Hey guys,
just bought my 1987 camaro a couple months ago and its been running good, only thing is the guy i got it from knew nothing about it! Id LOVE to know what engine i have.
the vin numbers on the windshield and center console dont match, the one on the windshield says its a 350, the other says its a 305.
it has a 5 spd manual and tpi setup, but its been messed with a lot. someone put in a push start drag strip ignition, new gauge cluster, and electric cutouts.
i pulled a valve cover and got this number: 14014416. i searched everywhere on the block for a casting number and found a "207" over where the starter is, and "201" on both sides of the block. as far as i know theres no other numbers readable with the motor still in the car. the engine block is also painted orange, and i dont think they came painted factory? but hey im still fairly new to these cars does anyone know what this engine could be?

 

ok also just checked numbers online, the heads are out of an 80-86 car, so that proves the heads cant be stock, the whole motor is perhaps older? and if 201 or 207 refers the the last 3 digits of block casting number, it still doesnt help because one is 305 (201) and the other is 350.
"201" appears on both sides of the block sort of in the middle, and 207 is right above the starter on the block, passenger side. one over-ride the other? any help appreciated

 

What # is here

 

[quote=vetteoz;5102547]What # is here



it should say right there what it is my 87 said 5.7 on it and both my 91s say 5.0 they were all tbi maybe tpi is different about it

 

theres the 87 350

 

id be more concerned about this than worried about what motor it has.....
id check to make sure the vin number on the dash matches at least 1 other vin number on the car.

 

Late model engines stamped 5.0 or 5.7 have the engine # cast on the opposite side at rear

 

well the 87 he has should have it on there i think i know its hard to look at with the motor in there

 

yeah i cant see that number at all right now, been trying for a couple hours to see it from above and under the car, no luck
i did find another "207" in raised print above the oil fiter on the drivers side. these are the only numbers i can see with the engine in the car, plus the number on the heads. any significance to these numbers?

 

try a small auto tech mirror if you have the money to spend advanced auto has thing that flexes and has a camera on the end

 

And just what are you doing with a factory sealed crate vette TPI motor??

 

good idea, that could work. might have to try that because im dying to figure out what this motor could be!

 

ill definitely check this out tomorrow too

 

There should be a partial engine vin number on the front passenger side of the engine. Look behind the AC pump. There is a flat spot between the front end of the head and the ac pump or alternator (forget which one is on that side) Use some WD40 to clean up so you can read it. It should read something like v0216awk. For example Awk is the suffix code for an 89 camaro/firebird 350 TPI engine
2nd post has a pic
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...-question.html

 

Also look for the stamped numbers on the pad in front of the passenger side head. If the block has been decked, then those numbers will be gone.

If the VIN on the cowl says the car originally had a 350 then it didn't originally have a T5. GM never put the T5 behind a 350. Only the 305 V8.

The casting number on the engine bellhousing can only confirm if it's a 350 or a 305 bore block and roughly what year range it's from. It won't tell you want it came from.

Ignore the info in the center console. That could easily be swapped from another car. The cowl tag is usually the most accurate but should be confirmed with other VIN numbers on the car. There are VIN stickers throughout the car if you know where to look for them. Look in the spare tire compartment to see if there's a sticker attached to the outer skin. Most of the other stickers require removing interior paneling to see them.

 

Yeah hopefully it isnt one of those VIN swapped cars... that'd be bad...

 

thanks! ill have to check this out, the picture is really helpful i wasnt sure what i was looking for, especially because everythings covered in orange paint!

 

thats another thing im afraid of

 

ok so i got the number off the pad, v1012CDJ. there was a smaller one under it, but its impossible to read :/ now i looked into it and
CDJ can be off of a 305 (1985 car LG4), 267 (some 70's car), and 350 (72 vette). the heads are the "416" heads, which from what ive gathered are off an 80-85 car. so am i right in putting 2 and 2 together and assuming i have a 305?
Is there any glimmer of hope that it could be a 1972 350?

 

Looks that way but only the block casting # at rear will confirm

 

ok, i also posted some pics of what it looks like on my profile. guess ill have to wait to know 100% until then ill assume its the 305, makes more sense at this point haha

 

My listing for CDJ
CDJ 1982 267 2 Roch E2ME carb.
CDJ 1985 305 150 4 Roch E4ME carb.
CDJ 1972 350 200 - base, tur 400, NB2

What side of the engine is the dipstick on?

Passenger side, it's probably a 305 but may also be a 267. Driver's side, it's probably the older 350.

 

the dipsick is passengers side, so i guess that pretty much rules out the older 350 block
what is a 267 exactly? is there any way of telling that apart from a 305? i had no idea this was even an engine gm really used at all

 

its a 3.5" bore 3.48 stroke. wasnt widely used, and tossed out the window in the 80s. chances of you having a 267 are slim to nil.

 

The odds appear that you most likely have a 305 that was originally a carb engine that someone put a TPI system into.

Based on your original post, you have an original 350 car from the cowl tag. Powertrain and interior were swapped from a 305 car from the console decal.

Hard to say what someone was trying to do but no matter how you look at it, you have a 305 that was probably pawned off as being a 350.

 

its most likely either a 350 car that had the 350 replaced with a 305 and the tpi thrown on, or its a 305 car that a tpi was thrown on with a swapped vin plate.