HELP....I've inherited a 350 that was residing in an 70 Limited (with big block VIN!). So I figure that some day, long ago, somebody swapped this small block into the big guy. The numbers from the front are: 4 H482746. To add to the mystery, the quadrajet is from a '67 Chevy 327/350; and the distributor numbers come back to a '67 340! It is, for all intents and purposes, indentical to my 455 (always wondered how to tell them apart w/o numbers). Can someone point me toward the answer here? I can't even unload this till I know what the heck it is! I've been to the buick.net "shop" site for numbers and I find I don't have any coding in the exhaust deck spot. ?????? thanks for any help.
If it is a 350 , 400, 430, or 455 the cubic inch displacement can be see in the casting behind the intake manifold. Also the engine block #'s are located there as well here is an example
Ok...It's a 455! I'm a happy guy....still a little confused. Phil, would the casting numbers I found there below the "455" (1238861) shed any light on year and such?? My confusion stems from the distributor being for a 340 and that the numbers that are supposed to be on the block boss below the forward left side plugs (just as with my GS455) are not there at all on this engine--BUT, that "h482746" number is stamped in the spot that is SUPPOSED to be indicating a 350. ????? Should I just quit worrying and go to bed!!!??? This is wierd. Anyway, even if you can't shed light on the remaining mystery, you nevertheless made my night with the location of the 455 numbers--and I'm REALLY embarrassed to say I never knew those were there. Many thanks Phil. Bob
Got it Adam! That takes care of the rear deck number "71-72" 455. Now, what the @)$#_$@ does the number on the front of the block mean?? Thanks for taking the time with me. Just to let you guys know why I'm getting wired about this. I've had this engine for about 4 years and took it out of a 71? Electra or Limited to build someday. My son & I own the '70 GS jointly and have long ago stored the original numbers matching 455 and have been using a tired 455 out of 70 LeSabre. It's tired, my son is moving and I'm storing the car. I'm thinking of building this "mystery" engine as a present to him/us--and building it STRONG--and I began cleaning it up....only to find this number fiasco. Again, thanks to you, Phil and anyone else who wishes to weigh in on this.
The distributors for a 340 & 350 can be used in a 455 the diffrence between the small block and the big block are First the casting number on the distributor which you identified the other is the distributor gear on the bottom of the distributor. there is a roll pin in which the gear is held on. It is a matter of pushing out the pin removing the gear and installing the big block gear thats it. As for the casting numbers on the cylinder head they are hard to see so you might try to clean off that area really well and shine a strong flash light on the cylinder head surface also looks to be a 72 455 also from the casting #'s you mentioned. Well at least it is a big block:TU:
Also what number are you looking at at the front of the block. is it by the water pump? if so this should be the same as the vin of the car that the engine originally came from.
Phil, That number came from the front of the block as pictured in this site http://buicks.net/shop/engine_ident.html Scroll down to the 350 and it appears just as the picture. I was wondering....all the references to GS's I have indicate that the VIN is duplicated on that boss below the plugs on 455's (like my GS has). Could Buick have done that ONLY on GS motors? Or, if this is a likely a '72, and since this is a Big Buick motor, could they have reverted to the 350 method of ID stamping??? Anyway, I don't have that vehicle anymore to compare VIN to the number in question. Thanks for the info on the distributor. Sorry I seem a bit manic about this....30+ years as a cop makes me hate a mystery like this!
If the engine block was ever surfaced the numbers would be lost on this area as well. I will look at my 71 455 tommorrow and see if it is stamped the same as you mentioned.
Thanks Phil. I've got to believe that either you're right and this block may have been decked during a rebuild and thus the missing numbers; and/or, on the 72 they just didn't do the same things they did in '70 and that front number somehow coincides with the VIN on that old Limited. Anywho......it's going to be fun and yes :laugh: when the dust cleared....it's a 455!!!!
