360 Date Coding

[MR4V]

As this is my first Mopar I'm still struggling with reading some of the numbers.
Picked up a 360 today with the date casting numbers of 3418496.2.360 & head castings of 3671587-3.
How do I read these?

 

[Dusterdude72]

as for the block numbers....3418496-360 360 1971-74 LA the .2.360 in that number I believe shows it as a 72 year code 360 engine.

so its a 360 but not a special/rare 360 or anything.

BUT as for your head casting numbers go.....


.....3671587 340 1973 1.88 1.60 1.88 and 1.60 are your valve sizes

some of the info I am reading shows them as 1972 340 heads and some of what i am reading shows them as 340/360 heads for 73 and up and some of what i am reading shows them as 318 heads for 1980-82
this head part number was used on various engines by the looks of it......so someone who has a better way of identifying them should chime in on that part....but the upside is......they may be 340 heads!

Hope that was able to help you out?

also if you need more info, you should see a "clock" stamped on the block somewhere and also either a D or an N stamped near it....this will tell you the time of day it was made and if it was the Day or Night shift.

also,you may find separate block "stamps" either on a pad located on the front of the block below the drivers side head or above the oil pan on the side rail of either side of the engine.....with those numbers you should get a partial vin to match the engine to what car it originated from and also it could give you numbers that could tell you the exact day it was manufactured and from which assembly plant it originated from.

Hope that clears up some questions for ya?

 

[MR4V]

as for the block numbers....3418496-360 360 1971-74 LA the .2.360 in that number I believe shows it as a 72 year code 360 engine.

so its a 360 but not a special/rare 360 or anything.

BUT as for your head casting numbers go.....


.....3671587 340 1973 1.88 1.60 1.88 and 1.60 are your valve sizes

some of the info I am reading shows them as 1972 340 heads and some of what i am reading shows them as 340/360 heads for 73 and up and some of what i am reading shows them as 318 heads for 1980-82
this head part number was used on various engines by the looks of it......so someone who has a better way of identifying them should chime in on that part....but the upside is......they may be 340 heads!

Hope that was able to help you out?

also if you need more info, you should see a "clock" stamped on the block somewhere and also either a D or an N stamped near it....this will tell you the time of day it was made and if it was the Day or Night shift.

also,you may find separate block "stamps" either on a pad located on the front of the block below the drivers side head or above the oil pan on the side rail of either side of the engine.....with those numbers you should get a partial vin to match the engine to what car it originated from and also it could give you numbers that could tell you the exact day it was manufactured and from which assembly plant it originated from.

Hope that clears up some questions for ya?

I will post some photos of the block soon. Heads have 360 cast into them on the under side with a "J" , so looks like J port heads?

Block is standard bore with fly cut pistons is that correct? Looks like its had rings & bearings at some stag of it like, no ridge with some hone makes left.

I will check the clock & vin.

Thanks

 

[Small Block]

Look on the oppisite side of the block where you found those numbers and there you should find the date of casting. If they are 340 heads i believe they would either be a J head or an X heads. X heads would come with the 2.02 valves and the J's would come with the 1.88 which can be worked out to fit the 2.02 valves. With a little port work and gasket matching they can can be made to run very well. on the inside of the head it will have a large J or a large X on it under the rockers. Look at that date casting on the block and report back.
Small Block

 

[rumblefish360]

On the block, look at the front of the block just under the drivers front cylinder (#1) right near the deck. Theres a host of numbers there, those are the numbers you want.

On the cylinder head, the cast in letter is all you need really. Otherwise, under the head, look for the casting numbers were the two intake runners meet. Those are the numbers your looking for. The cast in "360" that can be seen up top means nothing and it really doesn't mean there 360 heads because it sez 360 cast into it.

 

[MR4V]

Here are some photos of the block.

Heads have the following on the face.

& under the rocker gear.

Is this enough info?

 

[Small Block]

The first pic of the block is from the drivers side showing the displacement of your motor being a 360. The other number came from the pass side showing the casting date of 10-?-72. It looks as thoug you do have a set of J heads. You didn't show the valves but i suspect they are the 1.88" intake and it would be 1.60" on the exhaust side. Maybe an early model 360. Any ideas on what your motor came out of. My books show 74 as the first year for a 360 to be offered in a Duster and 75 for the Dart. Could it have been a truck motor? A casting date of 10/72 would more than likely have gone in a 73 model auto.
Small Block

 

[alsdemon]

the guy next door from my moms had a 71 or 72 newport that had a 360 in it /i remember them haveing a hard time with parts sometimes cause they said they never built one that year

 

[Hersbird]

A car built in 10/72 would definately be a 73 model. They probably stopped the run of 72 models sometime in the summer. Then took a few weeks off to change tooling, then started the 73's. By October 72 the 73's would be actually on the lots getting sold. It's probably from a C body car if it has a car oil pan, or a truck if it has a truck pan.

 

[MR4V]

A car built in 10/72 would definately be a 73 model. They probably stopped the run of 72 models sometime in the summer. Then took a few weeks off to change tooling, then started the 73's. By October 72 the 73's would be actually on the lots getting sold. It's probably from a C body car if it has a car oil pan, or a truck if it has a truck pan.

Theguy I got it from has no idea as he asked no question from the person he purchased it from.

Has a car oil pan, looks to have been freshen up with ring & bearings.

 

[MR4V]

Here are some shoots of the crank & rods, will that help? The crank has an X cast in it.
Heads have 2.02 inlet & 1.60 exhaust but can not see a X casting.

 

[cudamark]

'73 engine with '74-5 heads on it.......