the piston, like the bottom of the skirt and some reference point in the crankcase like the bottom of the cylinder bore at both TDC and BDC of any cylinder. Then subtract the two numbers. If is close to 3" it's a 302. If it's close to 3.25", it's a 327. If it's close to 3.5" it's a...

Duke

[Mike Ernst (211)]

Re: It ain't rocket science!

Thanks for all the input. I pulled the heads--pistons are dished, and seized. Crank is a 350. The car was stolen in the late 70's (title is good, etc.) Apparently the hood, the intake and carb, and valve covers were stolen. It sat in an impound yard that way (with the soft top cut to facilitate the break-in). Needless to say, it rained along the way. The car has been in inside storage since then. Original starter, manifolds, alternator, radiator, etc.
Now we have an additional boat anchor it appears, in that 69 seized 350.