340 #'s

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mitchm

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I recently purchased a '70 340 Dart Swinger. The original owner was in the Military and special ordered the car. Six months later he sold it to the second owner who kept it until I bought it. According to the second owner the car is all original. But when I pulled the motor the VIN wasn't stamped on the block. There is a spot for it on the oil pan rail, but it does not have a number stamped on it. It is nice and smooth.

Was it common to miss stamping the number on the block? Has anyone heard of this happening?

VIN- LM23HOR156897
Cast Code- 2780930-340-6
Date - 7-10-69
 
What are the codes on the driver side front of block where the head meets the block? Build date? I've got a 340 with no #s, it was a replacement engine. The dealer was to stamp the V.I.N. on the block when installed. Sounds like a nice car. Ray
 
i have seen that when it was not stamped it was a replacement engine.
and yours saying 318, are you sure it hasn't been over bored to 340 specs. I have seen that done also.

steve
 
I checked underneath the head on the drivers side, and all over the block for that matter. There are no numbers stamped anywhere on this block. How do I find out what happened? If it is a replacement enigne, why would it get replaced before being delivered to the original owner?
 
Info can be found on the deck surface in front of the drivers head and on the side of the block just above the oil pan rail on either side.casting numbers help which is above the starter just below the deck of the block.Even if it is a replacement block,there has to be some type of code.Look at the year one site for further info,and post it and I will decode the block.You can also find a serial number on the tranny as well that I can decode,Mrmopartech
 
Having worked in a dealership (well after the musclecar era, but same same), I can tell you anything is possible. I saw a car get hammered coming off the transporter by the tranporter driver. It was repaired before delivery, and I'm sure the owner has no idea of what transpired. I also know of a Hemi Charger ('70) that had it's numbers engine exploded during the PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection). I know becuase my old boss was fired as a tech for blowing it. That car got a new engine prior to delivery also. Warranty replacement engines did not have VINs stamped. You could also just have a fluke. Remeber, it's a Mopar..Anything goes..lol
 
Mrmopartech,

Vehicle:
VIN- LM23HOR156897
Build Date: A28 (October 28, 1969)

Engine:
Cast Code- 2780930-340-6
Date - 7-10-69 (Seems to make sense for a car build date of October)
No other numbers are stamped on the block above the oil pan or under the head on the drivers side.

Tranny:
Serial Number- OR156897 (this is stamped on the tranny)

I would appreciate any help you could give in helping me understand if this is acutally the original engine.
 
Check on the driver side of the block kind of towards the rear. It should have a series of numbers and the last set of numbers should say 340, if not, I am afraid that you got a 318. You cannot bore a 318 out far enough to make a 340 and still have a depndable running motor in warm conditions. The water jackets are too close to the cyclinder walls to do that. It would run, but you would have a lot of cooling issues with it.

Chad
 
moparchad

Read my earlier post. It has the block numbers listed.
 
The oil pan rail is where the VIN number will be unless the block has been replaced. Note that it is stamped and you may have to remove paint to find it. The number below the head on the driver's side will be stamped as well and the paint will have to be removed. Sometimes these numbers are stamped very lightly and are hard to read. This number will give you the year and the cid and a sequence number.

If they are not there, then you can't really determine anything other than you have a 340 block with a casting date of 7-10-69, which you already know. And you transmission is the numbers matching one (as I am sure you figured that out too).
 
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