identify the year of my 360 long block

-
hotairgypsy

hotairgypsy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2022
Messages
70
Reaction score
37
Location
Albuquerque
i looked all over this engine and took pics of everything i could see...I know its a 360 just dont know how to figure out the year of it so i know what year parts it is...

20220316_154941.jpg


20220316_150146.jpg
 
Hit the casting numbers with a wire wheel (first photo). It looks like there may be some gunk covering the year. Looks like 75 or 78?
 
I don't know much about small blocks, but if it's like a big block it will have a Vin stamped on it. (It's just above the pan rail on a bbm). If you find eight digits, the first is the year, second is assy plant, rest is Vin i.d.#
 
mopowers said:
Hit the casting numbers with a wire wheel (first photo). It looks like there may be some gunk covering the year. Looks like 75 or 78?
Click to expand...


i barely got in there to get these pics...there is no getting a wire wheel in there...may have to see about buying a power washer to get to the hard parts
 
Last edited:
hotairgypsy said:
i barely got in there to get these pics...there is no getting a wire wheel in there...may have to see about buying a power washer to get to the hard parts
Click to expand...
So grab a toothbrush, a rag, a long screwdriver, anything. Scrape that number off and see what it says.
 
mopowers said:
So grab a toothbrush, a rag, a long screwdriver, anything. Scrape that number off and see what it says.
Click to expand...


oh. ...you just said the key word...long screwdriver....thanks for the kick in the butt...sometimes it is a simplest thing and it does not occur...
 
The first pic is the date stamp but I can't make it out looks like 10 8 90 to me which would be Oct 1990 but I can't make them out very well
 
so i got in there again with a pressure washer and it was not much help...did find another set of numbers stamped on the block thou

20220317_150848.jpg


20220317_151113.jpg
 
A better picture of the second one so the numbers aren't shadowed and fuzzy would be much more helpful. Right at the top of the block, below the cylinder head.
 
The 46115 stamping makes me wonder if the motor hasn't been rebuilt at some point in time.
 
just discovered another set of numbers...0W360HP0206

i am sooooooooo hoping that is the magic numbers i have been looking for

20220317_164239.jpg
 
Last edited:
Yep, that helps. Year depends on if that is an "Oh" at the beginning or a "zero", could be a 1978 or 1980 360 HP.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about the HP specs, there wasn't much to them and if it has been rebuilt most of the stuff probably got changed. In 1978 HP didn't mean much more performance anyway.
 
how did you figure out 1978...dice and bones, crystal ball, ??? this dumb fruit from NM wants to learn the magical ways of this forum
 
hotairgypsy said:
how did you figure out 1978...dice and bones, crystal ball, ??? this dumb fruit from NM wants to learn the magical ways of this forum
Click to expand...

About 3/4 of the way down in the link Garret posted above is a decoder ring for those stampings.

Image here -

engine-id-a01-b2-jpg.jpg
 
To confirm if it is a 1978 or 1980, you will probably need to try and grab a shot of the vin stamped on the right side of the block at the oil pan rail. On your block stamping, it looks like a zero to me, which would make it a 1980.
 
From an old NADA booklet, I'd say it is a 360 HP motor for a 1980 car. It was available in a Chrysler Cordoba '300', a Dodge Mirada, or a Dodge St. Regis. And likely in police cars. A 360 HP motor was rated at 185 HP. I think it was the last year that Chrysler put a 360 in a car.
 
Not bein smart, but why does it even matter? It's an LA 360. They are all pretty much the same. Besides, you're going to make it what you want, right? So as far as that goes, you could just grind every number off it and go.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Not bein smart, but why does it even matter? It's an LA 360. They are all pretty much the same. Besides, you're going to make it what you want, right? So as far as that goes, you could just grind every number off it and go.
Click to expand...


true...i just want to know the proper year in the event i need any parts for it...i am new to these older cars...i dont know what interchanges between years or 318 to 360 stuff yet...all helpful stuff for me...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top