How do identify what year my engine is?

-
1968 Dart 270

1968 Dart 270

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2023
Messages
216
Reaction score
51
Location
Usa
My 68 Dart supposedly has a 360 engine in it. How can I tell what year car it came out of. It runs very well,but someone put an eldebrock intake and carb on it,not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. I got it for a daily driver not to race it. I think the timing isn’t dialed in or the carb isn’t setup right because it idles as smooth as glad but doesn’t really seem to accelerate like it should. And I’m not meaning stomping on it.
Anyone here using an Eden rock setup like this? Would I be better off switching to a different carb for a daily driver? Hoping to get somewhat decent mileage for what it is

FDF7FA07-69BE-49AC-95FF-0BDFA38763F6.jpeg
 
Block casting numbers to begin with. Whether the engine made it into the same year platform or what specific car is tough...smarter folks than I may be able to drill down based upon some configurations, but if you're running aftermarket intake and carb, it's anybody's guess.

Hope there is a good answer coming.

General info

mopar casting numbers

Chrysler .
www.mopar1.us

Some other threads that may give a nugget of information.


www.forabodiesonly.com

360 Casting Number Help

So I have a nice 360 in my 74 Dart sport...am trying to figure out what I have. It has Magnum heads and a bunch of nice parts on it...Demon Carb, MP Intake. The casting number is this 53020008AB - 360 I have looked on the internet and cannot find any reference to this casting number.....other...
www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com

www.forabodiesonly.com

360 casting number

My engine casting number is 4006830-360-9. What does the 9 stand for? I’ve looked around, but only found one result that was for 4006830-360-4 and someone stated that the 4 designated how many changes that have occurred since the 360 came out to correct the thin walls. Any clarity would be...
www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com
 
Don't know if it continued but drivers side, front of block, just under the head there might be a series of number letter stampings.

IIRC the first letter is the year. C was for 67 model year, D would be 68 etc

Some letters were not used (i, q maybe O oh not zero), the engine displacement is in there too.

Most likely easier to look for the casting marks especially if you have AC or PS
 
Give us a pic of the throttle and kickdown linkage.
A lot of times, after a carb/manifold swap has been done; the throttle and kickdown linkages can be suspect if the correct parts or modifications have not been done also- which can cause similar symptoms to what you describe. The kickdown linkage is especially critical, if it is improperly done or mis-adjusted, transmission damage can result.
The carb and manifold you have are good and will result in a decent driver when done right.
 
Also do you live in a state that requires you to have smog equipment on you car?

I see a lot of hoses running to the carb.
 
A lot of times the main and rod bearings have a date code that would give you a good idea
 
Start by looking at front of block directly below head, driver side. If it's rebuilt it may be stamped out, but the OEM had a long string of numbers stamped there and I think you skip the first 1 or 2 numerals, then the CID is the next three. As said below, if that is eradicated, look down low on the block for casting numbers.

If it runs smooth and does not vibrate, it likely has the correct balancer. Look at it. If it's an obvious "off center" weighted, it's a 360.
 
Professor Fate said:
Give us a pic of the throttle and kickdown linkage.
A lot of times, after a carb/manifold swap has been done; the throttle and kickdown linkages can be suspect if the correct parts or modifications have not been done also- which can cause similar symptoms to what you describe. The kickdown linkage is especially critical, if it is improperly done or mis-adjusted, transmission damage can result.
The carb and manifold you have are good and will result in a decent driver when done right.
Click to expand...

Thanks “Professor”,I was thinking the same thing. The trans shifts very fast,too soon in my opinion into 3rd. I suspect as you said the linkage isn’t adjusted correctly or isn’t correct. I’ll take some photos tonight.
Thanks to you and everyone for your help and input
 
You might want to look at all the hoses and find out where they go and if they need to be there.
 
Dana67Dart said:
You might want to look at all the hoses and find out where they go and if they need to be there.
Click to expand...
I know there’s a vacuum operated solenoid in the engine compartment for the heater valve. My car has ac and all the stuff is hooked up. I’m hoping to get that running too. By the way,when I came home with it on the freeway yesterday it was running rough after I got off the freeway exit. Turns out two of the spark plug wires on the drivers side (the two rear) touched the manifold and burned in half! Will a set of wires for a 318 be the same length? Supposedly this engine came out of a 1971 car.
Decades ago parts stores used to sell wire kits you could make to length yourself. They don’t seem to have those now. All the other wires are new. Guess the previous owner didn’t bother to tie them away from the manifold and I didn’t notice in my eagerness to take it out on its first drive
 
I would say 1976 360 by the looks of the plastic plug in the end of the valve cover.

20230118_174208.jpg


It could look like this pictured below. 1976 W200 360

1002161258.jpg


Something to compare your engine too.
 
George Jets said:
I would say 1976 360 by the looks of the plastic plug in the end of the valve cover.

View attachment 1716036748

It could look like this pictured below. 1976 W200 360

View attachment 1716036749

Something to compare your engine too.
Click to expand...

Mine doesn’t have any plastic plugs on the valve covers that I can see. The thing you were seeing is the rubber grommet where there is a pcv valve in the middle of the passenger side valve cover. Here’s a photo I had of the drivers side valve cover.

00BD5BEF-0C08-4845-BADD-9296B4F99558.jpeg
 
Here’s some photos of my engine.
It runs very nice. Side photo shows the linkage for the transmission as Professor Fate requested.

5004EE10-4B81-4518-AC07-0536FD99A5C1.jpeg


418B0F67-DB8F-4D14-B23B-5D6D7361420D.jpeg
 
I’ve noticed the master cylinder is leaking from under the top cover. The seal is there. I took it off,cleaned it and reinstalled it and tightened it down and it’s still leaking after a drive. Guess I’ll have to see if that’s something I can buy by itself
 
Two things I note...


Left circle... The kick down should be touching the rod that goes through it.

Right circle, is the spring attached to the kick down lever. It's only use is to keep the lever in contact with the throttle linkage. The slot is to allow the throttle to return to idle should the trans lever get stuck

The adjustment should be with carb at WOT the kick down lever on the trans should just be fully back.

Do you have the correct 4bbl vs 2bbl arm on the trans?


Screenshot_20230120-111415.png


2bbl link
Screenshot_20230120-113038.png


4bbl link

Screenshot_20230120-112215.png
 
Thanks for the photos and observations. So I need to adjust the arm forward more until the end of the slot is forward enough to be making contact with the pin that goes through it?
I have no idea what arm is on it. That’s why I hate it when people monkey with things instead of leaving them stock. The car is exactly as I bought it. It was originally a 273 car. The trans does shift into all three gears. It just shifts very fast and is in third before you know it.

36E2F280-F90B-4326-A90D-E34186C10094.png


F9C22336-BCC1-456D-84F6-1222B9FBD297.jpeg


47FB48B6-D8CC-403F-B079-81307D65F93A.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Get a photo of the rearmost end of the lever that goes to the carb


Also the factory service manual has the adjusting procedure

Free to download at mymopar.com
 
Yeah, your kickdown linkage is all out of whack. You need the correct 4bbl parts to make it work correctly, or, you need to modify the ones you have to be like the 4bbl parts. Your accelerator cable bracket is wrong too and the cable itself is routed incorrectly. You want the linkage to go straight forward and not at an angle. You're also missing the washer that goes between the hairpin and the slotted front link at the carb end. Without that washer, the clip can pop off.
 
Look on block for vin stamp by the pan rail, passenger side.

Also below head, front driver side of block, should be numbers.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top