Engine Block ID

[jeff in co]

I'm trying to figure out if the PO rebuilt the original engine block or dropped in a new one somehow. The block itself has been painted blue so I'm guessing they did work on it at some point. With 315k and no blue smoke coming out.....it must of received something.

So the numbers I could find:
Front passenger side just behind AC compressor - V1112UKA
Under side on block cast - 683
Under side on block towards the top -
627
56
N

Any ideas how to interpret this? I was hoping to find a partial VIN number on it but can't find one yet.

 

[thatK30guy]

I'm not sure about the SBC's but the BBC's have the year casting on the rear of the block right behind one of the heads by the bellhousing. It also show's the engine size, too.

Now I think of it, I once had an '86 SBC I got for a project and it had the 5.7 casting behind the cylinder head (I believe the driver side) and the year on the passenger side.

 

[4xcrazy]

if it's in the '89, and it's blue, it's been reworked...

 

[4X4HIGH]

V1112UKA

V = built in the Flint plant, 11 = November, 12 = 12th day of November, [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]UKA = [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1981 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]350 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]con. cab, m/t, A.I.R. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]P LF5 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]150 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]C-30 & 3500,159.5WB[/FONT]

The P LF5 is the partial VIN, the 150 is the HP rating, and the 2 means 2 BBL carb.

 

[jeff in co]

V1112UKA = [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]UKA [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1981 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]350 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]con. cab, m/t, A.I.R. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]P LF5 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]150 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]C-30 & 3500,159.5WB[/FONT]

The P LF5 is VIN, the 150 is the HP rating, and the 2 means 2 BBL carb.

V = built in the Flint plant, 11 = November, 12 = 12th day of November

whoa....so what does that mean? It has pretty much everything that was stock on the 89' (tbi, cruise, serpentine belt,etc). Would the 81 block been a re-man one?

I just finished new plug wires, cap and rotor....it really is running very well now.

I do think the truck was actually built in Flint too!

 

[shady]

motors been swapped, think he got the info from here
http://www.nastyz28.com/gm-chevy-codes/chevy-engine-codes-suffix-9.php

 

[4X4HIGH]

whoa....so what does that mean? It has pretty much everything that was stock on the 89' (tbi, cruise, serpentine belt,etc). Would the 81 block been a re-man one?

I just finished new plug wires, cap and rotor....it really is running very well now.

It means that it IS NOT the original block for an 89 vehicle. This engine will have a 2 piece rear main seal and depending on if someone used the heads that were with this block they would be perimeter bolt valve covers and ALL intake bolts would be at the same angle. My guess is that someone built the 1981 block and used the heads from the 89 along with all the other accessories from the 89.

 

[thatK30guy]

It means that it IS NOT the original block for an 89 vehicle. This engine will have a 2 piece rear main seal and depending on if someone used the heads that were with this block they would be perimeter bolt valve covers and ALL intake bolts would be at the same angle. My guess is that someone built the 1981 block and used the heads from the 89 along with all the other accessories from the 89.

Did he mention what type of heads he had? Thats always my first clue when I check motors out.

BTW, teach me one little simple thing about SBC's: what year did the 1 piece rear main seal and center bolt valve cover heads begin?

 

[shady]

1986 for the rear main switch and 1987 for the centerbolt valve covers

 

[thatK30guy]

Cool! Another tip learned. Now to try and memorize that at my old age.

 

[jeff in co]

It means that it IS NOT the original block for an 89 vehicle. This engine will have a 2 piece rear main seal and depending on if someone used the heads that were with this block they would be perimeter bolt valve covers and ALL intake bolts would be at the same angle. My guess is that someone built the 1981 block and used the heads from the 89 along with all the other accessories from the 89.

I don't know a ton about engines and the internal stuff but when you said 2 piece rear main seal maybe this is the cause of the leaking oil I see on the back side of the engine?

The valve covers look familiar to me so I would guess he probably kept the heads, intake manifold, tbi unit, etc. I did just have the dealer put in a new distributor (it would start randomly).....