The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Looking a gift horse in the mouth

Have found two trucks-I think one is a 57 and the other around 67. Both are three quarter or one tons. Both are V8. Can anyone tell if these are 283 or 327 by the numbers I took off the right hand front block. 67? VO716Y3 and 57? F217D. Too cold to go back and get casting numbers. Thanks in advance! Oh by the way the 67 had a good front clip.

Not sure, but I think 57 is a 327 out of a 69 Impala.I bought a book awhile back on suffix codes,haven't deciphered yet.

Truckrodder, thanks for the reply. I was hoping one of them would be a 283. The 57 looks like transplant homemade motor mounts. It has a two barrel carb and the other has a four barrel. I really don't know if I want to mess with these or not. Both trucks are in poor shape and I would have to take my backhoe to get them drug out from where they are. I'd just like to save the motors. Threw or gave away all of mine when I was just a kid. They are getting harder to find in my part of the country.
Lionel

I would keep both motors,one of them might have doublehump heads,around this area the heads are going for around $250.00.I could not find the #'s for the 67 but I have another book ,if I can find IT!

Hi Lionel,

As Lisa is fond of quoting "never miss an opportunity to increase your CI" . . . of course she always rolls her eyes when she says it, but it is a good natured roll of the eyes.

Ken, Ma's famous quote is, as she rolls her eyes, where are you going to park 'that thang'. I said I suppose back in the pasture with the rest of my collection. I think she thinks this keeps me young-going back and forth to the back pasture! :p

327 was made from '62-'68. Doubtful a 327 would show up in a '69 car, unless it was late '68 production. Casting numbers are only surefire way to figure out what engines these are. The codes on the front of the block were recycled on different motors in different years.

The visual clues for a 283 are 4 bolt valvecovers with offset holes, some 283/327s had the oil filler in the intake manifold, points distributor & older style water pump. There may be other visual clues too. Check casting #s on heads, & look for two small symmetrical humps cast into front of heads for the famous 'camel's hump' 327 heads. The 283 Power Pac heads have a little rectangle with a pyramid on top instead of the humps.

Chiphead, Thanks. I will go and check the numbers when the weather straightens up. With only 10 above out my old eyes would just water up and I wouldn't be able to find my way home! I did however notice that one of the engines did not have the double hump heads. Heck, what's left of both trucks wouldn't make a good hump! :rolleyes:
Lionel

1969 was the last year chevrolet built the 327' engine.I believe it was assembled with a large journal crankshaft.Your I.D.#F217D is showing me,a 1958-62' 283? oh well to really confirm this we need your casting numbers like you said. HAVE A GOOD 1.. 1955 CAMEO :p

Chiphead - offset holes on 283 covers were early production. on the other hand, most V8 57 pickups had the 265. 283 started very late 57 for pickups.
Lionel - 283 or 327, don't let the best motor Chev ever had [next to 235 ] go to waste! I've got a pile of'em, but they ain't makin'em any more!

Bill

Lionel, I find the F217D as a 57-58 283 - 185Hp 2 barrel installed in cars&trucks. I doubt it has humpheads but they did have small 58 cc. chambers to help raise the compression but also the smaller valves 175. The camelhump heads are 64 cc with the larger valves 202 and 195. Is the last number on the other one actually Y3 or could it be a YZ or YS. Those show a mid 60's 327 with between 220 and 240 hp. The last 327's came out in 1969 and after that it became the 350.
my .02's

Lionel-GRAB 'EM!! Any smallblock is worth saving, but the early ones are getting especially hard to come by. I've often heard people say 327's were done in '68...then how did I get one out of a one owner untinkered '69 Bel Air? Yep, it had the large journal crank-factory rated @ 230 HP with the 2 barrel carb. With some cam, factory 4 barrel and big valve (1.94/1.50) heads, it really made my old Vega fly...wish I still had that old motor.

Regards,
Wannabe

Hey, thanks a bunch guys for all the info. My brother told me about these but wasn't sure and I told him to give me some time because I know some guys that will not only know what the numbers mean but what kind of oil they put in it at the factory.
LOL
38spshi, thanks for your info. The last two could be YS instead of Y3. It was so cold at the time we were looking that we wanted to get back in the truck as fast as possible. Also my eyes aren't what they used to be.
Since titles are available I will go get them later when the weather straightens up. Maybe a fellow Stovebolter needs a front clip off the 67.
Lionel

Wannabe I have two sitting in my garage. One is from a 68 Impala and the other is from a 69 Camaro both big journal 327's. Neither have been rebuilt before?