The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop my new to me '65 Chevy - with 350. but what kind?

hiya folks...

I bought a '65 chevy the other day, as I posted in the lounge...

it has a 350 in it, holley carb. and edelbrock intake... I think the carb is a 600 cfm unit, the number I found on it is:

80457-2 (I think it is a two)
2608

and I breezed through holleys website and found a 80457S model... that is where the 600 cfm assumption comes from.. I'll look for more numbers tomorrow...

anyhoo, the engine has bolts through the top of the valve covers to hold the covers on, instead of the 4 bolts on the lips of the covers... so this made my gearhead buddy, who worked at a parts store and several parts counters at auto dealerships say it made him think it was a 90 or later model chevy engine...

so I am curious... where do I look for the numbers? so that I can start searching, to find out what I have.... for when I need parts...

It also has a fairly modern lookign ac compressor...

thanks folks...

-W

Chevy actually started using the centerbolt valve covers around '87-'88. It seems likely that you have a later engine - look and see if you have any odd sensors that aren't connected to anything - that would be a good sign that it was originally a late-model fuel-injected engine.

ah. 87-88... neat. 87 was the last year they made the boxy looking truck, like they started making in 73? I know they changed some things over the years... but 'the look' was simliar... then 88 model year was when they came out with the design they stuck with through the 90's.. if I recall.

Yes, we were pondering that it may have been a TBI motor... so far I have not found anything funky looking.

-W

The last year of the old body style was 1987 for pickups,the Burbs,Blazer and 1 ton [now called R and V series],went until late 1990,larger trucks until 1991.Yes you have a later 350,chances are it will say 5.7 behind the left head,and on the lower sides of the block there should be 3 large digits raised cast[such as 548].Those are the last 3 digits of the block casting number.

If the later engines are the same as the earlier SBC, the full casting number is behind the driver's side head on the top of the bellhousing flange on the block.

Serpentine belts or reverse-rotation water pump should be the givaway to a later engine.

chip

now, there is the thing... it has the old belts, 3 separate, crank to water pump, pump to alternator, and from pump to a/c compressor.

it has been raining... and we worked ont he tag lights yesterday... which is why I havent' been crawling around in the engine... looking for the numbers...

I forgot all about the serpentine belt thing... I've never had one...

Hmn...

I think there were some standard-belt engines made after the switch to center-bolt valve covers, but I'm not sure. It is possible that someone swapped the serpentine-belt equipment out. After messing with one vehicle with a serpentine system (my dad's '88 pickup), I love them! It takes a bit of getting used to, and stringing the belt everywhere is a pain, but once it is in place, all you have to do is drop the tensioner down and drive away. Much easier than trying to get the tension right on multi-belt systems.

My 88 GMC has a 350 w/serpetine belt system 148,000 mi. so I know it's orginal. It does have carb but has the noisy elctronic fuel pump system. Everytime you turn key on you here it in the cab. popcorn The Truth is Out There (I love my truck)

The 1988-up had the serpentine belt that drove everything,they are one of the best things they ever did,so was the fuel injected 350. I had a 1987 and a 1986 that had a serpentine on the alternator only that was manually adjusted,and a v-belt on the power steering,they were a joke. :rolleyes: