Need help IDing my 340 motor

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MrDuster

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I decoded my VIN (VN29H1E103516) and it matches what I found on my fender tag for a 1971 340 4bbl Duster. My transmission matches the last 4 of the VIN. My question is how do I know this is a matching engine? I thought it was matching as I found a 2780930-340-3 on the block drivers side and found that to be a LA family 1968-73….but the number on the pax side above the oil pan and below the water drain hole appears to be 019754 9. The last 9 looks a little smaller. I've bought this car around 1982 and the engine and tranny had been rebuilt by the dealer in Chinook, MT. Any help would be appreciated as I'm a novice!!
 
I found this link to help us newbies ID mopar small block engines.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7IPrBInZ-8"]Chrysler smallblock engine ID *by the numbers* - YouTube[/ame]
Called the guy who sold me the car 30+ years ago and he remembered me! He remembered a wrist pin coming loose and trashing the original motor. Put in another 340 with high compression…too bad it's not original!
 
That video forgot the last 8 of vin likely stamped on pass side, just above pan rail.
 
That's a 70 motor and not original to your car. The last few #s on the block should match the last few #s on your vin. Sorry to break the news to you.
 
Thanks for the info... wish it all matched. I looked at the casting date on the block pax side and it was a 70. Numbers on drivers side block below head and behind power steering pump is 0 340P33720248. There is a space between the 0 and 340...can anyone decode this number?
 
My memory on the 10,000 day calender is a little foggy, but i believe the 3372 equals out to...... Wed, Oct 21 1970.

Crackedback can confirm this for sure..........or give me crap for being a dummy......lol. No better guy to get the business from though, believe me :D.
 
Just because it was cast in 1970 doesn't mean it is a '70 model engine. MaMopar didn't begin machining/assembling castings until they sat for at least 6 months. It would not be out of the question for a block cast in April 1970 to not see an engine bay until it was bolted into a '71 model....
 
The build date from the fender code is 903 which I think is 3 sep 70. Makes sense to me that a 71 model would be built in fall of 70. Don't think the motor is original based on not finding a vin match and the dealer remembering a wrist pin failed and trashed a cylinder. I bought the car about 10 years into its' life. Would be nice to know more about where the motor came from...definitely appears to be time/performance appropriate to a novice like me. (Roll in here experts and correct me if I'm off base) Can't seem to find a decoder on the web for the nums stamped behind pwr stg pump on block...if anyone can decode or has a site I'd like to hear from you. Thanks!
 
OldmanRick said:
My memory on the 10,000 day calender is a little foggy, but i believe the 3372 equals out to...... Wed, Oct 21 1970.

Crackedback can confirm this for sure..........or give me crap for being a dummy......lol. No better guy to get the business from though, believe me :D.
Click to expand...

correctamundo.

1971 model year engine.
 
The 0 could be a G.

It's too late if the 3372 number is correct to ever have a chance at being installed in a 1970 model year car. Probably got put in a car in early november.

The area under the head needs a close inspection to see if the the first two letter can get raised. It's likely going to start with a G
 
Crackedback your right. I cleaned up the first two digits. The first is a G and the second is very faint and easy to miss, but I'm pretty sure it's a W….if that makes any sense…THANKS! Mark
 
Mark, since your going to this trouble, post a pic or type in the correct order of numbers from your fender tag. Can find out the build date and what other options came on the car? Someone may have gone to the trouble to install a date coded engine for the original and that ain't half bad if the original is gone.
 
GW would be spot on for a 1971 model year engine built at the Windsor plant.
 
Here's a picture and I typed out what I think I'm seeing…the picture is hard to read on my iPhone!
95 R11 V6X V8X END
EV2 U M21 M25 N41 N42
EV2 Lix9 TX9 903 04068
E55 D32 VS29 H1E 103516

VIN is VS29H1E103516 and I found the 727 codes and it matches with the VIN…just wish the engine did! Thought it would be nice to know more about the engine and where or what it might of come out of…just for posterities sake. It'll be a driver for me and my kids…lots of stories over the past 30+ years…heck, I've had Mr. Duster twice as long as my wife!!
 

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VS29:
Plymouth Valiant,Duster
Special
2 Door Sports Hardtop
H1E: 340 275HP 1-4BBL 8 CYL
1971
Los Angeles, CA, USA
103516: Sequence number
E55: 340 cid 4 barrel V8 275hp
D32: Heavy Duty Automatic Transmission
EV2: Hemi Orange Exterior Color
LIX9: Trim - Low, Unknown, Black
TX9: Black Int. Door Frames
903: Build Date: September 03
04068: Order number
EV2: Hemi Orange Top Color
U: USA Specifications
M21: Roof drip rail moldings
M25: Wide sill moldings
N41: Dual Exhaust
N42: Chrome Exhaust Tips
95: Unknown
R11: Radio Solid State AM (2 Watts)
V6X: Longitudinal Stripes, Black
V8X: Tranverse Stripes, Black
END: End of Sales Codes
 
the 95 could be N85 or N95

N85 is a tach in the rallye dash.
N95 is an emmisions package
 
Looks like a Sept 3rd, 1970 build date...........Regardless, you've got yourself a nice car:thumrigh:.
 
Thanks for the compliment and the help. There's not a tach in the rally dash and I see a blocked vapor return line…my assumption is the emission stuff was all thrown out once the car hit Montana. Rebuilt tranny is going in this Thursday…hope to get pictures of the car posted once I get it out into the light!
 
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