Identification Help

-
T

TAQuickness

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Messages
79
Reaction score
2
Location
Houston
Need help identifying the engine in my 65 dart. OE was /6, but the Dart has a nice sounding V8 now. The only marks I've found on the block is this number: 432333031810. This is found on the left side just below the head.

Next question - where are the timing marks on this engine? The balancer mark is obvious? But for the live of me I can find the front cover marks
 
Hi,

pretty sure it´s a 318 since this is mentioned in your number. The timing marks are on different sides of the front cover, early versions with water pump inlet drivers side have the marks right (or a sheet metal piece mounted with the pumps bolts, dont know exactly), later versions with water pump inlet passenger side have the marks left. Check out if the marks are behind the water pumps inlet or if the sheet metal is missing etc., maybe there´s a mismatch of parts and you can´t adjust timing this way.

Michael
 
Thanks Michael.

From the engine ID, is there a way to tell what model vehicle it came from?


Would someone please post photos of your timing marks? It would help me to know what I'm looking for.
 
There should be numbers cast into the side of the block. It sounds like you found the stamped numbers on a machined flat at the front of the engine. I think the relevant numbers are on the driver's side. Usually it has a "-318-", "-340-" or "-360-" in the characters, though the dashes are more like wide dots. The earliest LA engines, 273 cu in, did not have "273" in the string (I have 2).

There were at least 4 versions of timing cover (see my post). Most earlier engines (pre-1971?) with the cast iron water pump and inlet on the driver's side had a removable sheet-metal timing marker. Indeed, somebody is looking for one in today's posts. Later alum water pump models had the timing marks cast into the driver's side of the timing cover. However, I ran across a timing cover with cast passenger-side timing marks (see my post).
 
1985 up 318 is what it shows on my search.
Casting number 4323330.
Engine Cubic Inches 318.
Mold number 10.**

** I can't verify if this is correct be I have always heard the the last number is how many times the mold has been modified.

It would make more sense that this is the 10th mold out of the molds they were using. I would think they must of had a way to identify what mold a block came out of should a problem arise. When I worked for MerCruiser each of our molds had different marks to be able to identify a part that came from an what exact mold in a case when something went wrong on a mold.
 
Finally!!! Found the timing marks cast on the timing chain cover under a 1/4" of crud.

Thanks for the identification help. Much easier to find parts now :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top