dont know much about the history of car or motor. 68 camaro flipped 2 or 3 times but is junk. I was told a 307 so i needed some internal parts tear it down I find- 4 barrel cast intake, 194 heads 4 bolt main, GM double roller roller timing chain. Cast codes- 3970010 Pad- 617430 stamp Oil filter- 138N. WR. 010 Timing chain- 3735412 GM # Checked stroke it is a 350. But the stamped pad has me guessing. Run numbers on timing chain and a bunch of early V-8 and a truck motor. Any help on this is it worth keeping? Hate to scrape a 4 bolt block.
All I can tell from the numbers is that the 3970010 block is a 4" bore block. That block can be used to build 302,327, and 350 engines. If you checked the stroke and it is 3.48", then it is a 350 like you thought. I can't decode the 617430 number to mean anything.
Might look on the back of the engine, bell housing flange, see a date code cast into the top part of the flange.
Here is the timing chain in the motor. Has me confused nothing makes sense on this motor. But it is a 350 4 bolt main with stock pistions.
That is an odd one I'm thinking. The number pad on the front is a small pad, never saw this on an early 010 block that I remember. Double row chain is real odd too, looks to have a GM number.
I have a 350 out of a 71 vette that has a small stamp pad on it no numbers left on it after decking. Been in a lot of SBC motors never seen a GM double roller chain before. I was just confused on what the engine was see if any Gm experts knew where it came from. Nothing looks like it should.
Googled the timing gear sprocket. Collected the whole set! "Heavy duty off-highway use" (wink, wink) parts you can order at your local GM dealer parts counter! Does that mean it's a "Performance" part and it's not certified by some authority to be street legal or installed from the factory? So... It could have come from someone's hot-rodded 'Vette or it could have been pulled from a sunken boat. (MerCruiser)
With the pad, being under the alternator, being small like that makes it a 1977 and up small block. I think the 010 blocks were used up until 1980.
The lack of more numbers stamped on the front pad says to me that your engine could be a late 70s Targetmaster engine. During that time, the 3970010 block was being used for Targetmaster engines. A couple of years later, a different block was used for those engines.
