Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

SShink · 3K+ Club

Jim L.-Here's a '66 396 Engine For You

jim larson · 2K+ Club

THANKS STAN. SAW THAT EARLIER TODAY, SENT AN EMAIL AND HAVENT HEARD BACK. DO YOU KNOW THE OWNER?

Lost in the 60s · President

I called the number listed and talked to the guy. He didn't know the cast or build dates and is going to call me back with them. I asked for the price and was told" I'm open to offers". To me that smells of an auction deal. The EK is a 325 hp for powerglide application, so it isn't a great temptation. If he would tell me a reasonable price, it might get sold.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Looked like an assembly date of T 0111; I have two 961 blocks on the shelf, one is a Oct assembly date and the other is a March assembly date; but both need a sleeve.

Haven't heard back from him regarding the casting date? And other specifics. I was thinking the same thing about a reasonable price.

Lost in the 60s · President

Haven't heard from him yet. He said he would call somethime this morning....didn't sound like he was in any hurry.

The March block you have isn't a 4 bolt by chance ? That would line up pretty well with my first week of May build date.

Chris R · 2K+ Club

Looks like all the 66 guys are in line for it. I noticed it posted yesterday. The guy is fishing for offers which tells me he has a price in mind. Typically guys like that are a bit overpriced. Its unlikely its going to go cheap.

Lost in the 60s · President

I just got off the phone with him. I think Jim is right about the assembly date as the cast date is L-28-5. He can't find any identification on the pistons so it sounds like original bore. He MAY have the front timing cover but he can't find it right now, so consider no cover. He wants $400 which IS a reasonable price, if it matches the car. It's way too early for me and not really worth picking up.

He also has a pair of '69 oval port heads but doesn't know the casting numbewr. He's thinking of pulling the ad until he finds all the parts he thinks he has and gets all the numbers for potential buyers.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Lost in the 60s wrote:
Haven't heard from him yet. He said he would call somethime this morning....didn't sound like he was in any hurry.
The March block you have isn't a 4 bolt by chance ? That would line up pretty well with my first week of May build date.

No, 2 bolt, its a 961 block. I have been told that they ran low on 962 block in March/April of 66, so a number of 961 blocks were coverted into 4 bolts during that periold.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Lost in the 60s wrote:
I just got off the phone with him. I think Jim is right about the assembly date as the cast date is L-28-5. He can't find any identification on the pistons so it sounds like original bore. He MAY have the front timing cover but he can't find it right now, so consider no cover. He wants $400 which IS a reasonable price, if it matches the car. It's way too early for me and not really worth picking up.
He also has a pair of '69 oval port heads but doesn't know the casting numbewr. He's thinking of pulling the ad until he finds all the parts he thinks he has and gets all the numbers for potential buyers.

The assembly date looks like some decking has taken place. Pistons look a little different that what my book shows for 66. There should be something stamped on the top to indicate the pistons. Also thats definetly not a 66 oil pan. Why change the oil pan if no work done.

Did he say when it was last run?

Chris R · 2K+ Club

Sounds like a fair price to me. I already have a 66 motor in my 66 so I dont need it. But if I did want something that was the correct year. The price is right.

Lost in the 60s · President

jim larson wrote:
Lost in the 60s wrote:
I just got off the phone with him. I think Jim is right about the assembly date as the cast date is L-28-5. He can't find any identification on the pistons so it sounds like original bore. He MAY have the front timing cover but he can't find it right now, so consider no cover. He wants $400 which IS a reasonable price, if it matches the car. It's way too early for me and not really worth picking up.
He also has a pair of '69 oval port heads but doesn't know the casting numbewr. He's thinking of pulling the ad until he finds all the parts he thinks he has and gets all the numbers for potential buyers.
The assembly date looks like some decking has taken place. Pistons look a little different that what my book shows for 66. There should be something stamped on the top to indicate the pistons. Also thats definetly not a 66 oil pan. Why change the oil pan if no work done.
Did he say when it was last run?
The pan could've been changed for a different application as a drop in. Who knows how many times these engines got swapped around 30 years ago and that's about how long he said it has been sitting too.
I thought all the 360 hp engines with Holleys were 4 bolt in '66 ? Were they the 962 block ?

Chris R · 2K+ Club

Lost in the 60s wrote:
jim larson wrote:
Lost in the 60s wrote:
I just got off the phone with him. I think Jim is right about the assembly date as the cast date is L-28-5. He can't find any identification on the pistons so it sounds like original bore. He MAY have the front timing cover but he can't find it right now, so consider no cover. He wants $400 which IS a reasonable price, if it matches the car. It's way too early for me and not really worth picking up.
He also has a pair of '69 oval port heads but doesn't know the casting numbewr. He's thinking of pulling the ad until he finds all the parts he thinks he has and gets all the numbers for potential buyers.
The assembly date looks like some decking has taken place. Pistons look a little different that what my book shows for 66. There should be something stamped on the top to indicate the pistons. Also thats definetly not a 66 oil pan. Why change the oil pan if no work done.
Did he say when it was last run?
The pan could've been changed for a different application as a drop in. Who knows how many times these engines got swapped around 30 years ago and that's about how long he said it has been sitting too.
I thought all the 360 hp engines with Holleys were 4 bolt in '66 ? Were they the 962 block ?

There are a few documented cases of a 360HP 4 bolt running around out there but not all 360 horse engines were 4 bolt. They were really a L35 325 horse with an upgraded cam. The 375HP L78 were all a 4 bolts though.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Not sure about all 360hp cars having the 962 block. Some information both ways. It's been documented that some 961 block were 4 bolts used during a shortage or the 962.

Same crank, different rods, same pistons , same heads, same intake, different cam, different metering block in the carb otherwise same holley, different vac can, same distributor. All things considered, why would they use a 962 block in the 360hp engine.

Block originally went in a car assembled in Atlanta, now its in minn. I believe the 66 chevelle oil pan, and code seems to indicate it went in a BB chevelle in 66, will fit in any of the later chevelles, camaro's, novas, or monty's. so why change unless they put it in a Impala, then a change back to the 69-72 chevelle pan, so back in a chevelle, camaro, etc. What happened to the heads, they usually survive.

What value are the pistons? Appears timing cover and balancer are not there. Has crank been changed to a non-forged steel or iron crank or been turn how much? Basically you have a block that might be good. Why was it pulled the last time. And possibly a forged steel crank.

-- Edited by jim larson on Sunday 22nd of May 2011 07:05:48 AM

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Found one other thing different. The open and closed spring pressure was different, so probably different valve springs.

Lost in the 60s · President

Interesting.........my car is Atlanta built and spent many years in Iowa before going to Florida. Maybe you have my block.....

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Lost in the 60s wrote:
Interesting.........my car is Atlanta built and spent many years in Iowa before going to Florida. Maybe you have my block.....

I was talking about the block on craigs list as being an atlanta stamp. I think the march block I have has a Kansas City Vin stamp. It supposedly came out of a SD car that was T boned back in the 70's. I'll have to check.

Lost in the 60s · President

Oh, guess I couldn't read the stamp that well. He pulled the ad and may put it back up with better pics and more info, unless one of the other people he had been talking to about it bought it.

Chris R · 2K+ Club

jim larson wrote:
Not sure about all 360hp cars having the 962 block. Some information both ways. It's been documented that some 961 block were 4 bolts used during a shortage or the 962.

=

That is my understanding as well.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Lost in the 60s wrote:
Oh, guess I couldn't read the stamp that well. He pulled the ad and may put it back up with better pics and more info, unless one of the other people he had been talking to about it bought it.

He thinks he has a gem and is worried that he might sell it to cheap?

Lost in the 60s · President

No, he has had a lot of calls asking for the casting numbers and date codes and he didn't have them. He also thought he had more parts for the block and was going to look for them. It does have the balancer but the cam was removed and the cover is off and MAY be somewhere in his garage.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

He told me he had lots of calls, Mitch, Jim, and who else? He told me he didn't have the balancer or timing cover. Cam gone, so cover off. I think if I took the balancer and cover off to remove the cam, I would put both the cover and balancer back on. He seem interested in knowing how to identify exactly what he had. He was going to pull the oil pan and check the crank, someone had told him 6223. Thought that if the pistons were standard then no stamp. What about std 402. Thought there were no cracks; but why was it pulled. Would you put it in a car without checking? Sleeves can repair a cylinder crack. There is a 961 block laying outside a friends garage with a horizontal crack near the top of the lifter valley. No fix to that, so off on the next trip to the scrap metal yard.