Slant 6 engine year?

[Charles48]

I have a 1963 dodge dart 270 convertible with a slant 6 225 in it but it's not the original engine. It has 5 freeze plugs so it has to be a '68 or newer. The number behind the alternator is 7 225 T8 92, number on driver side is 030-8 with a stamp that reads 1986. Please tell me how to find out what year this engine is.

 

[slantsixdan]

7: 1977 or 1987
225: Engine displacement
T: Truck engine or Trenton engine plant, but...
8 92: Not meaningful. Either this was mis-stamped or misread.

If there is no 7-digit casting number on the manifold side of the block (with or without an 8th digit after a dash, like 1234567-8) then this is probably a late-production block from the '80s.

If your '63 has an automatic transmission, it is very likely whoever swapped in this '68-up engine didn't know it's necessary to install a 1/8" spacer ring to fill the gap between the '67-down small-nose torque converter and the '68-up large-counterbore crankshaft rear flange. If not, the transmission front pump bearing and seal will take a beating and you can get weird vibration issues and fluid leaks.

 

[pishta]

He'll know when bits of flex plate start exiting the inspection cover, or worse. Mine showed no vibration, it just broke in 4 places.

 

[Charles48]

7: 1977 or 1987
225: Engine displacement
T: Truck engine or Trenton engine plant, but...
8 92: Not meaningful. Either this was mis-stamped or misread.

If there is no 7-digit casting number on the manifold side of the block (with or without an 8th digit after a dash, like 1234567-8) then this is probably a late-production block from the '80s.

If your '63 has an automatic transmission, it is very likely whoever swapped in this '68-up engine didn't know it's necessary to install a 1/8" spacer ring to fill the gap between the '67-down small-nose torque converter and the '68-up large-counterbore crankshaft rear flange. If not, the transmission front pump bearing and seal will take a beating and you can get weird vibration issues and fluid leaks.

Thank you and it was originally a 3speed on the column but it was changed to a 4speed in the floor before I got it. Original column is still in it but I really wanted to know what year engine I have.

 

[slantsixdan]

Take another look on the manifold side of the block and see if you find a 7- or 8-digit casting number. If yes, you've got a '77 225. If no, you've got an '87 225. If the engine was swapped complete, another clue would be to look at the valve cover. If its bolt pattern looks like this, that's an '81-up motor with hydraulic lifters. If the valve cover bolt pattern looks like this, that's an '80-down motor with solid lifters.

 

[Charles48]

Thank you and it was originally a 3speed on the column but it was changed to a 4speed in the floor before I got it. Original column is still in it but I really wanted to know what year engine I have.

Take another look on the manifold side of the block and see if you find a 7- or 8-digit casting number. If yes, you've got a '77 225. If no, you've got an '87 225. If the engine was swapped complete, another clue would be to look at the valve cover. If its bolt pattern looks like this, that's an '81-up motor with hydraulic lifters. If the valve cover bolt pattern looks like this, that's an '80-down motor with solid lifters.

 

[Charles48]

He'll know when bits of flex plate start exiting the inspection cover, or worse. Mine showed no vibration, it just broke in 4 places.

 

[Charles48]

Well it was a 3speed on the column until they changed to a 4speed in the floor so I shouldn't have no problem there.

 

[Charles48]

I do know there is no 7 or 8 digit number on the manifold side just the 030-8. So it is probably the '87 225 which is fine, I just wanted to know. Thank you for your response.

 

[Charles48]

Thank you sir for your response. I really appreciate it.

 

[Charles48]

7: 1977 or 1987
225: Engine displacement
T: Truck engine or Trenton engine plant, but...
8 92: Not meaningful. Either this was mis-stamped or misread.

If there is no 7-digit casting number on the manifold side of the block (with or without an 8th digit after a dash, like 1234567-8) then this is probably a late-production block from the '80s.

If your '63 has an automatic transmission, it is very likely whoever swapped in this '68-up engine didn't know it's necessary to install a 1/8" spacer ring to fill the gap between the '67-down small-nose torque converter and the '68-up large-counterbore crankshaft rear flange. If not, the transmission front pump bearing and seal will take a beating and you can get weird vibration issues and fluid leaks.

 

[Charles48]

Is there a website I can go to to find out for sure if the T is for truck engine or Trenton plant?

 

[slantsixdan]

No. There's no way to tell what the "T" means in any given case, and there are other letters and numbers that can mean more than one thing. And various plants deviated from the official engine ID stamping system, and the system changed over the years, etc. That's why we need to use other clues (casting number, solid vs. hydraulic lifter motor, etc) to narrow in on what you have.

 

[Charles48]

No. There's no way to tell what the "T" means in any given case, and there are other letters and numbers that can mean more than one thing. And various plants deviated from the official engine ID stamping system, and the system changed over the years, etc. That's why we need to use other clues (casting number, solid vs. hydraulic lifter motor, etc) to narrow in on what you have.

 

[Charles48]

Ok and again thank you.