Finding Engine year and specs

[moorehouse77]

I feel like I should know this already but I don't. How can I figure out what year motor I have. Is it the 7 digit code on the drivers side back of the motor just above the bell hosing. If so where can I decode it???

[moorehouse77]

Anybody have any light to shed?????

[srobertsfsj]

http://www.ifsja.org/tech/motors/engcode360.html

[moorehouse77]

Yep my fault for not being more specific. Valve cover tag is long gone. Motor was replaced by PO and has no idea what it came out of. Is there no way to year code a block??? Thanks you for trying though!!

[Stuka]

Well its easy to tell what engine it is as its cast into the side of the block (Assuming its a V8).

But I am not aware of any date castings that AMC had put into their blocks.

[mud89]

I feel like I should know this already but I don't. How can I figure out what year motor I have. Is it the 7 digit code on the drivers side back of the motor just above the bell hosing. If so where can I decode it???

The decoding of the block casting (7 digits) will only say if it's a 304, 360 or 401, not the year
If you don't have the valve cover tag, you should be able to narrow it down with the castings of the heads, intake, crank..which means a disassembly

[moorehouse77]

Assuming this is not a bastard child of an engine with mixed matched parts right.

I have the intake off and the valve covers need new gaskets so where might this info be on these two parts.

[Stuka]

Assuming this is not a bastard child of an engine with mixed matched parts right.

I have the intake off and the valve covers need new gaskets so where might this info be on these two parts.

As far as I know the valve covers never changed for the V8's (304, 360, 390, 401). They did change for the i6's a few times though.

[moorehouse77]

I meant where on the heads since the valve covers need to come off!

[carnuck]

Between the rockers someplace

[REDONE]

I meant where on the heads since the valve covers need to come off!

Right about here!

[moorehouse77]

Awesome thanks man. So now how do I decode that number. Is there a database somewhere? Sorry for the persistency i'm just trying to get this thing running right and want to know what I have. Thanks again guys!

[mud89]

Got that for the heads castings :

http://www3.sympatico.ca/david.crooks/amc.PDF

[Gumby]

Sometimes you may get lucky and have the year stamped on the heads too (last two digits).

[moorehouse77]

I meant where on the heads since the valve covers need to come off!

Right about here!

OK then so the head in this pic would be a 70,71 or 72. Thanks fellas!!!

[REDONE]

Nope! I tricked yuh! That's a 77 360 head (standard low compression, big valve head) that is using modified self-centering roller tip rockers.

If it came without rocker bridges, then yes it'd be a 70-72 head.

Now I kinda feel bad about throwing you a fast one. The chart posted above is correct for all the heads I have numbers for.