Chev 350 history

While I wait to start work on the Chev 350 engine from the donor ute, I thought I'd track down some of the history and find out exactly what I've got to work with.

These are the numbers on the block:

Engine casting Number: 3970010
Engine ID: K0315TKB

First, the casting number. A "3970010" is:

Year 1969-79

Casting 3970010

Capacity 350

Low Power 185

High Power 370

Main Caps 2 or 4

Application car, truck, Vette

So, the casting number doesn't narrow it down much - if i was lucky, the engine started as a 370hp Corvette engine. If not, a low power pickup truck engine. In some ways, a low power engine wouldhave less stress, so that might be a good thing.

Next, the Engine ID:

K = Ontario, Canada Engine Plant
03 = March
15 = 15th day of the month
TKB means the following specifications:

Code TKB	Year 1976	Capacity 350	Application conv.cab	Engine Code L LS9	HP 165	BBLS 4	Body C-10 & 1500
TKB	1979	350	conv. cab, m/t	L LS9	165	4	C-30 & 3500

So, it seems that my engine was made in Canada in 1976 or 1979. It's a LS9, built as a 165HP 4 barrel unit, for pickup trucks - one of C-1, C-30, 1500 or 3500 depending on the year.

Not very exciting, but perhaps it's had an easy life - sometime soon I'll be stripping the motor down.

Thanks to Dave for sending me the numbers.
References I use to decode the numbers can be found here:

http://www.nastyz28.com/sbchevy/sblock.php