received my engine today that i've been looking for a while the codes are as follows 3969854 H 2 9 also on the id pad there is only these numbers T080 CTW, this engine is like perfect for my car since its number is 100170 off of atlantas line. speaking to a couple of older gentlemen that have been working on chevelles for longer than alot of us have been around they told me its not unusall to not have a vin number stamped on the block exspecially when the model years are changing because of the demand that chevy had, they said that they pushed these cars thru quickly. can anyone verify this? thx steel

Beginning with the 1968 model year, the VIN derivative was mandated by law so it would be unusual to find one that doesn't have it. A warranty block or an over-the-counter purchased block would be the exception.

CTW is the correct suffix code for a 1970 L34 (402/350) with a TH400. I assume this is what you have since you didn't say. There should also be four numbers in the engine ID after the "T" for Tonawanda. The 08 is for August but there should be two numbers for the day.

As you begin to reach the age of some of us *older gentlemen*, you'll discover that there's no word as "alot" too. It's two words, "a" and "lot" just like "a bunch" or "a few". ;)

FWIW, sequence numbers for 1970 Chevelles started with 100001 at every plant. A sequence number of 100170 would be a very early 1970 model year car with yours being the 170th off that plant's line. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Sometime around 1970 (+-) they (some plants)started to stamp VIN derivatives (confidential VIN) on the rough cast portion of the block down by the oil filter to prevent theft. It is stamped vertical on the rear flange of the block and can be very hard to see and can't be removed without alerting everyone that it was. So before you assume that no VIN is on the engine, look carefully at the alternate spot.

hey dale, thanks, if you're older than me, God Bless You, i'm 46 and have less coming than i've seen. thx for the info, also if it was a replacement block would it not also have a code. also yes i do have a 402/ with a turbo 400. thx steel

Am I wrong, but are you thinking that this engine is perfect because the 080 is just slightly before the 170 in VIN? Because, that is a date code when the engine was built and not a partial VIN. The partial Vin would be stamped after the CTW. Not trying to stir anything up, just trying to clarify. The partial car VIN, I don't believe would be on a replacement engine but I believe if it were a replacement engine it would have a CE on it. Others can chime in on this.

Robert

Just because i am a steelworker dosent mean i'm completely stupid, I know that this is the casting date! The only numbers that are on the pad are T0805CTW nothing else, if you would read the posting it says that my car was the 170th off atlantas line, I know that 080 is the casting date, no I dont think its perfect, but what are the chances of finding the engine that was casted 2 months prior to your car being built, after 35 years. Also the only numbers on the block are T0805CTW, these numbers are to the very far right of the pad nothing could be stamped after the CTW. and I took elcaminos advice and looked, and there is no numbers by the oil filter area either. Why do you think I am bragging, read the post before you start assuming things. :rolleyes:

Could there be any other place besides around the oil filter or the front pad that they could of stamped this engine??? I spent 1 hr fine tooth combing this and did'nt see any other punched numbers, thx steel

Like I said, I wasn't trying to stir anything up but as long as you are going to be a jerk about it I will try to educate you even further.

If you would have read the sincerity in my post "not trying to stir things up", "just trying to clarify" you would have gotten the point of my response. Why don't you go back and read your original posting? You left the "5" of your "0805" so I thought you were implying the 080 being just in front of 170 was "like perfect" :rolleyes: . So, if you make sure all the information is in your posting it would help those of us that try to help. If you frequent this forum much you will know that I am not normally a smart ass (but can be when taken to task) and I don't stir things up. At times, like many others, have gone out of my way to help when I can. I try to further the hobby with the limited knowledge that I have. Read my posting again, I think you will see that I was not being derogatory.

Now, to educate you. The 0805 is not the cast date, it is the engine assembly date. The cast date is the H 2 9.

BTW: Who said steelworkers are stupid?

BTW: Part II: All the Tonawanda stamping that I have seen, and believe me I am not the expert here, would have had the TO0805CTW more towards the center or left of center with the partial VIN (stamped later) to the right of this. But that doesn't mean it couldn't be this way. Possibly a motor built that was not destined for a "factory" installation. Or maybe someone not paying attention when doing the stamping. Lots of possibilities I suppose. Maybe different shifts/operators did it differently because there was no standard for the operation and this is more common and I just haven't seen it before. This stamp would have been placed on the pad at the Tonawanda plant where the engine was built. The partial VIN is stamped at the Auto assembly plant. Now, I am sure you knew this but I thought I would mention it anyway.

BTW: Part III: I started in this hobby in 1998 when I was 44 and learned what little I know from the ground up.

My pleasure,

Robert

The VIN derivative should be stamped on the id pad and look like this one. Could your block have been surfaced and the numbers got removed in the process? All engine assembly date/suffix codes I've seen are on the top left of the pad. Do the characters look aligned and the same font? Maybe after decking the block someone restamped it?

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/396guy/id_stamp.jpg
Arlington, TX

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/396guy/ls6_id.jpg
Atlanta, GA

I know 1969 engines were stamped by the oil filters but wasn't aware of other years there. Probably more for me to learn.

"Don't make me turn this car around!!" ;)

If I may butt in here and ask a question or two
smile.gif

This engine was cast on 8/2/69 and assembled on 8/5/69, right?

I assume for some reason this engine did not get the VIN stamped on it since if it had been decked I would think it wouldn't have anything at all left on it.

Was the Chevelle the 170th car off the line at that plant including other cars or was it the 170th Chevelle?

What would be an educated GUESS as to the final assembly date for the 170th Chevelle?

And last of all, what difference does it all make since it's still not the original engine for the car anyway? :confused:

BTW: My buddies 70 Engine was stamped by the Oil filter pad. His engine block had been decked and difficult to read the number. We confirmed originality of engine by this number stamp. My limited experience has shown that the Tonawanda stamp seems to be deeper than the stamping at the car assembly plant and might still show up after decking... depending on depth and how much removed.

Just my $.02

Robert

There is a faint 5 when you look at with a magnifing glass,and the rest of the numbers are verydeep looking, But it is stamped all the way to the right of the pad. and it only has T0850CTW on it, this i'm sure of, like i said the 5 is very faint. people keep saying verticle by the oil filter, is this where the engine and tranny meet? also according to my trim tag it was the first week of october of 69. what difference does it make? To me alot, I've looked for quite some time to find the correct date coded engine for my 70 SS, and spent ALOT of money trying to get all the original parts that have disappeared over the years. Some of my friends call me stupid, anal what ever, but I feel since this car is true, that I want everything to be the way it was in 70. thx steel, by the way anyone going to the chevelle 40th anniversary at the ashland ohio fairgrounds this saturday?

DO I gather that this is not the original engine for your car but one you are hoping will fit the dates etc?

Do you have a image of you stamping to show us?

There is a problem with the location it is stamped (per your description) and the day of the month 50 or is it 05 as you said in the previous post. You say you are shure of T0850CTW in your last post, is 50 a typo? We know there are not 50 days in the month of August.
T - Tonawanda Engine
08 - Aug
50 - Day of month
CTW - Engine application code, the C prefix denotes passenger car as opposed to T for trucks.

Question
Do the digits all line up or do they appear to have been stamped one at a time. Factory used a gang holder (dies clamped in and stamped all at once) so the should all be uniform is spacing, in depth of stamp and the tops and bottom of the digits should all be in a straight line

http://www.synthetic-oil.com/images/code_locations.jpg

elcamino, yeah a typo, sorry, it is T0805, duh on my part, yes i want it coded correctly, in which it does, i will try to get a pic but everytime i take i have to send to dot and she resizes for me, but the do line up. unless someone can walk me thru the way of uploading pics, or resizing. thx steel

i'm going to email the pics to a couple of ya. thx steel

can you post pics in here in the posting section? if so how? steel

Originally posted by steelworker198:
can you post pics in here in the posting section? if so how? steel Steel, Dot should have sent you directions to post at least a link to you pics and probably a way to post the pic here since you are a Team Member. If not, just ask and she will do it again.

I resized one of them and here it is. (on my server)

You know if you don't find the con vin on this block, you could stamp one on there and no one would be the wiser. You just need to find the right size dies and a holder to make them look OEM.

We used to have these dies where I worked (retired gov't gps surveyor) to stamp on our survey markers

http://www.synthetic-oil.com/images/T0805CTW.jpg

http://img.groundspeak.com/benchmark/lg/43110_200.jpg

Originally posted by elcamino:
You know if you don't find the con vin on this block, you could stamp one on there and no one would be the wiser. AH HA, that might answer one question
j/k smile.gif

But seriously, it would still be no different than having any other non original engine in the car (unless the plan is to do the above which it seems alot of people are doing) because you could make just about any engine look correct.

gentlemen,I CANNOT MAKE A CAR FICTICIOUS. its not in me, my car is and original SS and if I ever sell I can at least tell them its coded correctly. thanks again mike